Zero Waste Fabric Christmas Present Wrapping
I've used fabric to wrap gifts since before my kids were born. I love how versatile and chic it is. It’s possible to use fabric in a way that is tape free as well, a zero waste win! There is a horrible (horrible) amount of waste generated each Christmas, so I like that this is a small step toward eliminating part of it. Here I have used a second hand cotton flat sheet (barely used) from ebay, and some linen from a table cloth I had ruined with bleach (ugh) so the costs are minimal.
I have in the past used the Japanese art of Furoshiki to wrap gifts with knots. But crucially I didn’t credit it thus, which is cultural appropriation. The Japanese knotting technique is called Furoshiki. Furoshiki has been used in Japnanese culture for over 1000 years, and has many layers of meaning. I am unsure how appropriate it is for white westeners to use this technique without the understanding of the cultural history and meaning behind it. So I am updating this post with some more recent, non culturally-appropriative examples of fabric wrapping.
I now use fabric exactly like I’d use paper, securing it in place with ribbon, or paper washi tape if the fabric is really floppy. I offer the fabric to the recipient if they want to keep it, ot I re-use it for future gift wrapping. I have also stamped Christmas trees onto fabric in the past too.
The last 2 images below were taken during the photoshoot for the Observer last Christmas. They show how gorgeous fabric wrap looks when paired with a small posy of dried material.
