FUROSHIKI - The Japanese Art of Fabric Folding

Since our meeting in Japan with Musubi, a Japanese brand of furoshiki , I really wanted to present to you this ancestral art of furoshiki and the way in which it can be easily integrated into our daily lives as well as to offer you, in store and on the e-shop, a selection of furoshiki from the brand.

THE furoshiki is a traditional Japanese technique for wrapping gifts and everyday objects using a square of fabric . It consists, using a specific knotting and folding system , of wrapping but also carrying all kinds of objects of various shapes and sizes. The term furoshiki refers to both the square of fabric used and the technique itself .

The history of furoshiki is ancient and goes back more than 1000 years! Its use has evolved over the centuries but remains generally the same , that of wrapping objects from a simple piece of fabric.

Easily modular, its uses are multiple and it lends itself equally well to packaging, transport and decoration. If there is one thing that characterizes furoshiki is its versatility . On Musubi's Instagram account, you can see the extent of the uses of furoshiki .

Here are some examples:

PACKAGING

Adaptable as desired, the furoshiki allows you to wrap both everyday objects and gifts for a special occasion depending on the size used: 45/50cm to wrap money, a meal box ( bento in Japanese) or a small gift, 65/70cm to wrap one or two bottles of wine or a medium-sized gift, 90/110cm to wrap a large gift, a laptop...
To choose the size of your furoshiki, it is important that the object to be wrapped, once placed in the center of the furoshiki, corresponds to a third of the diagonal length.

The Japanese attach real importance to the choice of color and pattern of the furoshiki depending on the occasion (a wedding, a funeral, etc.), the person (a loved one, a superior, etc.) and their tastes but also the season (cherry blossoms in spring, chrysanthemums in autumn ...). It also represents a zero waste alternative to gift wrap .

PORTAGE / TRANSPORT

In order to transport everyday belongings, the furoshiki can be available, depending on the size chosen, in different bag models: from 70cm for a small clutch, a small handbag, and from 90 to 110cm for a large handbag, a shopping bag... The fabric materials of a f uroshiki solid, easy to maintain and which do not slip are preferred for carrying (cotton or polyester).

THE furoshiki can be decorated with accessories to perfect the bag (with a patchin , a pair of magnetic wooden handles which allows the bag to be closed or with leather handles to make it easier, initially, to make a bag).

DECORATION / APPRECIATION

Beyond its purely practical aspect, the furoshiki can also be used as decoration (put in a frame, hung as a wall hanging or to customize a cushion or a tissue box for example) or as an everyday accessory (as a shawl, as a scarf to enhance an outfit or as a small tablecloth for a picnic, changing mat, etc.).

See you soon for new colorful encounters,

Adeline