How to Use Fabric Gift Wrap (and Why You Should)
I really love gifts. Giving them, receiving them, even wrapping gifts is what excites me. Yes, I’m the weirdo in the family who bends the corners to get the perfect sharp edges. And maybe I judge others’ packaging, but that’s not the point – everything changes this year. I’m jumping on the eco-friendly fabric gift wrap train and hope you’ll join me on the ride.
What is the point of fabric gift wrapping?
Fabric gift wrapping is not a new thing. It has been used for centuries in other countries such as Japan where it is called furoshiki, Korea where it is called bojagi, as well as in India, Turkey and many African countries and cultures. It’s so widely used that I’m surprised it hasn’t become a more popular practice in America. I agree that using paper gift wrap can be attractive. But I have lifelong memories of a giant paper-wrapped garbage bag after every Christmas and at every kids birthday party. It really is such a waste. Also, as if you needed a reminder this holiday season, good wrapping paper is prohibitively expensive.
Why not pay for some beautiful, eco-friendly film that will be better for the environment and save you and your family money in the long run? Even if you only use it for half of your gifts, it makes a big difference.
I recently purchased a set of four from Bee’s Wrap and simply fell in love with the pattern and feel. The fabric is a 100% cotton square (includes two small squares, one medium and one large) with vibrant patterns and a finished stitched edge. The fabric can be used again and again, it can be washed and even ironed if it gets too wrinkled.
How to wrap a gift in fabric
Using fabric film, you can implement a number of artistic techniques. You can add pleats, multiple overlapping overlays, or pretty knots. I’ll be honest; I didn’t try to get carried away with it. I place the box diagonally on the square and tie the opposite ends.
Then I tie a loose knot with the other two flaps. While I’m definitely doing it the lazy way, it looks great!
If you have unusually shaped gifts, you might want to check out this site or this site. Both have simple packaging methods and solutions. Almost any gift can be beautifully wrapped in fabric.
The only real challenge is wrapping very large gifts. Most of these cotton squares won’t work. You can use paper for this, or if you prefer fabric, use the flat sheet from your bedding set.
Fabric gift wrapping is suitable for everyone.
If you, like my brothers, hate wrapping gifts because it’s fussy and always ends up messy, then fabric gift wrapping is for you. If you, like my stepdad, hate picking up discarded, crumpled paper balls and scraps of tape and ribbon, fabric gift wrap is for you. And if you, like me, never give up the tension and joy of revealing the mysterious contents of a gift, fabric gift wrapping is for you. Honestly, I can’t name a significant drawback. No more paper cuts or missing tape.
Fabric gift wrapping can also make a great gift. It may seem strange to give eco-friendly gift wrap as a gift, but it would make me very happy. I recently gave two people gifts wrapped in Bee Wrap, and they were both delighted with the wrapping almost more than the gift itself. Once you’ve mastered fabric wrapping as a family, you can even exchange wrappers with gifts knowing you’ll use them and vice versa, cycling through different colors and patterns over the years.
Many retailers now also sell fabric gift wrap , so you can explore gorgeous patterns and prints for all occasions. Happy gifts to everyone.