Furoshiki Fun for Children!

Children love presents - both the giving and the receiving!

Wrapping presents in furoshiki adds an extra layer of fun to any gift-giving occasion. It’s also a great way to introduce children to sustainable living. In this post, we look at eight ways to help children engage with the fun of furoshiki.

Getting into a furoshiki-wrapped gift is a bit more challenging than tearing off wrapping paper - although children growing up with furoshiki soon learn how to get into a fabric-wrapped gift! If children struggle with untying the fabric knots, use a single rather than a double knot. Check out the basic carry wrapping technique and simply skip the final knot. You can also start children off if a knot is tight.

If you miss the excitement of children tearing off the wrapping paper, include some paper-wrapped gifts. Look out for recyclable, eco friendly paper. This means no glitter or foiling and gift wrap made from recycled paper.

Choose furoshiki with patterns, motifs and colours that appeal to your child. Fabric is available in all kinds of patterns - from unicorns and super heroes to vehicles and minibeasts. If planning to make your own furoshiki, source themed children’s duvet covers in charity shops.

RAPPU carries a selection of furoshiki aimed at children.

Unlike wrapping paper, fabric furoshiki stand up to any amount of imaginative play. This adds a whole new twist to the old joke about babies preferring the box to the present inside! Letting children hold onto their furoshiki for a while allows for all sorts of wonderful ideas. We have witnessed furoshiki transformed into magic cloaks, dolls’ blankets and mini dens - amongst other things.

Large furoshiki offer more play options than smaller sizes. Many of our designs are available in large (70cm). We also make bespoke 1m square furoshiki for extra large gifts (and play ideas 😆). Contact us to discuss details and find out which fabrics we currently have in stock for bespoke orders.

There’s nothing like ‘making your own’ to get children engaged with a new idea. Furoshiki are fun and easy to create using old sheets and fabric paint. If you don’t have an old sheet, try charity shops or head to eBay. Let children paint or print the sheet however they wish. Once the fabric has been decorated, cut into squares and either hem or leave the edges frayed.

Children love coming up with ideas to embellish a furoshiki-wrapped gift. Anything that can be tied around or slid underneath the fabric knot will work. Flowers, feathers and twigs make beautiful embellishments - but children also love experimenting with less obvious ideas such as decorative chopsticks or coloured pencils. Set your child a challenge; what’s the funniest/daftest/prettiest embellishment they can find? Part of the present can also be used as an embellishment. Bracelets or decorative hair bobbles are a good example. You can also tie on chocolate tree decorations for an edible treat.

If your child likes creating things, make homemade embellishments such as gift tags cut from old greetings cards. String pretty beads on circles of thread to slip through the knot.

The more we can embed sustainable practices into children’s lives, the better. Children who grow up with furoshiki wrapping will save the planet a lot of wasted paper across their lifetimes. Furoshiki are also great for introducing eco friendly practices to children. Because furoshiki-wrapping is connected to the giving and receiving of gifts, we have an immediate head start in capturing a child’s interest. We don’t want to turn furoshiki wrapping into a ‘worthy lesson’ on sustainability - but we can slip in little age-appropriate mentions here and there. Eco messages with the potential to resonate with children might include…

• We don’t throw away furoshiki like wrapping paper, but save it to use again.

• It’s great that we don’t have to rush down to the shop to buy wrapping paper.

• Furoshiki don’t create plastic waste - which is much better for sea creatures.

• Unlike paper, furoshiki are fun to play with afterwards and won’t fall to pieces.

• Perhaps your granny/uncle/friend will use this furoshiki to wrap your present.

Building a family collection of furoshiki can work really well. It adds a whole new dimension to family gift giving when the furoshiki you gave granny last Christmas comes back to you on your birthday present. As children grow older, they will start remembering particular furoshiki.

Occasions such as birthdays or Christmas can be made even more special by the reappearance of an ‘old favourite’. Make sure you have a selection of furoshiki that your child loves. This is important for creating nostalgic pleasure around the reappearance of old favourites. You can also chat with your child about which wrap is granny’s/grandpa’s/big sister’s favourite.

The Slow Movement advocates adopting a calmer, slower and more mindful approach to life. Furoshiki wrapping makes up a small but important means of bringing a little restraint to present opening. Fabric can’t be ripped off like paper. It takes time to undo the knots, thus introducing patience to the unwrapping of gifts. We’re not saying the ‘ripping off paper’ tradition should be banned, if it’s important to your family. However, if children have at least some gifts wrapped in fabric, it adds both consciousness and anticipation to present-opening.

As we mention above, you can provide a mix of (eco-friendly) paper and furoshiki wrapped gifts. This allows children both the sensory satisfaction of ripping off paper, and the more mindful experience of opening a fabric-wrapped gift.

Enjoy furoshiki-filled gifting with your children!