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

Product Information

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 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 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

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. 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 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, ensuring the sides of the box line up with the diagonal corners. 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.Folding isn’t as important as making sure the gift is actually secure. 3. Narrow the sides that will be tied up Olsen+Olsen sell made-in-Canada furoshiki cloths in both 50-cm and 90-cm squares, so you can wrap small and and large gifts in a variety of styles and colours—including this gorgeous reversible number. 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 Below, you’ll find the differences and similarities between these two Japanese wrapping techniques. Similarities

These techniques were intentionally developed to use folds without cutting the material or using double-sided tape All you need for the below Japanese gift-wrapping techniques is a piece (or more for more items) of furoshiki. This fabric must be a square shape (like origami paper). Then, you'll fold the correct size of furoshiki using different folding styles depending on the object's shape and size. What Sizes of Furoshiki Fabric are Available? 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. 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.At first, I was worried about wrapping the gift in the correct, traditional way. But Hasui reassured me that the most important part is “learning how to make a square knot—called ma-musubi in Japanese—because it’s not safe when you carry objects if it’s tied in a different way.” 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. 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? Also used for square objects, this method helps create the perfect gift. It's also known as the hidden knot technique.

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. This 50-cm square bird-patterned cloth would work well for wrapping smaller items. Reuse It as a scarf later. (It’s the circle of gifts.) 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. 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. 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.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!