Furoshiki: the Japanese art of recycling fabrics and scarves

Elegant and original packaging born from the creative reuse of fabrics. From bags to book and bottle packaging.

how to make furoshiki

The "furoshiki” is in Japan it is the art ofwrap a cloth around it to make some gift packages or any other type of truly unusual "container." The piece of fabric in question is folded several times and then knotted so as to be transformed into the most disparate storage objects: bags but also gift packages, for example. books or even bottles. The sheet must have a minimum size of 50 cm and maximum of 2 meters approximately, especially when used to store futons.

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How do Furoshiki

Furoshiki is synonymous with elegance The fabric used must be the right color and appropriate for the occasion for which the packaging is being made. Its origins are very ancient, dating back to the 1300th century, when it was used as a bundle to carry clean clothes to public restrooms. Over time, its function as a clothes holder gradually changed, and it transformed into a container capable of holding any type of object one wishes to carry or give as a gift. For the Japanese, the furoshiki is a symbol of creative recycling, because for these people all things have a soul that must be respected and never wasted.

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Instructions

Let's see together how to make a nice furoshiki:

  • If you want to create a furoshiki gift box, take a piece of fabric, of the pattern and size that suits your purpose, then lay it out on a flat surface and place your object in the centre of it. fabricNext, take the top and bottom corners and, after bringing them toward the center of the fabric, tie them. Alternatively, you can place the item to be wrapped diagonally in the center, thus using the fabric as a diamond. Then, take the top corner, cover your gift with it, and tuck the flap under the item itself. Then, grab the other corner and place it over the first. Finally, tie the two side corners with a soft bow.

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  • If you want to make a beautiful furoshiki shopping bagTake a large scarf and fold it in half diagonally. Then, tie two symmetrical knots on the side corners: the fabric should stick out by at least 20 cm. Finally, tie the remaining ends together to create the shoulder strap. This quick and easy process will create a truly unique shopping bag.
  • If you need to donate a bottle of wine If you want to wrap it with a furoshiki, place the base of the furoshiki in the center of your piece of fabric and tie the two opposite corners of the fabric at the top of the bottle's neck. You can roll the other two corners outward.
  • If you want to create a bag To go outside, take a thin, sturdy square sheet of cloth, about 110 cm on each side, then tie a knot in each corner of the cloth, leaving a piece about 25 cm out for the handles. The bag is ready in just a few minutes and is very glamorous.

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  • If yours Exchange you want it with the ring handlesThen get not only a square scarf in your favorite pattern, but also two wooden rings. Now you can pass the two corners of the scarf through one ring, then wrap them twice, and finally tie the ends in a bow. Repeat the same process for the other ring, using the two opposite ends of the same scarf.

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  • With furoshiki, you can also create a nice fruit basketGet a square piece of fabric and a bowl. Lay the scarf out on a table and place the bowl in the center. Then, fold one corner of the scarf over the bowl to cover it completely. Repeat with the opposite corner of the scarf. Finally, take the other two corners, roll them up, and tie them, working upwards to create the basket's handle. Tie the ends into a bow.

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Furoshiki shoes

Several companies offer in their catalogue the shoes furoshikiThese are shoes that have two fabric wings that wrap around the foot instead of an upper. They are available in both women's and men's versions.

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