Furoshiki Gift Wrapping: Cloth Sizes, Fabrics and Simple Folds

Furoshiki is a square Japanese wrapping cloth that you knot around a gift instead of taping paper. For most Christmas boxes, a medium cloth of 68 to 70 cm (about 27 inches) works. Small 45 to 50 cm cloths suit books and small boxes, and cloths of 90 cm or more handle bulky gifts.

What is furoshiki?

A furoshiki is a flat square of fabric used to wrap and carry things. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment describes it as a cloth that can be reused many times, is hard to tear, takes little storage space and can wrap items of almost any size or shape.

Cloth wrapping in Japan goes back to the Nara period (710 to 794), according to the ministry. The word itself is tied to bathing. Kyoto furoshiki maker Musubi explains that the name spread as public baths grew common, when cloths were used to keep bathers’ clothes apart. By the mid-Edo period, “furoshiki” had become the everyday word for any wrapping cloth.

In 2006, Environment Minister Yuriko Koike promoted a “Mottainai Furoshiki” to encourage people to use cloth instead of disposable bags. The ministry’s page says the cloth was made of recycled polyester and printed with bird and flower designs by the Edo-period painter Ito Jakuchu.

What size furoshiki do you need?

Size is the choice that matters most. Bento&co’s rule of thumb is a cloth two to three times the width of the item you are wrapping. Musubi, a Kyoto maker that traces its roots to 1937, sells four size bands:

If you buy one cloth to start, a medium size covers the widest spread of gift boxes. A set of mixed sizes lets you wrap a whole pile under the tree.

Which fabric is best for furoshiki?

Musubi’s range covers cotton, organic cotton, silk, polyester, rayon, chirimen (a textured crepe), linen, wool and water-repellent cloths.

For gift wrapping, the practical questions are simple:

• Can you wash it? The ministry describes furoshiki as washable, but follow the maker’s care label, especially for silk, crepe and wool.
• Will the recipient reuse it? A plain or seasonal print that works beyond Christmas is more likely to go on as a scarf, bag or next year’s wrap.

Check listings for the exact size in centimeters and the fiber content. A “large” cloth from one seller can be a medium from another.

How to tie the basic furoshiki knot

Nearly every wrap ends with the ma-musubi, a square knot that lies flat and does not slip. Nagamochi Shop breaks it into a few moves:

1. Hold one corner in each hand and cross them.
2. Wrap one corner around the other and bring it back up.
3. Cross the same corner over the other one again, this time in the opposite direction.
4. Pass it through the loop and pull both ends firmly.

If the finished knot sits crooked, the second cross went the same way as the first. Untie it and reverse the second cross.

Two simple folds for Christmas gifts

Otsukai tsutsumi (the basic box wrap)

This is the everyday wrap for boxes and books, as described by Global Kitchen Japan.

1. Lay the cloth flat with the pattern facing down and turn it so a corner points toward you.
2. Set the box in the center.
3. Fold the near corner over the box, then fold the far corner over the top of it.
4. Bring the two side corners up and tie them together above the box with a square knot.

The result looks like a neat parcel with a knot on top. Tuck any long ends under the knot.

Hana tsutsumi (the flower wrap)

This wrap suits round or square gifts, such as a candle or a jar of homemade food.

1. Place the item in the center of the cloth.
2. Pinch two corners together above the item.
3. Wrap the remaining two ends around them to form a ring and tie it off.
4. Fan out the fabric above the ring so it opens like petals, then tuck the tips into the center.

Global Kitchen Japan notes that first attempts rarely look perfect, and that practice fixes it. A spare square of fabric is a good place to try before wrapping real gifts.

Furoshiki as part of a lower-waste Christmas

The EPA has long suggested reusable options such as scarves and cloth napkins in place of wrapping paper. A furoshiki is the same idea, with a cloth made for the job.

For bags, plain paper and which papers local programs accept, see our guide to reusable gift wrap and recyclable paper. A cloth wrap also pairs well with a gift that has little packaging of its own, like the ideas in our low-waste Christmas gifts by interest.

To finish a wrapped gift without plastic ribbon, tuck in a sprig of greenery from our guide to natural Christmas decorations, or a slice from a dried orange garland. For the full picture across trees, decor and gifts, start at the eco-friendly Christmas guide.