Discover the furoshiki
What if we avoided the mountain of gift wrapping at Christmas or birthdays? Furoshiki is a fabric folding and knotting technique, of Japanese origin, used to wrap your gifts in a more responsible way. The fabric is reusable, the practice is part of a waste reduction approach… So at Avril, we’re excited about it!
Furoshiki, an responsible and aesthetic approach to packaging
Reusable packaging for a very long time
20,000 tonnes of gift wrap are used each year*, which represents 380,000 trees. Of course, it is possible to reuse your gift wrap to reduce waste, but they are generally creased, damaged or even torn. Furoshiki is a piece of fabric, flexible and strong, reusable for many years.
Also, beyond the wrapping paper itself which you free yourself from, you no longer need tape, glue or ribbon. Multiple folding techniques exist to adapt to all gifts, to all formats, and so that this simple fabric is sufficient in itself.
The icing on the cake: at Avril, we have also opted for certified organic cotton fabrics, GOTS certified. We are repatriating production to France, the first furoshikis made in France are already available on the e-shop!
Aesthetic and creative, when giving a gift becomes a form of expression
In Japan, giving a gift is a symbolic act. It’s a strong, precious gesture. The packaging is then as important as the gift itself, hence the practice of furoshiki also called “fabric origami”. Moreover, much more than a practice, we are truly talking about an art!
Reusable, in every sense of the word
Furoshiki doesn't just pack up at Christmas and put it in the cupboard! The fabric can be used all year round as a scarf, headband, handbag or other means of transporting objects, or even as a comfort blanket.
Furoshiki in practice
Which fabric to choose?
In Japan, colors and patterns are codified, and thus refer to symbols. The most used colors are light colors, synonymous with happiness, celebration and happy events. At Avril, we have opted for graphic patterns to choose according to your tastes and preferences, or better, according to the person to whom you wish to offer it.
What size fabric?
In terms of shape, rectangular and square are found in the same way. The square, however, allows it to be adapted to all forms of gifts.
In terms of size, it all depends on your gift, the object (beauty or care products, bottle, children's toy or even clothing).
A tip that works for finding the right size furoshiki is to choose a fabric that, diagonally, is three times the size of the object you want to wrap.
● For small gifts (lipstick and other makeup for example), turn to 32 x 32 cm fabrics
● For a medium gift (such as perfume, soap, paperback books), opt for 52 x 52 cm
● For larger gifts (bottle of wine, clothes), choose a 65 x 65 cm furoshiki
How to fold?
The folds and knots depend on the object and its size. This is what will allow the fabric to be self-sufficient... Don't worry, that said, the art of furoshiki also means adopting simple, quick folding techniques.
You will find lots of folding techniques on the Internet that are easy to do. The most basic knots are called Musubi knot and Hitotsu Musubi knot for making a bag. Otsukai Tsutsumi is the simplest packaging for rectangular gifts.
*Source: GreenFlex study, European Sustainable Development Services Company, 2021
