Learn how to Christmas gift wrap with fabric (Furoshiki) with these simple steps

Furoshiki (風呂敷) are traditional Japanese wrapping cloths and in this excerpt from Wrapping with Fabric (Tuttle Publishing), you will learn to do the basic knot (ma-musubi knot), the one corner knot (hitotsu-musubi knot) and three different ways of wrapping a bottle for gifting. We hope you are excited about this as this is an excellent way to up your Christmas wrapping game this year!

What you need

Ideally, you need Furoshiki fabrics. You can, of course get started with any attractive fabric that you may want to wrap presents with.

You can buy Furoshiki from many Etsy supplies.

Instructions

The Versatility of Furoshiki

Even when the shape and wrapping style are the same, different furoshiki designs express different moods. A furoshiki has a variety of expressions depending on how it is wrapped. You can adjust the image to suit the content or the person who receives the gift.

The Basic Knot

The knot is the key element in creating various forms of wrapping using a furoshiki. By mastering the knots, you will be able to truly understand the power of the furoshiki.

(click on any of the images for a larger image)

How to tie a ma-musubi knot

Once you have tied a ma-musubi knot, it will not come undone. And when you want to untie it, you can do so very simply and quickly.

How to untie a ma-musubi knot

No doubt you are surprised by the magic of the knot and understand the wisdom behind it.

How to tie a hitotsu-musubi knot

Hitotsu-musubi is a knot for one corner of the furoshiki. A combination of ma-musubi and hitotsu-musubi knots enables the furoshiki to be used in a variety of ways.

Bottle Wrapping 瓶包み Bin Tsutsumi

Wrap a bottle and add a handle for a marvelous gift.

Gift Bottle A

Wrap a bottle of Japanese sake in a stylish way.

 

Gift Bottle B

Make a gorgeous wrapping of wine or champagne. Ideal for a party.

 

This was an excerpt from the book WRAPPING with FABRIC, Your Complete Guide to Furoshiki, The Japanese Art of Wrapping, by Etsuko Yamada with Photos by Kanji Okamoto. Many thanks to Tuttle Publishing for this excerpt. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or at the publishers site.