Now that we are in full swing of the Christmas season, it's time we talk about how to furoshiki-wrap your presents. We've talked about the various benefits of using furoshiki gift-wrapping in a previous blog and this time we will introduce different gift-wrapping styles that you can use for gifts of all shapes and sizes. Let's get started!
1. For all gift sizes: the furoshiki simple wrap
First things first, if you are using furoshiki for the first time and looking for the easiest gift-wrap method, look no further than the furoshiki simple wrap. As the name implies, this is the most straightforward and most common way of furoshiki wrapping your gift.
The furoshiki simple wrap can be used on a full range of gift sizes, from small to large, and it will always make your gifts look elegant and beautiful.
The Simple Wrap is easy to create. Just follow our step-by-step diagram below:
If you're feeling more confident and keen to try some of our other beautiful furoshiki wraps, check out our furoshiki tutorials page for more step-by-step diagrams!
2. How to furoshiki wrap large gifts
The futatsu furoshiki wrap featuring: 104cm Isa Monyo Reversible Furoshiki | Chrysanthemum Red/Blue
For large gifts, we recommend using our extra large furoshiki (100 and 104cm) or our large furoshiki (90cm), depending on the specific size and shape of your gift. The furoshiki futatsu wrap is a very striking wrap for large gifts, especially if you use a reversible furoshiki as shown in the photo above, as you can gently turn the ends of the fabric knot to reveal the contrasting colour underneath!
Our futatsu furoshiki wrap accomodates awkward shapes and is especially good for wrapping a bundle of clothes like a couple of warm jumpers!
Our furoshiki flower wrap is one of our favourite wraps, as it never fails to look astonishingly beautiful! We love the extra detail of the little stamens that emerge from the centre of the furoshiki flower. Make sure you create your wrap centrally, so that your flower falls in the middle of your gift. Perfect!
And if you don't feel confident in tying the flower wrap this time, just hold the two initial straps of fabric together with an elastic band, and tease the ends through just a little way to create your leaves. You will still have your artfully arranged flower on the top of your present - what could be lovelier!
This is our flower furoshiki wrap featuring our very popular 104cm Isa Monyo Reversible Furoshiki | Japanese Apricot Red/Green.
Yukki looks so happy to receive her flower-wrapped Christmas present, doesn't she! :)
2. How to furoshiki wrap medium-size gifts
To wrap medium-sized gifts you want to be heading to our larger furoshiki. Let me take you through the furoshiki that we have in the above photo:
Our 90cm Camellia Gray on the left with Shakespeare leaning against it, is covering a box that measures 400mm x 330mm x 30mm. That's quite big!
The Isa Monyo Japanese Apricot Red at the back on the right is covering a substantial box that measures 305mm x 235mm x 155mm. You can pack quite a lot in this Christmas parcel!
Of course it's important to remember that all of these larger furoshiki can be reused over and over again, and can be used to make beautiful and practical bags. So the gift-wrapping is a big part of the present!
The two striking 70cm furoshiki that are at the front and centre are our beautiful Hare Tsutsumi furoshiki.
In front is the Diagonal Bicolour in Red and behind it is our Seven Treasures furoshiki.
These two furoshiki are especially Christmassy, as the white parts that you see of the designs are screenprinted in a pearly white ink, and so they shimmer in the light. In fact, the Seven Treasures furoshiki has a traditional Japanese pattern printed onto the white in pearlescent white, and it's exquisitely beautiful! And the red part of the Diagonal Bicolour Red is a fabric of lovely quality and texture. They are two very special furoshiki and particularly lovely for wrapping presents at Christmas!
They are suitable for boxes that are around A4 size, or slightly smaller :)
In this photo, Cathy is furoshiki wrapping a box in our bento wrap: this wrap is perfect for wrapping a box of mince pies! She's using our soft 70cm Cohare Meadow Flowers furoshiki in Bright Pink.
This furoshiki is made of such lovely soft cotton it's perfect for making into a hair tie afterwards!
Furoshiki are endlessly inventive and reusable - more than a special gift-wrap, but a true gift in their own right :)
Our video here will show you how to make a bento wrap!
3. How to furoshiki wrap small gifts
Our small furoshiki are perfect for wrapping small boxed gifts - something that is the size of a small boxed candle or a regular paperback book.
If you are meeting up with a friend in a cafe over the winter holiday, an elegantly wrapped small gift wrapped in a furoshiki is a wonderful way of presenting how much you care! Here our small gift is wrapped in our petal wrap in our very special Snowflower furoshiki.
Snowflower is special because it was inspired by the tiny flakes of snow falling on the early scented plum blossom in the gardens of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. Snowflower has been screen-printed by hand in a traditional shop in Kyoto, and each snowflower furoshiki is an individual piece of art. They are so lovely, every time we look at them we can see how the two shades of pink blossom sit on the top of the traditional shantung fabric. What could be nicer for your winter present than our elegant Snowflower!
What could be more festive than our scarlet apricot and navy pine furoshiki!
Here our leaf wrap looks gorgeous wrapping a small Christmas gift :)
They have been so popular we have some new stock coming across from Kyoto as we are writing!
4. How to furoshiki wrap wine bottles
Looking to gift a nice bottle of champagne to a colleague, friends, or family? You can make the gift even more thoughtful and unique by wrapping the bottle using furoshiki!
It really is so much nicer to gift a bottle in a protective wrapping of furoshiki!
And you can choose to make other styles of bottle wraps if you go to our Furoshiki Tutorials page!
Now it's your turn!
Give it a try! Furoshiki look stunning under the Christmas tree with all of their contrasting colours and designs! You can choose which furoshiki wrapping style you use to create memorable moments for your loved ones - it really is very lovely to be presented with a gift using beautiful Kyoto furoshiki!
Many of the designs of our Kyoto furoshiki hold symbolic meaning of love and thought and care, and so you are wrapping your loved ones in these beautiful sentiments too.
Kyoto furoshiki are made with the expertise and skill of generations of highly skilled artisans: our authentic Kyoto furoshiki are derived from a tradition that has been handed from generation to generation and have significant cultural meaning.
Create your own new family traditions by using furoshiki to wrap your gifts year after year. Your furoshiki will absorb happy memories that will carry down through the generations of your own family :)
And to get you started on your furoshiki journey, we have our furoshiki handbook which may be helpful for you:
Our Zusetsu furoshiki handbook guides you through 16 different styles of furoshiki wraps, from gift wraps to bag wraps and bottle wraps. It is a perfect way to get you started!
We have created it drawing on our expertise in hosting furoshiki workshops.
Here you can learn how furoshiki began and how furoshiki are a part of the rapidly growing movement towards reusability.
We hope this article has made you feel confident in trying our popular and desirable furoshiki from Kyoto. Be a part of the movement that desires a beautiful, traditional and authentic Japanese product that will be reused over and over :)
Have a happy furoshiki Christmas!
Cathy and Yukki
the Zusetsu Team xxxx
