So, it has been a while (to say the least) since I last blogged (for a variety of reasons) but I feel that it is the time to get back to one of the things I love: writing online. I’m an over-thinker (yoga helps though) and I do like to plan a blog post for potential SEO (search engine optimisation) and to keep a (bit of a) hand in practise of personal marketing (you can find me Monday to Friday as Digital Director of www.voiceboxx.co.uk).

Anyway, back to the matter in hand: furoshiki. I’ve written (in the now distant past) about different ways of wrapping presents and gifts that is environmentally-friendly as while I love to magpie over anything pretty in Paperchase or Sostrene & Grene (or anywhere for that matter) I am conscious that the point of a gift or present isn’t really the outer it’s what’s inside that counts (metaphor for life right there). I’ve been trying to wrap as many presents and gifts (over the past year) in something fabric-based that is not only green but is also an extra gift for the recipient (and what’s not to love about that?!).

That has required a bit of extra thinking and creativity on what can be used as furoshiki-style gift wrapping but I try and keep an eye out for:

• Humourous tea towels (or festive ones for that time of year)
• Scarves (not so much woolly ones as they are a bit chunky round the gift)
• Blankets (of the thinner variety for the bigger gift)
• Make-up bags (then filled with tissue paper for extra specialness)
• Carrier bags (fabric ones!)
• Tshirts (although I think this could be tricky and end up with a wrinkled t-shirt, not really what you want from a gift)
• Fat quarters (for the crafter in your life)
• Pillow and cushion cases

And some of the results of take on furoshiki include:

I’m particularly proud of the ‘eggs’ and ‘flour/flower’ for the cake

A gift inspired by the tea towel bought to wrap the present (I had fun buying things that were ‘cake’ related)

All wrapped up and ready to gift

Love this mug from Lollipop Designs

All wrapped up in a cushion cover and black ribbon

The ‘proper’ (will quote marks replace my love of brackets?) gifts are from a variety of places including:

• Citizen Home (fabulous social enterprise shop in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham)
• Lollipop Designs (for stationery and home-based delights)
• Hema (I defy anyone to not love this shop)
• Bright Paper Packages (I wish this subscription box was still going)

And a few other places including Tesco! I’d love to know how you wrap gifts and if you have a take on furoshiki. Please drop me a comment with your ideas on environmentally-friendly wrapping paper.