Using Sarongs for Furoshiki Cloth Gift Wrap

Sarongs make excellent gifts all year round. Some sarongs are, of course, meant to be worn. Hand painted sarongs are meant to be displayed. Thrown over a table in the corner, draped over a chair or hung on the wall, sarongs have many uses, as we’ve mentioned in previous posts.

But sarongs can make a unique and special gift – as wrapping! It is eco-conscious to avoid the paper and tape that will just end up in the landfill. The Japanese have been using fabric to wrap gifts for ages. It is called Furoshiki. One of our favorite magazines, Make, has an interesting article on the Japanese government guide to doing Furoshiki. And there are several great tutorials how to wrap Furoshiki by Cut-Out-and-Keep.

Furoshiki for Books
Furoshiki for Books

Furoshiki is traditionally done with a squarish cloth. Since a standard sarong is a rectangle of about 66″ by 46″ you can get several squares from the sarong with a few straight cuts, to wrap smaller presents. You can also use the techniques to wrap large presents using a whole full sarong or half sarong. Then the wrapping becomes part of the gift and they can enjoy using the sarong for years to come. You can also wrap a pile of gifts up in an extra-large sarong, for an elegant and eco-friendly presentation on Christmas morning. I like securing the bundle with a coconut sarong tie, which also adds flair to the gift for just a few dollars. And when summer comes you can use it to secure that sarong around your waist!

Sarongs are great raw material for Furoshiki cloth gift wrap, yet another amazing use for the sarong.

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