The Furoshiki: the millenary technique to forget the plastic

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By using the ancient technique of furoshiki you can wrap and transport almost anything and thus avoid the use of plastic bags

Plastic bags have been a great invention; there are all sizes and materials to carry anything. The problem is that its use has become indiscriminate and with it, the harmful effects of pollution have intensified. So this is where the furoshiki can help us because thanks to these fabrics and their different wrapping techniques you can transport almost everything. The best thing is that they are reusable for a long time, ending with the problematic use of plastic or at least reducing it considerably.

Leer en español: El Furoshiki: la milenaria técnica para olvidar el plástico

By its name you will notice that it is a technique originated in Japan, it is so old that it can be traced until the VIII century according to the Kirei Experience site. Its current name is because in the fourteenth century it was used in Japanese baths, furo or ofuro means just bath. Basically, it is a square of fabric, they exist of different sizes, the traditional one is silk, but today they exist of other materials and with an infinity of designs that adapt to each occasion. Over time it has ceased to be just a piece of cloth, to become art because the care and form with which things are wrapped, prints and fabric are distinctive of Japanese culture. The site states that there are at least 500 different ways to wrap and tie the fabric adapting to the shape of the objects and the needs of those who will give them away or transport it.

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The furoshiki is used to wrap gifts, clothes, food, books and other objects of all kinds. They are also often used as handbags by women, with some folds and knots to which wooden hoops can be added transform a square of fabric into an elegant bag. Undoubtedly the essential thing is to take flight the imagination and put into practice the most straightforward or most sophisticated folding techniques to bend and tie the furoshiki.

Thanks to this you can forget the bows, the adhesive tapes, paper, gift bags and everything we usually use to wrap, in the end, the gift will be the same or more colorful than before and in a friendly way with the environment now that the planet he needs it. Although the furoshiki is distinctive in Japan, in other cultures there are similar techniques for the same purpose: to wrap and transport objects with a cloth.

Among them, we can mention the paliacate used in Mexico, a square of cloth with very particular drawings inherited from India and that is an essential part of life in the countryside and popular culture, to the degree of being a distinctive object. There is also the herd or bundle, which can be found in much of the world and can be easily recognized by a piece of fabric with the ends tied to the center and hung on a wooden pole that draped over his shoulder.

Here we leave you some basic techniques to wrap some objects like bottles or books:

You can also make your handbag by following these steps.

Finally, we leave you a table with other techniques that you can try for different objects.

LatinAmerican Post | Luis Ángel Hernández Liborio

Translated from "El Furoshiki: la milenaria técnica para olvidar el plástico"