Posted on

Furoshiki Techniques for Eco Friendly Gift Wrapping

Furoshiki Techniques

Are you looking for more eco-friendly ways to wrap gifts? If so, using a furoshiki cloth is about as green as you can get. There are several different furoshiki techniques to suit a variety of gifts shapes and sizes, so it’s as versatile as it is environmentally friendly. And it looks beautiful!

Furoshiki techniques

What is Furoshiki?

Furoshiki refers to a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. Although we’re talking about Furoshiki as a gift wrapping technique here, it’s original purpose was quite different. Fabric was used centuries ago to wrap imperial treasures to keep them safe while being stored. It was later used to describe the fabric used at communal bathing houses, where the fabric was used to bundle up belongings and as a mat. The literal translation of Furoshiki is ‘Bath-spread’ (Furo means Bathing and Shiki means Spread).

Later on Furoshiki cloths were used to protect wares during transportation by merchants and to protect and decorate gifts, and it has now become a popular way to wrap gifts not only in Japan but also around the world. It is also still sometimes used as a bag for carrying things around.

But you didn’t come here for a history lesson, did you? 😁

Furoshiki wrapping techniques

There are plenty of different ways to wrap gifts with a furoshiki cloth. The square piece of cloth can be plain or patterned, and can be made from silk, cotton, nylon or any other fabric which is not too stiff. Furoshiki cloths come in all sizes so can be used to wrap big or small gifts.

Basic Furoshiki technique

The basic Furoshiki technique is for wrapping a square or rectangular gift. Here’s a step by step guide to show you how to go about it:

Basic Furoshiki Technique
Basic Furoshiki Technique
  1. Place the gift diagonally in the centre of the cloth.
  2. Fold the cloth along the one side of the gift.
  3. Wrap the corner over the top of the gift.
  4. Tuck excess corner under the gift.
  5. Repeat on the other side.
  6. Fold one of the loose ends neatly over the top of the gift.
  7. Repeat on the other side.
  8. take the two corners of these loose ends and tie in a double knot, then arrange the knot nicely to look like a bow.

It might take a bit of practice to get steps 6. to 8. to look neat but you’ll soon get the hang of it. If you’re struggling to get the corners to tie a double knot then your Furoshiki cloth might be too small for the gift. The knot also creates a handy carrying handle!

If you’d rather watch a video of how to do this, here’s a good one:

You can also use this basic technique to experiment with a variety of different knots and tucking techniques for your own creative take on it.

Furoshiki techniques for bottles

Furoshiki is also great for wrapping bottles. Here’s a step by step guide to this technique:

Furoshiki Bottle Wrapping
Furoshiki Bottle Wrapping Technique
  1. Place the bottle in the middle of the cloth and left two diagonally opposite corners.
  2. Tie the corners in a double knot on the top of the bottle.
  3. Take the other two corners and wrap them in opposite directions around the middle of the bottle.
  4. Tie these corners in a double knot in the middle of the bottle.

It’s actually pretty easy but still looks very impressive!

You can also take a look at this video for three fancy ways to wrap two bottles at once using a Furoshiki cloth.
Give these Furoshiki techniques a go to wrap both boxes and bottles. You can adapt them and experiment to create your own beautiful gift packaging.

You can get Furoshiki cloths on Etsy, Amazon and plenty of other online places – here’s a gorgeous reversible one from Etsy:

48cm Isa Monyo Reversible Furoshiki | Japanese Apricot Blue/Beige
48cm Isa Monyo Reversible Furoshiki

(Just so you know, this is an affiliate link so if you click &buy I’ll get a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything.)
In traditional Japanese culture the Furoshiki cloth is always returned to the gift giver so it can be reused so it’s the ultimate eco-friendly gift wrapping. Feel a bit cheeky asking for it back? They’re unlike to throw the cloth away and they can reuse it for all sorts of things. You might even inspire the recipient to wrap their next gift to someone in it! Let’s make it a thing 😃

Posted on

Gifts for Music Lovers

Gifts for music lovers

It’s no secret that I’m a huge music fan – I’m really missing being able to go to gigs during this pandemic (thought I do realise this is such a small thing compared to what a lot of people are going through). I also have quite a few friends who are just as music obsessed as I am, so this week I thought I’d write a blog post with ideas for gifts for music lovers.

Gifts for music lovers
Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and buy I may get a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything.

Gifts for drummers

This wooden clock can be personalised if you fancy

Drummer wooden clock
Drummer wooden clock

Or how about one of these water bottles?

Best drummer ever water bottle
Best drummer ever water bottle
In my head water bottle for drummer
In my head water bottle for drummer

Gifts for guitarists

This pick wallet would make a great gift for a guitarist.
Or for something a bit more substantial, how about this personalised wooden guitar holder?

Romantic music gifts

Of course if this is an anniversary gift or something for your other half, you might need a gift that is a little more romantic. Here are some ideas for turning ‘your song’ into a personalised gift.

Or create a modern version of the old school mix tape… it doesn’t get much more romantic than that – you can even include photos or scans of other special memories.

Personalised USB mix tape

Other gifts for music lovers

And for gifts that are less specific, here’s a selection of all sorts of great gifts for music lovers.
Here’s another mix tape idea. This one comes with a personalised message and a code for a Spotify playlist featuring songs from their birth year – such an original idea!

Or how about this for that person who ‘knows’ their taste in music is better than anyone else’s 😆

My neighbours listen to good music whether they like it or not print
Good music print

This game could be a real hit (sorry 😁) too!

I hope you found some inspiration in these ideas. In the end I found more ideas than I could reasonably fit into one blog post as there’s so much out there for music lovers! 😃

You can also follow my Gifts for Music Lovers Pinterest board for more ideas.

And if you’re looking for a card to accompany your gift, then why not take a look at my music themed greeting card collection. They’re perfect for music fans. See some examples below…

Posted on

Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year

Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year

I’ve been selling a lot of unique wedding anniversary cards with my cartoon portraits on recently – I guess it’s that time of year 😍. I know about paper, silver, ruby and gold anniversaries but I started wondering, what are the traditional wedding anniversary gifts year by year in the UK? It turns out there are both traditional and modern anniversary milestone gifts.

Lists of traditional and modern wedding anniversary gifts (UK)

These are list of both traditional and modern anniversary gifts by year for the UK – it may vary in the US and around the rest of the world. Can you believe they have milestone gifts all the way up to a 90th wedding anniversary?!

via GIPHY

Traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year

1st – Paper or cotton
2nd – Cotton or paper
3rd – Leather
4th – Linen, silk
5th – Wood
6th – Sugar
7th – Woollen
8th – Salt
9th – Copper
10th – Tin
12th – Silk and fine linens
15th – Crystal
20th – Porcelain
25th – Silver
30th – Pearl
35th – Coral
40th – Ruby
45th – Sapphire
50th – Gold
55th – Emerald
60th – Diamond
65th – Blue sapphire
70th – Platinum
75th – Diamond, gold
80th – Oak
85th – Wine
90th – Granite

Modern wedding anniversary gifts by year

1st – Clock
2nd – China
3rd – Crystal, glass
4th – Electrical appliance
5th – Silverware
6th – Wooden objects
7th – Desk sets, pen & pencil sets
8th – Linens, lace
9th – Leather goods
10th – Diamond jewellery
11th – Fashion jewellery, accessories
12th – Pearls, coloured gems
13th – Textiles, furs
14th – Gold jewellery
15th – Watches
16th – Silver hollowware
17th – Furniture
18th – Porcelain
19th – Bronze
20th – Platinum
21st – Brass, nickel
22nd – Copper
23rd – Silver plate
24th – Musical instrument
25th – Silver
30th – Diamond
35th – Jade
40th – Ruby
45th – Saphire
50th – Gold
55th – Emerald
60th – Diamond
80th – Diamond, pearl
85th – Wife’s birthstone
90th – Diamond, emerald

Of course there are no set rules when it comes to romance, so you can interpret them however you like, put your own original twist on them or ignore them altogether! Every couple will have their own original way of celebrating a milestone anniversary…

via GIPHY

Special milestone anniversary messages

Did you know that in the UK you can get a message from the king or queen for 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries? You do need to apply to Buckingham Palace for this (other Commonwealth realms can also apply, via the Governor-general’s office).

In the US couples can receiver a wedding anniversary card from the President for their 50th anniversary and beyond. In Canada they can receive a message from the Governor-General for their 50th anniversary and every fifth anniversary following it.

And in Australia couples can also receive a letter of congratulations from the Governor-General for their 50th wedding anniversary and all subsequent anniversaries. They may even get messages from the Prime Minister, the federal Opposition leader, their local state and federal parliament members and state Governors for the same anniversaries.

Anniversary milestone cards

Would you like to give a wedding anniversary card for a milestone year that is extra special and more like a gift? My custom cartoon portrait anniversary cards are each hand drawn by me based on photos you supply so are completely unique. I can draw from the original wedding photos or as you and your other half look today. The text is also customisable so works for any milestone from the 1st anniversary to forever.They’re also great to give to other (very special) couples and you could even give a frame at the same time, making it easy to display and treasure forever. You’ll get extra credit if you match the frame material to the traditional anniversary gift by year!

Click on any of the images below to go straight to that item in my greeting card shop.

Custom Cartoon Portrait Ruby Wedding Anniversary Card
Ruby Wedding Anniversary Card
Custom Cartoon Portrait Silver Wedding Anniversary Card
Silver Wedding Anniversary Card
Custom Cartoon Portrait Golden Wedding Anniversary Card
Golden Wedding Anniversary Card
Custom Cartoon Portrait Anniversary Card
Anniversary Card
Posted on

Where to find great gifts

Finding great gifts

We all want to find great gifts to show our friends and family that we really do know and love them! But with birthdays and Christmas coming around every year it’s easy to run out of inspiration… And of course if you’re anything like me you need ideas NOW because you’ve not planned very far ahead! Here are some of my favourite websites to find gifts that are a little bit different and show that you’ve really put some thought into it, even if you have left it a bit late.

Just so you know, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I might get a few pennies if you click on them and then buy something from that website. It doesn’t cost you anything though and I’d never recommend a website I don’t think is fantastic.

Great handmade gifts

Live the Little Things Gift Box
Live the Little Things Gift Box on Etsy

You won’t be surprised to know that Etsy is one of my favourite places to shop for original gifts. They’re the best for finding handmade and personalised presents for anyone and everyone. You can find products sold from around the world, but if you prefer to shop locally (and avoid international postage costs) you can narrow your search to your own country.

This Live the Little Things gift box on the right is one of the many presents I’ve bought off Etsy for friends and family.

Not on the High Street is another favourite of mine for handcrafted gifts. You’ll find great gifts on there that you wouldn’t find anywhere else (hence the name I guess!) A lot of their items are personalisable too.

Great gifts for kids

When I need to find presents online for my niece or other children, Prezzybox and Wicked Uncle are two of my favourites. Prezzybox has a great section specifically for Kid’s Gifts and the whole Wicked Uncle specialises entirely in children’s gifts. Another thing I really like about Wicked Uncle is that you can shop gifts within specific age ranges, which is very helpful. They also have categories which include Creativity, Adventurer, Educational and lots more. The only objection I have is their name… I’m an Aunt after all!

Other places to find great gifts

Yes I Want It USB Mixtape
Yes I Want It USB Mixtape

Pinterest is another place I often go to in order to get inspiration for interesting and original gifts. I have a number of different boards with ideas for gifts for different people – you can see my Pinterest boards here and follow them too if you’d like to use some of my ideas for your own gift giving 🎁

Yes I Want It is another favourite to find gifts that are a bit out of the ordinary and that you won’t see everywhere. I mean, how cute are these mixtape USBs on the left?!

There are loads of other great websites that sell all sorts of lovely, and not boring, gifts too. I regularly publish blog posts on here, and these quite often feature original gift ideas and tips. Subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll soon have the reputation of being that lovely person who gives the most terrific cards and gifts 😃 (and you’ll also get 15% off when buying cards from my online shop!)

SIGN ME UP

Posted on

Homemade edible gifts

homemade cupcakes gift

Left it a bit late to buy a gift? Not quite sure what to get? Homemade edible gifts are a terrific solution as you can whip them up yourself really quickly. And everyone has to eat, right? At the most you might need to make a quick trip to the supermarket and spend a few minutes to an hour actually making the edibles, so within a couple of hours you’ve got yourself a fabulous present to give that is much more personal than anything you could’ve bought elsewhere anyway 😃

How much effort you put into making your edible gifts is completely up to you. If you’re in a bit of a rush then you can just assemble a variety of bought treats in a basket or hamper. If you have some time to spare but not much budget then making something from scratch will usually work out cheaper. Or you can go for something in-between.

Ideas for homemade edible gifts

Whether you’re making them yourself, or just assembling a selection of yummy things you’ve bought in a shop, there are so many things you can choose from:

  • Biscuits – sweet or savoury
  • Chocolate or sweets – homemade or bought
  • Toffee or fudge
  • Macarons, cake pops, cupcakes or muffins
  • A whole cake!
  • Tray bakes or bars
  • Ingredients e.g. to make a cake or biscuits – these look great layered in a jar
  • Coffee, tea or hot chocolate – it’s generally best to go posh with these
  • Jams or chutneys
  • Themed seasonings for keen cooks e.g. for Indian food, or a range of different fancy salts or peppers
  • Dried, candied or fresh fruit

If you’re looking for edible gift recipes and more ideas then take a look at Pinterest – there are loads of ideas on there.

homemade biscuits
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Presentation ideas for your homemade gifts

  • Hampers and ‘bouquets’ – for anything and everything
  • Mason jars – for baking mixes, biscuits, sweets, etc
  • Boxes – for tray bakes, cupcakes, muffins and whole cakes
  • Tins – for biscuits, cupcakes, tray bakes or whole cakes, depending on the shape and size
  • Gift bags – best for packaged foods (make your own gift bags)

These are just some ideas but you can be as creative as you like – it’s a great way to get rid of containers that are too nice to throw away but that you don’t really want anymore 😁

Homemade edible gift in box
Photo by Jennifer Schmidt on Unsplash

Making it personal

A handmade edible gift is already more personal than something bought in a shop, but by putting some extra thought into it you can make it even more so. If you have friends who are vegan, coeliacs, on low carb diets or are just known for being coffee freaks or chocoholics you can show how well you know them by creating a gift that really suits them. It’s so easy to Google recipes for all sorts of preferences, allergies and fetishes!
You can also personalise the way you present your gift, for example by making a cute label for the jar or tin, or decorating the cake you’ve baked with their name in icing.

Why homemade edible gifts are the BEST

There are so many reasons why a homemade edible gift is so fabulous to give…

  • Shows how thoughtful you are and that you really know the person it’s for
  • Can be whipped up in a very short space of time
  • Generally costs less than an equivalent bought elsewhere
  • Gets eaten up so you can keep giving the same terrific gift over and over again
  • If for some reason they’re not too keen on it they can get friends or family to finish it off without you ever knowing… it’s much harder to pass on other types of unwanted gifts 😆
  • And they don’t have to find space for it if they don’t want to – they can just eat it all up straight away!

I know I love getting homemade gifts, especially if I can eat them… and I don’t think I’m that unusual. Give it a go. And if you post your awesome homemade edibles on social media, please tag me – I’d love to see!

Did you enjoy this article? If so, why not become a VIP subscriber? In addition to getting all the latest from here straight to your inbox, you will also get 15% off in my online card shop.

become a vip now