Furoshiki: how to wrap gifts in cloth

What is furoshiki?

Furoshiki is a Japanese wrapping cloth, and the word is also used for the way it is folded and tied. One square can cover a lunch box, hold a bottle or become a small bag.

Start with a clean cloth and a firm box, with enough fabric to tie the corners without tape or a separate bow. Decide whether the cloth is part of the present and let the recipient know when you hand it over.

What size of cloth do you need?

A useful starting point is a cloth whose diagonal is about 3 times the gift's longest side. The diagonal runs from one corner to the opposite corner. A deep box needs more room than a flat one.

Use these measurements to choose a square, then check the fit with the gift on top. Pull the corners together and check that you can make a full knot without stretching the fabric.

If the tails are too short, choose a bigger square. If they are much too long, use a smaller one or fold spare fabric under the gift.

How do you make the basic box wrap?

The basic wrap is called otsukai tsutsumi. Place the cloth with its good side down and one corner pointing towards you.

1. Put the box in the center of the diamond.

   

2. Fold the near corner across the lid. Tuck the tip under the far edge of the box.

   

3. Bring the far corner back across the top. Fold its tip under if it hangs past the box.

   

4. Gather the left and right corners without pulling the box out of place.

   

5. Tie those corners in a square knot on the lid. Spread the tails so the pattern shows.

   

Keep the box on the table while you tie. If a corner of the box shows, undo the knot and shift the cloth before you pull it snug again.

How do you hide the knot?

A hidden knot wrap leaves a smooth flap across the top. It suits a plain cloth or a pattern that you want to show clearly.

Start as for the box wrap, but leave the far corner loose instead of trapping it under the side knot. Tie the side corners over the first flap. Bring the loose far corner over the knot, smooth it down and tuck its tip underneath the parcel.

This flap is for the finish, not a handle. Support the box from below when you move it.

How do you wrap 1 or 2 bottles?

One bottle

Stand the bottle in the middle of the cloth, with a fabric corner pointing towards you. Lift the near and far corners and knot them above the cap. Take the left and right corners round the body, cross them behind and tie them at the front.

Leave the cap closed and keep the bottle upright. Carry it with a hand under the base, even when the knot looks like a handle.

2 bottles

Lay the cloth like a diamond, with the bottles on their sides across its middle and their bases facing each other. Leave enough space between the bases to stand both bottles upright without pulling the fabric tight. The necks point towards the left and right corners.

Fold the near corner over both bottles and roll them towards the far corner until they are covered. Lift the necks to stand the bottles beside each other, then bring the loose fabric ends above them and tie a square knot.

Check that fabric separates the glass. For a journey, add a firm outer box with padding.

How do you wrap a book in cloth?

For one hardback, use the basic box wrap and put the knot near the spine. Keep it away from the center of a thin cover, where a tight knot could bend it.

A paperback benefits from a piece of clean card beneath it. Stack a book and a notebook with the largest at the bottom, then wrap them as one parcel.

Hold the stack level as you hand it over, with one hand beneath the books so they cannot slide out of the cloth.

What works for round gifts?

For a round tin, center it on the cloth and tie one pair of opposite corners above the lid. Tie the second pair over the first. Tuck loose folds against the curved sides.

For a ball, use the same 2 knots and leave the tails spread. Turn the bundle gently on the table to check that no gap has opened underneath.

A glass bowl still needs padding or its own box. Cloth gives you a wrap, not protection from a drop.

How do you fold a simple cloth bag?

Start with a larger square for a light gift with a broad base.

1. Fold the cloth in half corner to corner to make a triangle.

   

2. Tie a single overhand knot near each end of the long folded edge, catching both layers of cloth in each knot.

   

3. Open the cloth and tuck those 2 knots inside.

   

4. Place the gift between the knots, in the middle of the cloth.

   

5. Bring the two free corners together above it and tie a square knot to close the bag.

   

Set the bag down before you loosen the top. Small loose items are easier to find if they sit in a pouch inside it.

Which knot holds the cloth and unties easily?

Use a square knot, also called a reef knot. Keep both tails long enough to grasp.

1. Cross the right end over the left and pass it underneath.

   

2. Cross the end now on the left over the one on the right and pass it underneath.

   

3. Pull both ends gently. The knot should lie flat, with two tails pointing out to the sides.

   

To open it, set the gift down and loosen one loop of the knot with your fingers. Pull the ends back through one at a time. Do not pull hard on both tails, which tightens it again.

Can you use a scarf or a tea towel?

• Square scarf: useful if it is large enough and the fabric does not slip out of the knot.
• Cotton cloth: a plain, light fabric is easy to gather and fold.
• Tea towel: works for a bottle or a small box, but a thick towel makes a bulky knot.
• Fabric offcut: choose a clean piece with finished edges, so loose threads do not catch on the gift.

Follow the cloth's care label before washing it. A rectangular tea towel can wrap a bottle with ribbon, as shown in wrapping awkward shaped gifts.

What can you wrap for a new home?

A cloth bundle suits a small boxed gift for a host or someone moving house. Put any fragile item in its protective box before adding the cloth.