Crafty Manolo

via 8Tokyo.com

With Christmas  coming up, let’s talk a moment about gift wrapping, shall we? Sure, all the papers and ribbons and sparkly things look great sitting under the tree, but what about the detritus scattered all over the room ten minutes after the first package is handed to its new owner? Not to mention the fact that many gift wraps are of dubious recyclability.

Don’t worry, I’m not turning into a pre-haunting Scrooge on you. I’m just developing an interest in a different way of gift wrapping. Specifically, I’m getting quite interested in furoshiki, the Japanese art of wrapping gifts in squares of silk fabric.

Furoshiki dates back to the Edo period and originated as a practical way of transporting supplies to and from the public baths. As time wore on, though, people figured out there were a heck of a lot of ways of tying a square of cloth and they began using the same technique to carry a lot of different things, including gifts.

So think about it. Consider getting some large, attractive squares of cloth and using them to wrap gifts in. They’re reusable, recyclable, and less hassle to clean up than all that curly ribbon. Oh, and if one of the gifts you’re giving someone just happens to be a silk scarf, the wrap becomes a present, as well. How awesome would that be?

As for how to do it, well, you can always just pick up a piece of cloth and start experimenting, but if you’re looking for instructions and inspiration, you could do a lot worse than head on over to Amazon for a copy of Wrapagami: the Art of Fabric Gift Wraps by Jennifer Playford.

It’s even on sale! Regularly priced at $19.99, it’s available right now for just $13.59 and eligible for Super Saver Shipping.

Do it for the planet. Or, you know, because it’s fun.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 9th, 2010 at 8:30 am by Twistie and is filed under Books, Media, Sales. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.