2017 Is A Wrap!

This year more and more people are using fabric to wrap gifts instead of traditional paper. Not only is it reusable and environmentally friendly, but it solves the problem of what to do with all that left over wrapping paper piled in the corner of your living room.

The Japanese call it furoshiki and have been using this eco friendly practice for years. It dates back as far as AD 710 – 794. It wasn’t originally used as a decorative practice, but rather a functional one. The name means “bath spread” and bathers would bundle their clothes in fabric while at public baths as to not get their clothes confused with other people’s clothes. 

Minted has a tutorial on how to wrap a package with fabric. And the Japanese Department of Environment offers this as an instruction manual.

Sounds like a lot of work cutting fabric, but not to worry, you can order Japanese furoshiki wrapping cloths from Amazon and have them in two days. Or if your gift is small enough you can also use a handkerchief, bandana or tea towel to wrap your gifts.

Here is some furoshiki design inspiration:

Roc2 coffee opts for a bandana with a customized button and label. 

You can even spruce it up with spruce. 

A Japanese tea store Hibiki-An suggests gifts wrapped like this. 

Furoshiki is also a great way to present a bottle of wine as a gift. Kenzo Estate has a tutorial on their website to show you how to wrap a bottle of wine with fabric. 

So as 2017 comes to a close try out furoshiki as a fun way for friends and family to open your gifts. 

Happy Holidays from Impak Retail.