Sustainable Furoshiki Fabric Gift Wrap

This post features Furoshiki fabric gift wrap pr samples from Projekt Henri. Shop has since closed.

Furoshiki is the ancient Japanese art of cloth wrapping, used to present gifts and carry food in place of paper or other modern-day plastics. To this day, there are shops dedicated entirely to these fabrics and it's considered rude to present a gift that hasn't been beautifully presented. Which stands to reason, doesn't it?

A classic Furoshiki '4 Tie' made by tying opposite corners together.

Christmas is always a chilled, low-key affair in our house. And while we are always mindful to use recyclable wrapping paper, I'm exploring paper-free gift wrapping solutions with reusable fabrics to avoid creating more landfill. There's something about the simple, delicate folds of soft cotton lovingly finished with a flourish of dried grasses or cuttings from the garden that takes gift-giving to a whole new level. The best part is, this wrap can be reused, over and over again. No waste. And if there's anything we can take away from the lessons of this crazy year, it's that slowing down and taking time to think about the way in which we share our planet is extremely important.

Because I'm super helpful, I've created a Furoshiki tutorial on my IGTV. I'm showing you 3 ways to use eco-friendly fabric to create 'The Envelope', 'The Twist' (great for cylindrical gifts) and the classic '4 Tie'. With a bit of practice, you'll be knocking everyone's Christmas socks off in the stylish wrapping stakes.

'The Twist', created by gathering the four corners on top and twisting each one round before tucking it in.

You can use any soft fabric though cotton and silk work best in something with a high opacity so as not to give it away. If you do choose to use sheer fabric, double up with another thicker fabric underneath.

I've used reusable Furoshiki fabric wrap in organic cotton in three colours and sizes from Projekt Henri.

Happy Wrapping!

Styling and photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley.