Many of you have probably heard of furoshiki — a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to wrap gifts — which is what has inspired this fabric gift wrapping idea. While you can buy Japanese furoshiki cloths, you can really use any cloth you have or like. My preference is to use linen as it’s simple and can be dressed up with natural decorations like pine cones, dried stems and foliage. But cotton gauze or plain cotton will work well too.
While there are many ways to tie the fabric, I prefer the simple knot method which is what I have gone for. There’s a video below where you can see how simple it is.
I used these linen napkins which are very budget-friendly and perfect for small gifts like books. For larger gifts, you can get some linen fabric and cut it to size or use any fabric that you already have. I’ve also listed a few more places where you can get linen napkins further down this post.
How to wrap gifts with fabric
Lay a square piece of fabric out and place the gift in the centre — the gift should be placed diagonally. Gather two opposite corners and tie in a double knot. Make sure to gather the fabric tightly. Now tightly gather the two remaining corners and tie in a single or double knot — I prefer single as it looks nicer. Slide in any foliage or greenery and a card. You can also thread some ribbon through the knot and add gift toppers to the ribbon.
Here’s a video showing how to wrap gifts with fabric:
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Here are a few napkins that I love for their colours and their budget-friendly prices (at least while on sale):
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1. striped linen napkin in sand and black — £6.90 per napkin (on sale, otherwise £9.65)
2. linen blend napkins in a variety of neutral shades — £9.99 for a set of two
3. pinstripe linen napkin in pale grey and charcoal — £6.90 per napkin (on sale, otherwise £10)
4. cotton gauze napkins in a huge range of colours — $2.59 per napkin (on sale, otherwise $3.33)
5. grid pattern cotton napkins — £6.99 for a set of two
In Japan, it’s traditional for the furoshiki cloth to be returned to the giver. If you would like the cloth back you can slip a little note in the gift to explain the tradition of furoshiki or you could simply tell your recipient when giving the gift.
Alternatively, you can give the cloth as part of the gift, whether thats a gift wrapped in a napkin or a scarf or some other fabric that doubles as both a gift and the wrap. Finally, you could also give the cloth and ask your recipient to re-use it as that’s the whole point of furoshiki — since it’s fabric, it’s infinitely re-usable making it a very sustainable gift wrapping option.
P.S. If you’re still looking for gift ideas, here’s a list of thoughtful Christmas gifts and here’s a collection of budget-friendly Christmas gifts.
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