Angela reports back from the last Craft Snippets event at Upper Riccarton Library. The next event on Wednesday 30 July will feature quilter Catherine McDonald.
Ayumi moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2010. During her studies, she started thinking about what it really means to be sustainable. This led her back to Japan, to the centuries-old practice of Furoshiki. Ayumi now creates these traditional Japanese wrapping cloths from textiles diverted from landfill. Founder of FabWrap, she began teaching her workshops in 2023.
Furoshiki is more than just fabric, it's a meaningful, symbolic practice rooted in Japanese culture. Each fold and knot carries intention: from protecting what’s inside to expressing gratitude, connection and care.
Why Furoshiki
Disposal of rubbish is a problem that is becoming more serious around the world. All human actions have an impact on the planet. Birthdays, weddings, Christmas and any special events are meaningful for all the people celebrating, but these events usually involve a lot of wrapping paper.
Upcycle Furoshiki
Furoshiki expresses a caring heart, thoughtfulness and cherishing what is wrapped inside. Ayumi's concept is to be as sustainable as possible: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Resources and materials are used by recycling them. FabWrap's mission is to influence Ōtautahi Christchurch to use Furoshiki. No more disposal of wrapping paper. If you make Furoshiki, you can choose to keep it and use it again for wrapping or give it to the person receiving the gift. If you give Furoshiki to family and friends, you may inspire them to do the same, so everyone can use Furoshiki instead of wrapping paper.
During the session, Ayumi showed us three ways to wrap items and how to adapt these techniques for different shapes and styles. Everyone enjoyed watching a live demonstration of some wrapping techniques. The materials used are reusable and washable, helping to reduce waste. During the traditional Gift Giving festival, there are many creative ways to wrap presents that minimise waste and support recycling. Regular gift wrapping can be challenging, especially for curved objects like pots or bowls. The paper often tears or crinkles, and it requires a lot of tape. Most people do not keep the wrapping paper, so it ends up as trash.
Furoshiki is a great alternative! It wraps objects securely and keeps them a surprise with its bow-shaped folding. It's much easier and quicker to wrap items, as Ayumi demonstrated with two bottles. You can even bake something, put it in a jar, and then use Furoshiki to wrap it nicely.
Thank you, Ayumi, for a very informative and entertaining talk. I’m sure this Christmas there will be less paper used in Christchurch. It certainly makes sense to use Furoshiki.
Find more
- Follow FabWrap on Instagram
- Library resources about furoshiki
- Craft snippets posts
- Information about the history of furoshiki
- Sustainable living resources and information
In our next Craft Snippets on Wednesday 30 July, we look forward to hearing Catherine McDonald talk about her quilting life.
Items shared at our May gathering.
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