Furoshiki Japanese Wrapping Cloth
Ranked #1,330 in Food & Cooking, #26,295 overall
Cloth Wraper for the Bento
The Japanese Environment Ministry has been promoting the use of the Furoshiki as a green alternative for gift wrapping. They've even created the Mottainai Furoshiki (pictured here) which It's partly made of recycled plastic.
Wrapping Cloth folding
video tutorials
It's easy to learn the art of Japanese cloth wrapping. Watch the videos and learn to fold your own furoshiki. Remember though that there many other ways to fold this cloth and many other things you can wrap beside bento boxes.
In the Folds
Japanese Furoshiki folding instructions
These sites will teach you how the furoshiki is wrapped around a bento box and other items. All of these Japanese wrapping cloth instructions are easy to follow.
- How to Use Furoshiki
- Japan's Ministry of Environment tutorial on Furoshiki folding
- Layers of Meaning
- post about the author's discovery of furoshiki
- Furoshiki website
- online store, community and tutorial center for cloth wrapping
- HOSO
- Ever wonder when the cloth goes left-over-right or right-over-left? Find out here!
Folding Instructions from the Japanese MOE
learn to wrap with furoshiki
This is the instructional diagram from the site of the Ministry of Environment. They've made the instructions easy to use by creating a step by step diagram for folding furoshiki. The instructions are pretty comprehensive and covers a wide variety of package shapes. Thankfully, they have one with english text even if they are not needed to learn the folding techniques.
Learn more about Traditional Cloth Wrapping
Japanese gift wrapping
Maneki Neko Furoshiki
It's available on Amazon
Bring a lucky cat around, wrap your bento with it. This striking red and black Japanese furoshiki is covered with Lucky Maneki Neko
Fabric - Maneki Neko (Lucky Cats) - Red
Amazon Price: (as of 05/31/2012)
Bento News Network
Japanese Cloth Wrapper for your Kawaii Bento
Buy your Furoshikki here
Getting hold of Furoshiki Cloth is easier now. Many merchants and artisans have taken to the internet to offer some very stunning works. There are many Japanese companies that offer furoshiki online. Unfortunately, non Japanese speakers may have trouble with some of the sites. The good news is that even Ebay and Amazon feature furoshiki cloth. For one-of-a-kind works you can also try handcrafting sites such as Etsy. You'll find a lot of amazing fabrics for wrapping.
Who's talking about Kawaii Bento on Twitter?
Furoshiki Cloth
Looking for a Bento Wrapper?
Furoshiki Galleries
Inspiration an Ideas
- Ping Magazine
- article on an exhibit in Creation Gallery G8 in Ginza, Tokyo
- Maeda Importing
- The company site has a gallery.
- myfuroshiki
- Blog site for myfurioshiki.com. This was a tough call, the owners sell furoshiki but there is a lot of interesting information and a helping of inspiration. They make their own designs too. Right now, I'll put them in this section instead of the how-to section.
- Japan Foundation Article
- A piece about the work of artist Shumei Kobayashi using traditional resist dyeing on furoshiki.
Make your own Furoshiki
For the DIYer
I realized some people don't just want to fold cloth around bento. For the crafty individual, I'm collecting some ideas and advice for making your own Furoshiki wrapping cloth. Now, you can customize your bento experience even further!
- How to: Make a furoshiki and matching bento belt
- from the JustBento site.
- Make Your Own Furoshiki
- from the Omiyake blog.
Myfuroshiki on Etsy
Here is someone who makes handmade furoshiki. The designs are a mix of Traditional Japan and Western whimsy.
Furoshiki - pink on yellow & white, medium | Price: $0
Design - Butterflies & flowers, designed & hand printed by myfuroshiki
Colour - pink on a yellow and white background
Size - 50x50cm
Use - gift wra... (full description)
Fabric and Craft
- May 25, 2012 @ 8:08 amSpring Quilt Market 2012: Yuwa from True Up
- { All photos by Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread } As you know Yuwa is one of the essential stops at Quilt Market because it's difficult to find out about their new releases outside of market....
- May 24, 2012 @ 7:12 pmSpring Quilt Market 2012: Monaluna from True Up
- { all photos by Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread } Let's open the proceedings with Jennifer Moore's organic fabric label, Monaluna. She has two new collections on the horizon — one, Fox H...
- May 23, 2012 @ 11:07 pmSpring Quilt Market 2012! from True Up
- Are you ready for some posts? I told Keli, Lauren, Ellen, and Ellen, who covered the show in my stead, to rest up for a few days after coming home from Kansas City … which worked out well since...
- May 21, 2012 @ 1:39 pmAnyan: Cotorienne from True Up
- I have seen bits and pieces of this Yuwa collection around the shops and loved the prints individually, and now that I've seen the whole thing together thanks to Fancy Tiger in Denver, I love it eve...
- May 20, 2012 @ 11:08 amSale Alerts: North American Edition from True Up
- Bobbin's Nest Studio: Storewide Warehouse Moving Sale! All items discounted 50%. Discount applied at checkout. (through 5/31/12) Contemporary Cloth: Free U.S. shipping or 50% international shipping...
- May 17, 2012 @ 6:53 pmVlisco: Palais des Sentiments from True Up
- Oh, Vlisco, you are just so cool. Their newest collection is called Palais des Sentiments. Upgrade to the luxury edition of the collection, which is embellished with sequins and gold and copper inks....
- May 15, 2012 @ 10:32 pmLiberty Art Fabrics Lifestyle Collection from True Up
- Here is some serious hyperventilation-worthy news: Liberty of London is launching its first Lifestyle fabrics collection this weekend at the Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City! Their first collection...
- May 14, 2012 @ 2:35 pmBlend Fabrics July 2012 from True Up
- I'm looking forward to seeing what Blend Fabrics has to offer for its sophomore effort. By the looks of these two collections, set to be in stores in July, it's going to be great. Hope Chest is by Jo...
- May 14, 2012 @ 2:19 pmLittle Yellow Bicycle: Vintage Summer from True Up
- I'm charmed by Vintage Summer by Little Yellow Bicycle for Blend Fabrics. The navy/red/white combination is very vintage and the prints are so versatile and pretty. Thanks to Fabricworm for the photo...
Comments?
Feel free to discuss my Kawaii Bento Club page. Or just say hi!
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bikerministry
Mar 7, 2012 @ 9:00 am | delete
- This is my newest craft adventure. Blessing on your great lens. I'm off to make some great creations from cloth and scarves.
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unqedomain
Aug 30, 2011 @ 3:41 pm | delete
- I am also curious why they use cloth for folding their food the japanese and Korea now I know thank you for the info....
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Cara
Mar 24, 2011 @ 1:21 pm | delete
- Is there any relationship to the kind of gift a package is that would denote what kind of fabric design to use? For example: would you use a particular design for weddings but not for birthdays? Would you use the same cloth when grocery shopping as a gift?
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khael
Apr 3, 2011 @ 3:06 am | delete
- That's a good question and should make for some interesting research. Thanks for that intriguing question.
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Mich
Nov 13, 2010 @ 11:57 am | delete
- Thank you very much, Khael, for featuring myfuroshiki in such an interesting article!
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khael
Nov 11, 2010 @ 12:40 pm | delete
- Thanks for the kind words Mich. I've placed a link to your blog because I find your furoshiki prints interesting.
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Mich
Nov 7, 2010 @ 1:27 am | delete
- Great furoshiki article. Larger furoshiki can also be folded and knotted into a variety of styles of bag - and then unknotted and reused again. I've posted some of the ways I use my furoshiki here http://myfuroshiki.blogspot.com/p/myfuroshiki-makes.html Happy wrapping!
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