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Wrapping Alternative with Japanese Cloth Wrapping

by on Dec 18, 2006

Maybe it’s because I watch far too much anime and see this technique used to wrap lunch boxes all the time, but when I saw this post on the Make Magazine blog about instructions for Japanese fabric wrapping (aka  Furoshiki)  I wanted to try it.

Cut to a few days later when I found some nice faux-leather wine containers in Michaels.  Then when in the dollar store I noticed a pack of two pillowcases for, well, a dollar.  Armed with these two items, it was time to try this Furoshiki stuff out.  I was going to use the Entou Tsutsumi technique for the wine container.

First thing, opening up the pillow case.  It turns out it’s one long piece of fabric, folded over the bottom seam, and sewed up the sides.  I first tried using a stitch cutter to cut the stitches.  Makes sense, no?  That was taking too long and with the cheap pillow case was looking bad.  Then I tried an xacto knife.  A bit faster but still ugly results.  Finally I said to myself, self, just bring out the big guns and go for the scissors.  That seemed to work.

This was a trial run.  If I was really wanting it to look sharp I would iron the pillowcase and then fix the seams by using some of that seam fuser tape.  I don’t know how to sew and have no experience cutting fabric.  The hack job on the edges showed that.

A red thermos holder on top of a piece of fabric next to a bunch of junk.Once the pillowcase was opened up it was time for the wrapping.  Keep it tight around the object and try have no wrinkles around whatever you are wrapping.  Once you have rolled it all the way, keep wrapping up into pigtails the loose fabric to tighten up the ends.  

A messy working table with a lot of items along with a cloth wrapper.

A persons hand wrapping a cylindrical item on a table on top of newspaper.

Keeping the pigtails still wrapped tight, pull the two ends together and do whatever knot you have enough fabric to so.  I was able to put in a sloppy slipknot that will come loose easily.  If you have to do a tight square because that’s all you have the material to do, then that’s fine.

 A person at a table using a pillowcase to wrap a gift.

Finally I had the little loose flap on the center of the roll.  I could have taped it down but decided to pin it.  Thought about a straight pin, but with the whole naturalish material theme (60% cotton, 40% poly so far) I went to that old standby, the rounded toothpick.   Looks pretty good.  

 A cylindrical shape wrapped in beige fabric with a floral print, sitting beside tools on a newspaper-covered table.

And there you go!  A different wrap technique for that special gift for that special someone.  I’m giving my brother a laser printer and now need to go find a funky pattern twin bedsheet at the thrift store….

  

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