Simple yet awesome

Wrapping presents is something that the majority of the population will do at some point - we wrap gifts for birthdays, Christmas, baby showers, weddings, and various other occasions.

Consider for a moment, just how much money do you spend on wrapping paper?  How much does a roll cost?  Do you go for the offers of 3 for 2 rolls?  Perhaps you buy the sheets.  Maybe you do what I do and wait until the new year and snap up several Xmas themed rolls cheap.  I've never seen any offers for birthday wrapping though.  Perhaps I just miss them.

With the paper there comes the sticky tape, ribbon, tags.  The cost adds up after a while doesn't it?  And over the years you could easily be spending hundreds.

Gift bags seemed like a good solution.  I have a few of various sizes.  They can easily be re-used.

But I've come across something else that I'm chuffed to bits about.

Furoshiki - Japanese wrapping cloths.

Easy to use, they look amazing, and can be re-used over and over again.  Storing them is also so much more convenient than trying to find a place for long rolls. (Mine are currently under my bed)  Just fold and tuck away in a drawer. Simple!

There's plenty of tutorials for wrapping with the cloths on YouTube, and various books available.  The cloths come in a variety of sizes, and you can always source your own from material shops to get the patterns and sizes you want.

Overall, I think it's a brilliant way to save money.  I would have to buy several, primarly to account for the number of Christmas gift reciepants I buy for.  Plus I am fascinated by all things Japanese so it's got instant appeal to me!  ^_^

The downside is that I'm looking at a website that supplies them and I'm drooling over so many designs that I would need to spend a few hundred to get them all!!  Must be restrained ... this is meant to save me money, not empty my account ... but they're so pretty ...

Now all I need is an alternative to buying cards for every occasion.
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