in the effort to soften our impact on the earth, it can occasionally feel like we need to give up small (or big) pleasures. a beautifully wrapped gift covered under layers of cheery paper and decorated with a big bow, designed to peak the curious mind and get us wondering about the splendours inside, is a pretty common thing to let go of when you’re shifting to a lower-waste lifestyle. after all, shiny wrapping paper that can’t be recycled and synthetic ribbons that choke wildlife after they get dropped in the trash are kinda hard to justify. but don’t worry! we wrapped up gifts in beautiful ways before synthetic materials, and we can continue to do so now. in this post, we’ll be celebrating the humble bandana (or scrap of fabric from your stash, or old scarf, or heirloom table linens…) and the art of furoshiki, traditional japanese wrapping techniques.

while there are oodles of tutorials online (both video and photo), this infographic from japan’s ministry of the environment is a great primary reference:

this tutorial on making a fukoshiki cloth using the bojagi patchwork sewing method (anyone familiar with making flat-felled seams will find this easy peasy) is a great option for scrap busting, or you can take advantage of your dye pots and heirloom linens to make your wraps without worrying about sewing.