Japanese Kimono Gift Wrapping Papers: 18 x 24 inch (45 x 61 cm) Wrapping Paper

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I laid my scarf flat on a large table, diagonally, and positioned the gift in the centre. The square’s pointed edge was facing me. I tried to think of the long ends as handles tied up at the top of the gift. It’s a bit like beginner’s origami, or neatly wrapping a book in paper. It's common for Japanese schoolchildren to use this Japanese gift-wrapping technique to secure their bento box lunches. This helps prevent bento boxes from spilling during transit to the school. Carrying Everyday Items Or, head to your local fabric shop and buy some gorgeous fabric—even lovely Liberty floral prints, if you’re feeling fancy—and turn it into your own DIY wrap. Place the item in the middle of the fabric, ensuring the sides of the box line up with the diagonal corners.

As I try new zero-waste substitutions, I appreciate the things I use more. I’m more hesitant about buying things I don’t need or will throw away. My individual choices may not save the planet, but for there to be enough pressure on governments to legislate reductions in carbon emissions, and companies to reduce their output, it will take massive cultural change that everyone contributes to. Furoshiki and bojagi cloths were made with care, often hand-embroidered or quilted with symbolic designs or knots, like a Japanese family’s crest in Japan, or a Korean ceremonial marriage knot. The Korean textile artist and bojagi teacher Youngmin Lee explained that patchwork bojagi would sometimes be made from the scrap fabric from ceremonial dresses and suits—called hanbok—which, unlike kimono, used curved lines in their designs. Caring for your furoshiki is generally straightforward, but it’s essential to adapt your approach to the textile it’s made from. Cotton furoshiki is the easiest to maintain; you can simply toss them into the washing machine and hang them dry for the best results. For more vibrant designs, like this Seasons Furoshiki designed by Keisuke Seizawa (1895-1984), a renowned Japanese textile designer, it’s advisable to wash them separately from contrasting colors and avoid using a tumble dryer. This will help preserve the vivid design of the furoshiki and protect it from wear and tear. While furoshiki might not be as prominent in everyday use as they once were, they remain deeply ingrained in Japanese culture as a symbol of traditional textiles that continue to serve practical purposes in contemporary Japanese households. One of the most prevalent applications of furoshiki is within the art of bento making. It’s quite common to encounter shops promoting furoshiki alongside bento boxes and accessories. These versatile cloths excel not only in securely wrapping bento contents to prevent spills but also in functioning as convenient placements during meals. Many fabric sizes are available for this important cultural ritual, from a few inches in length and width to a few feet. However, two main sizes are typically used in furoshiki fabric wrapping: 17 x 17 inches and 28 x 28 inches.

2. Lay your cloth out on a flat surface and place the gift in the middle

If you’ve ever made a paper airplane, the principle is the same. Bring the edges of each side towards the centre, to make them more like little handles. Ideally the edges of each side will meet in the middle, in a line pointing to the corners of each side. The fabric will move; don’t worry if these shapes won’t stay exactly straight, because you’re about to tie them together. 4. Bring these side handles together and tie them in a square knot at the top Calgary shop Nanao Kimono has a huge range of furoshiki cloth sizes—all the way up to a whopping 1-m square, appropriately adorned with the world’s largest animal, the blue whale. I can wrap up my morning jar of tea and keep it hot. Or I can wrap up my summer comforter for storage, so the cat sleeping on it won’t mean an annoying round of washing next spring. I like to wrap my lunch boxes to prevent spills inside my bag, a disaster that has occurred dozens of times. To start furoshiki gift wrapping, first choose a cloth with a diagonal length about three times the length of the gift. It needn’t be exact. This Japanese wrapping proportion technique gives you just enough cloth to cover the gift without much extra flop on the sides.

The moment I knew for sure that Santa wasn’t real was when I was nine, and I heard the squeaking sound of my mom running out of tape, wrapping presents late into the night. Thankfully, you can avoid this telltale holiday reveal with a beautiful wrapping tradition. Furoshiki were originally used to carry clothes, towels and belongings to and from the bathhouse. It allowed you to keep everything wrapped up, clean and separate from others’ belongings. Furoshiki showed off innovative fabric production techniques that were also used in silk kimono.Continue reading to learn about the art of furoshiki cloth wrapping, a beautiful gift-wrapping style (and cloth) in Japanese culture and Japanese art. How to Wrap Your Gifts Furoshiki Style Besides being used as a gift box, many people use furoshiki to carry everyday items. Depending on how you fold the fabric, you can use furoshiki to make a handbag. You can also use it to carry and protect fragile goods, like a glass vase. Wall Décor

If you are feeling a little blue about the carnival of wrapping paper discarded over the holidays, or bothered with all the fussiness of paper wrapping, furoshiki gift wrapping is a lovely alternative. You may even find yourself thinking of other furoshiki or bojagi-style uses for cloth around the house, as Canada moves away from single-use plastics. It’s nice when “being good” environmentally is so simple; an ecological alternative can be a joy in itself. And you won’t hear any tape rolls squeaking. While the fabric originally used in furoshiki and also bojagi—the Korean cloth wrapping tradition— can represent a lot of labour to manufacture, the spirit of both is to use what you have and respect the workmanship and usefulness of fabric. I tried it out—here’s how. 1. Get a big square cloth Today, the fashion industry is one of the worst polluters, after the oil industry. Since learning about the many traditional uses of cloth wrapping, I’ve noticed other times when I can use cloth instead of plastic, which will end up in a landfill, in oceans, and in animals like us.Yuzen Washi also known as Japanese Chiyogami Paper is a type of traditional Japanese decorative paper. Its beautiful and vibrant patterns are inspired by nature throughout the seasons and have their roots in Kimono patterns. Its ability to be thin yet long lasting is achieved by mixing long fibres, making it a more durable alternative to standard wrapping paper, whilst still maintaining flexibility and a soft touch. It is often used as a crafting material, bookbinding, endpapers, parts of the home interior like origami modules, box making, collage, wedding party invitations and a variety of other art forms around the world. Furoshiki , translating to "bath spread", is a style of Japanese gift wrapping that originated from necessity. In the Edo period, furoshiki wrapping was used to protect important goods in the home or during transport. Gift giving in Japan has a lot of significance, from celebrating birthday milestones to house-warming presents. Furoshiki wrapping is another meaningful way to deliver a present to your loved ones. This is one of the most beautiful Japanese gift-wrapping techniques that's still in use and one that you can incorporate for the holidays as an eco-friendly option.

Printed on organic cotton and designed by local artists, these cloths are available in both 50-cm and 90-cm squares. We’re partial to this breezy bicycle print!

Japanese Gift Wrap 

Furoshiki serves as a versatile medium for personal expression. It’s not uncommon for people to use these fabric wraps as a canvas to display their favorite characters, brands, colors, and hobbies. The intricate designs often reflect personal interests, be it a beloved character from Japanese pop culture, a preferred color scheme or design, or even a favorite sports team logo. Furoshiki’s most common application, bento wrapping, offers a subtle yet creative way to infuse daily life with personal style. It’s a way to carry a bit of your uniqueness wherever you go, a style and understated form of self-expression. Place the item in the middle of the fabric (same alignment as above). Wrap the closest corner over the item. In Japan, you can get gifts wrapped with ornate detail at a Japanese department store . But you can also achieve this look at home with furoshiki wrapping . It’s important to note that this Japanese wrapping cloth (furoshiki) comes precut in various sizes. Here's how you can recreate this Japanese gift-wrapping style at home for different items. What Materials Do You Need? Many people compare origami and furoshiki as they share multiple similarities. However, they are different, as furoshiki is primarily used in Japanese gift wrapping now. In comparison, origami has shifted from its initial purpose as Japanese paper wrapping for religious or ceremonial events to purely decorative purposes.