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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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Furoshiki Tutorial: A Library Bag

August 7, 2017 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

There are many different furoshiki wrapping techniques, but I only seem to use three on a regular basis – two for carrying goods and one to BYO wine to restaurants.

It’s great fun to have an instruction book open and practise the fancier folds, but when I’m out and about, it’s only the basic ones I can remember. Along with the simple bag (tutorial here), this library bag is my other go-to wrap.

It’s perfect for books, tablets, laptops, slabs of focaccia or boxes of Lego – anything with a roughly rectangular shape. You only need to know how to tie a square knot, which is definitely worth mastering, as it’s strong and won’t slip undone (instructions below from the excellent Pixieladies’ Furoshiki Fabric Wraps)…

. . . . .

Start by laying a large furoshiki face down in a diamond shape. Place your book with the spine at the halfway mark…

Fold the bottom corner up to enclose the book…

Fold the two side corners in and tie a square (reef) knot…

Now tie a square (reef) knot at the top and your bag is finished!

It has a much more elegant look than the simple bag and sits comfortably in your hand or on your elbow…

I use a smaller square to wrap loaves of sourdough for delivery to the neighbours. If they’re not home, the bag sits flat on a doorknob…

. . . . .

Here’s a quick way to make a furoshiki by sewing two tea towels together. The ones from Daiso (called Tenugui) are cute, made in Japan and cheap ($2.80 each)…

It takes just minutes to machine two together, then to trim and hem one edge to form  a square…

The smaller size is ideal for my iPad, or for wrapping up loaves of sourdough or plates of food…

. . . . .

I’m having enormous fun with this new hobby! If you’d like to know more about furoshiki and the ancient art of Japanese fabric wrapping, you might enjoy this earlier post, or our tutorial on how to tie a simple shopping bag.

With the large supermarkets phasing out single-use plastic bags from June next year, there’s never been a better time to get knotting!

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Posted in Cool Things, Frugal Living | 13 Comments

13 Responses

  1. on August 7, 2017 at 4:16 pm ashtamisprime

    They are so cute and very useful too. I wish I had read this article as child carrying school books.


  2. on August 7, 2017 at 4:49 pm Francesca

    Looking forward to practicing these wraps when I get home Celia. In te meantime, I bought some Hmong hill tribe antique scraps in Chiang Mai, and now thinking about how they might be re-purposed.


  3. on August 7, 2017 at 6:23 pm Anne Wheaton

    Very inventive. Will be trying this later in the week to take back my library books though not sure if I’ll be able to replicate it in the library to bring more home. Can the next tutorial be for one to be used rucksack style please?


  4. on August 7, 2017 at 8:07 pm Nanna Chel

    I have ordered a book on the technique and hope to become proficient at doing those knots eventually. Thanks so much for the tutorials, Celia.


  5. on August 7, 2017 at 10:13 pm equipsblog

    Wonderful idea. Since many places are eliminating plastic bags, maybe libraries should start investing in fabric squares so people have something to carry their library books home with.


  6. on August 7, 2017 at 10:18 pm Chica Andaluza

    Loving this and looking forward to finding out how to do the bottle wrap one!


  7. on August 8, 2017 at 1:18 am Dymoon

    such fun, thank you


  8. on August 8, 2017 at 5:14 am susan

    Glad you are spreading the word! er, the wrap :)


  9. on August 8, 2017 at 9:07 am marilynscottwaters

    We phased out plastic bags last November and I’ve been struggling with bags. This is a good solution! Thanks, Maz. (And LOVE Daiso.)


  10. on August 8, 2017 at 11:52 am Donna Saunders

    We gave our first furoshiki wrapped birthday present on the weekend and the little sister of the birthday girl had a wonderful time playing with the cloth afterwards! Thank you for this lovely tutorial. I will try the wrap next time I gift a loaf of sourdough.


  11. on August 12, 2017 at 7:38 am The Life of Clare

    Do you just have a stock of fabric that comes and goes?


    • on August 12, 2017 at 7:40 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      You know me too well…that’s exactly right hahaha


  12. on September 12, 2017 at 10:29 am Things I'm loving! - The Life of Clare

    […] Furoshiki – Celia posted me a couple of cotton wraps and I am loving using them. Our town missions end up with piles of bits and pieces and it wonderful to be able to contain them to carry across the flying fox. […]



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