Old Dog New Trick

We all know the proverbial saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”…or can you? In this case the “old dog” is any of us who has been accustomed to adorning a present for someone with traditional paper gift wrapping. The “new trick” is a Japanese method for gift wrap called “furoshiki”.

Furoshiki is actually a traditional gift wrap method (aka “old dog”) in Japan but hasn’t been used or appreciated much here in the western world…until now.

This Japanese gift wrapping style involves using fabric rather than paper. Many household items can be used to make this clever wrap for your gifts, things like handkerchiefs, napkins, bandanas or dishcloths. And for larger gifts you can use tablecloths or even bedsheets or yardage of fabric cut with pinking sheers to finish the edges. Cut pieces of fabric can of course be used for any size gift. Whatever fabric piece so choose to wrap with, (handkerchief, napkin, cut fabric etc.) just be sure it is approximately 3 times the size of the item you are wrapping.

About 5 years ago, long before we knew anything about or had heard of furoshiki, your Two Chums brought you a post using fabric to wrap a baby shower gift. Click on the highlighted link to see how it was assembled.

There are few things we love more than a beautifully wrapped present. With the holidays coming up quickly you might try using fabric to wrap some of your gifts. There are multiple benefits to furoshiki…it’s environmentally friendly, you don’t necessarily need ribbon because the method creates its own bow, it economical, it’s clever, the “wrapper” can be reused again and again…and did we mention it’s fun to do!

We’ve got some video’s here we found on You Tube that give you simple ways to use furoshiki to wrap your next present:

Give these methods a try and see what you think. Try different fabric articles you have at home or pick up some inexpensive bandanas or dishtowels at the Dollar store. Whatever you do, have fun with it. Make this project a labor of love and you’ll not only have more fun you’ll find more joy in doing it. And you know your Two Chums firmly believe that love and joy can’t help but lead to a much more abundant life 🙂

One of the 3 best gifts I ever received was my sweet daughter, Carrie. She arrived as a gift to be sure, but she wasn’t traditionally wrapped, or what I expected, (I was SURE she was a boy)! She came to me wrapped in love.
Her name, Carrie, means “strong and womanly”. That is why we chose it. She has lived up to her name every day of her life. She is smart, beautiful, clever, creative, loyal, fair, kind, a peacemaker, strong in her faith, always an advocate for the underdog, and loves her husband, children, family and friends fiercely. She has brought so much joy to our lives and tomorrow we will be celebrating the day she was born and the gift she is to us. What a truly beautiful gift she is to me especially and what privilege it is to be her mama. Happy birthday honey!