Fun with furoshiki

The ancient Japanese tradition of furoshiki is finding new favor in the 21st century as a “green” statement for reusing fabric scraps and reducing waste.

Eco-crafter Evelyn Nakamura developed a passion for this artistic method of using fabric to wrap gifts, food, bottles and other objects of all shapes and sizes after a trip to Japan nine years ago. She has since become a self-taught advocate of the practice as a way to reduce waste during the holiday season.

Nakamura, a retired teacher and librarian, has been conducting furoshiki workshops at state libraries since 2004. Her next one, sponsored by the Friends of Mililani Public Library, will be Saturday at the library.

“Basically, I’m a reuse educator,” Nakamura said. “I have a passion for teaching people a way to creatively reduce the amount of waste we generate during the holidays.”

Furoshiki, which means “bath spread,” is believed to date back to the Nara period of 8th century Japan and originated from the practice of using a piece of cloth to carry clothes to and from public bathhouses, according to Nakamura. Today, most people refer to furoshiki as simply a square, wrapping cloth.

The principal technique is a square knot, which is a double knot, beginning with a left-over-right tie, and then right-over-left.

While beautiful fabrics designed for furoshiki can be found in such stores as Shirokiya and Marukai, Nakamura says scarves, fabric remnants and old pieces of clothing are just a suitable. All you need is a square piece of fabric with finished edges of the appropriate size for your gift. The beautifully tied wrap becomes part of the gift itself.

Generally speaking, Nakamura recommends a 16-by-16-inch square for small gifts, 26 inches by 26 inches for medium, and 36 inches by 36 inches for large gifts.

To make a basic carry wrap for a square box, lay out the fabric in a diamond formation, place the box in the center, and wrap it from the top and bottom.

Then take up the two corners on the left and right sides and tie a square knot at the top.

For a four-way tie, make a square knot with the left and right sides, then turn the box, pick up the remaining two corners and tie another square knot to make “flower petals” at the top.

Nakamura teaches more than a dozen methods. She says the key to a successful wrap is to keep the fabric snug as you tie a square knot.

“Tying a furoshiki is a skill and like any other skill, practice improves your proficiency. The nice thing about furoshiki is if you don’t like it, you can take it apart and do it again,” she said.

Just about any fabric can be used — from polyester and cotton to silk, rayon and nylon — as long as you can tie a double knot with it.

As evidence of the growing popularity of furoshiki, the international cosmetic company Lush sells “knot wraps” made from recycled plastic in fun prints, starting at $5.95.

Stacy Uyehara of M’doridori was inspired to launch her custom-made furoshiki wraps in 2008 after hauling out huge bags of trash every Christmas and thinking there had to be a better way to present gifts.

She came up with her own patent-pending furoshiki wraps, which are designed to be as easy as tying a shoe. Prices range from $8 to $16. They come attached to a ready-made bow, and a square base of cardboard upon which to place items eliminates the need for a box.

She also created wine-bottle wraps that require two sets of knots.

“The idea is to gift it forward,” she said.

Uyehara’s wraps, in Asian and aloha prints, can be purchased at Hilo Hattie, Downtown Gifthings and Shirokiya. Custom wraps can be designed at the M’doridori studio in Honolulu.

Prices at Shirokiya and Marukai start at about $14. Dozens of furoshiki options also can be found at etsy.com, an online marketplace for handmade goods, starting at $6.50.

Books on furoshiki are available at Hawaii’s public libraries and bookstores. Titles include “Wrapagami: The Art of Fabric Gift Wraps” by Jennifer Playford, “Gift Wrapping with Textiles: Stylish Ideas from Japan” by Chizuko Morita, and “Furoshiki Fabric Wraps: Simple Reusable Beautiful” by Pixeladies.

In Japan, professional artists design fabrics for furoshiki and women get together regularly to practice the art or to come up with inventive, new uses. Furoshiki practitioners these days are taking the art further by making improvised handbags and decorative cushion covers.

Fans say the beauty of furoshiki is that the fabric can be reused, passed from one family member or friend to another as part of an ongoing tradition.

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ON THE NET

www.mdoridori.com
www.lush.com
www.shirokiya.com
www.etsy.com