Wrapping Toys Furoshiki Style: Guest Blogger Bree Norlander

Toy Whimsy is excited to welcome back Contributing Blogger Bree Norlander!  Here's her interesting way to make the Holidays more interesting (and green.) -- E. Christian Moore

By now I'm sure you've heard that traditional wrapping paper taxes the environment. Wrapping paper made from trees and adorned with dyes and metals is not recyclable nor forest-friendly. But if the gift recipients are anything like my daughter, they love to gaze dreamily at fancy packages until the moment arrives when they can find out what's inside. If old grocery sacks and Sunday comics don't fit the bill, I've come across just the thing: Furoshiki. Japan's Ministry of the Environment, Yuriko Koike, explains:

"I've created what you might call a "mottainai furoshiki". The Japanese word mottainai means it's a shame for something to go to waste without having made use of its potential in full. The furoshiki is made of a fiber manufactured from recycled PET bottles, and has a birds-and-flowers motif drawn by Itoh Jakuchu, a painter of the mid-Edo era.

"The Japanese wrapping cloth known as the furoshiki is said to have been first used in the Muromachi Period (1392-1573), when people spread it out in place of a bath mat or wrapped one's clothes with it.

"The furoshiki is so handy that you can wrap almost anything in it regardless of size or shape with a little ingenuity by simply folding it in a right way. It's much better than Plastic bags you receive at supermarkets or wrapping paper, since it's highly resistant, reusable and multipurpose. In fact, it's one of the symbols of traditional Japanese culture, and puts an accent on taking care of things and avoiding wastes.

"It would be wonderful if the furoshiki, as a symbol of traditional Japanese culture, could provide an opportunity for us to reconsider the possibilities of a sound-material cycle society. As my sincere wish, I would like to disseminate the culture of the furoshiki to the entire world."

The wrapping techniques are simple and fun. With this technique you are giving two gifts in one. Young children will delight in finding a gift wrapped in a play silk or a dress-up cape. Older children will appreciate the novelty of a gift wrapped in a scarf, bandana, or even a sporting team's flag. Children will retain their excitement in gazing at the beautifully wrapped gift, and you can appreciate the environmentally friendly wrapping. I know I'll be trying my hand at furoshiki this holiday season!

-Bree Norlander