Many stores and shoppers are making use of reusable shopping bags this season, and the number of paper or plastic bags going into the trash must be shrinking. Now here is another idea for replacing disposable paper products with reusable ones—use fabric gift wrapping.
Based on the centuries-old Korean bojagi and Japanese furoshiki, the practice of using cloth for reusable gift wrapping is being rediscovered by people today. The benefits are saving money on continually having to purchase new wrapping paper, saving the resources used to make the paper gift wrap, and avoiding tossing it into the trash.
The Environmental Protection Agency said that an extra 1 million tons of trash is generated in the United States during the season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. If we stop throwing away the wrapping from our presents, we can cut this quantity down.
Artist Patricia Lee started the Bobo Wrap company after she discovered these squares of cloth when she visited her native Korea. They have traditionally been used in many ways—as grocery bags, tote bags, lunch bags, and many kinds of carry-alls. She designs squares of fabric with two contrasting pieces of material put together so that when the corners are tied to close the bag, the back fabric creates an interesting design for the wrapped gift.
The Web site www.BoboWrap.com demonstrates the technique. You can fold these cloths in many different ways, and Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has instructions for what the Japanese call furoshiki at www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.html
A simple alternative to wrapping paper is cloth bags—just slide the present in and pull the drawstrings at the top. Lucky Crow is one company that offers various sizes, from 6 inches up to 18 inches, to fit gifts from wine bottles to clothing to jewelry. See their Web site www.luckycrow.com.
I am trying to imagine the holidays without that huge trash bag bulging with wrapping paper—yes, it is a pleasant scene.
