by Lisa Piper

Created on: July 21, 2010

Furoshiki originated in Japan and are a kind of traditional Japanese cloth that is used to wrap gifts. They are a big step in helping to protect the environment around gift giving holidays such as Christmas and birthdays because they are reusable and eco-friendly.

The name Furoshiki means “bath spread.” In feudal Japan (from 1185-1603), the cloths were used by many people to bundle their clothes while they were at the public bath houses. Merchants began using furoshiki to transport and protect their products and to decorate gifts. Eventually the square cloths caught on with the public as a way to wrap gifts.

Furoshiki can be made from most any type of fabric and come in a wide variety of sizes. They are typically made from silk, rayon, cotton, or nylon and are between 45cm and 70cm in length per side, though sizes can range from hand sized to larger than bed sheets. Furoshiki usually have a stitched hem around the edges and are decorated on one side with traditional Japanese designs.

Furoshiki promotes reducing waste because they can be reused. They can be tied to make bags and limit the use of plastic shopping bags. They are an environmentally friendly alternative to wrapping paper because furoshiki is a part of the gift instead of just something used to conceal the gift and be thrown away.

Many people in Japan still use furoshiki, but there weren’t so many when plastic shopping bags became popular. In 2006 Yuriko Koike, the Japanese Minister of the Environment, designed a furoshiki cloth to increase its popularity in the modern world. This helped as there was a renewed concern with environmental protection.

Furoshiki is fairly simple to use. First you will need to shop around for fabrics. There are many fabrics out there that are both cheap and beautiful. The cloths are folded using techniques that are close to origami. There are a variety of techniques that can be used to make each gift unique and equally as beautiful.

Furoshiki has a long history in Japanese culture and is a great idea for helping to protect the environment. You can wrap almost anything and they are multipurpose. Furoshiki can be used again as bags, décor, gifts, transporting items, or even to carry a lunch and be used as a mat to eat on.

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