Have you ever heard of furoshiki before? The technique comes from Japan and is a traditional way of wrapping gifts and items in cloth, without using tape, pins, or glue! It is kind of similar to origami in that way but when using cloth instead of paper we have the added benefit of being able to tie knots and try and retry different techniques using the same cloth without ruining the paper with accidental folds or rips. Three cheers to that!

If you have any handkerchiefs, scarves, tea towels, or scrap fabric around the house, these are all perfect things to use for furoshiki. You could even cut up old cloth items like stained shirts (and only use the clean part), worn-out pillowcases or sheets, or lightweight curtains. Swaddles and receiving cloths are also great if you little ones don’t use them anymore.

We love furoshiki because not only can you upcycle old fabric to make it, but whoever receives it can then reuse the fabric wrap themselves! With Mother’s Day coming up, wouldn’t it be a great way to use a beautiful scarf to add an extra special touch to the gift? We think so! Keep reading for the full instructions.

• Cloth (ideas listed above – make sure whatever you use isn’t too bulky)
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Gift

Step 1
If you’re using cotton material from your craft stash, as we are here, it is super helpful to first cut the edges with a pair of pinking shears if you have them to prevent the edges from fraying. If you’re using a scarf or something with a finished edge, no need to cut the edges!

How big should you cut your fabric? For this simple technique we’re using here, the cloth should be about three times as wide as your gift along the diagonal. It can also be bigger, which will give you a larger bow later, but any smaller may be difficult to work with. Better to start large and trim down later if you choose.

Step 2
Place your gift in the center of the cloth. Fold the first corner over top of it, tucking it under the gift.

Step 3
Do the same for the opposite corner, this time folding it towards you and under the gift. It’s kind of like a burrito at this point!

Step 4
With the two long pieces that still extend out from the gift, pull them to the center over the gift and tie into a knot.

Step 5
Tie the ends into one more knot to secure. If there are any flaps or folds of fabric that you don’t like the look of, simply tuck and fold them under another one of the folds to hide.

If your bow is really huge and you’d prefer something smaller, unfold the gift, trim the fabric a little bit, and redo.

Happy wrapping!