Welcome New Traditions: Sustainable Wrapping

Welcome New Traditions: Sustainable Wrapping

Cayla Zelanis
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This is the year of new traditions, giving you a chance to get creative with the ways you stay connected—to nature and to the people you care about. The littlest things can make a big impact this holiday season, so why not take this opportunity to rethink the way you wrap your gifts? Try trading in your disposable wrapping paper for reusable cloth, with the beauty and simplicity of furoshiki.

Furoshiki is the Japanese art of gift wrapping (or transporting items) using folded fabric. Traditionally, furoshiki begins with a square piece of colored or patterned fabric that’s artfully folded and knotted to enclose the gift, without any need for string, ribbon, or tape to hold the package together. The word “furoshiki” refers both to the cloth itself and the art of folding it.

There are hundreds of ways to tie your furoshiki, depending on the shape of your gift. If this is your first time, we have some suggestions for an easy and elegant furoshiki, crafted using our very own White Buffalo Land Trust Bandana Napkins. This is the perfect opportunity to repurpose those Coyuchi linens and fabric bags! Small gestures like this not only promote circularity among your friends and family, they add an extra layer of gifting: your loved ones might just love the gift wrap as much as what’s inside.

Wrap Style 1

  • Place your box in the center of the cloth you’ve chosen to lay out
  • Take one corner of your cloth and lay it across the top of your box 
  • Repeat with the opposing corner of the cloth, laying it flat across the top of your box
  • Fold over the remaining corners of the cloth for a more snug wrap
  • Take each of the remaining folded corners of the cloth and tie into a simple knot
  • Adjust as needed
  • Place a bit of greenery to invite a little nature into your present

Wrap Style 2

  • Place your box in the center of the cloth you’ve chosen to lay out
  • Take opposing corners of your cloth and tie into a simple knot
  • Repeat step 2 with the other corners of your cloth
  • Pull on the tails of each knot until you’ve reached your desired look
  • Place a little bit of greenery to give your present a dose of nature