Furoshiki: Versatile reusable gift wrap

Photo: lirontocker/Flickr

My reusable Built wine bottle carrier's always gotten me compliments -- while saving those rather useless little brown paper bags grocery store baggers like to put bottles in. But I just watched a video that now makes my reusable wine bag seem rather shabby.

 

Why buy a specific bag to carry wine bottles when furoshiki -- a simple square piece of pretty cloth -- can do the same thing more stylishly? Furoshiki's a type of Japanese wrapping cloth that's used to transport things -- whether it's wine bottles or a bowling ball. Watch the how-to video below to see just how versatile a simple piece of silk cloth can be!

 

Green Living: How To Carry Groceries With A Square Of Cloth

 

With the holiday season coming up, furoshiki can be used as a gorgeous, reusable gift wrap, too -- something my wine bag won't do as well. Planning on giving a green book or a box of fair trade chocolates this season? Here's another video from RecycleNow that shows how to stylishly gift wrap both of those using furoshiki:

 

If you’re more of a hands-on instruction person, I hope you live in the Los Angeles area — because the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA) has put together a Furoshiki Food Drive and Art Workshop — and the class supports a good cause, too!

 

You’ll also get a raffle entry for a four-pack of tickets to KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil at the Santa Monica Pier — and a free Cirque du Soleil clown nose. The goods you donate will benefit the Ocean Park Community Center, which provides housing and services on the Westside to low-income and homeless communities.

 

Don’t have anything to donate? Then pay $10 to get into the furoshiki workshop — or become a SMMoA member to attend free.