Furoshiki = Awesome Japanese Eco-ness

Just saw this blogged over on Re-Nest, the eco version of Apartment Therapy.

Who needs a tote bag--and especially a flimsy petroleum-based plastic bag--when you can wrap anything like this:



[Find the original PDF of this chart here.]

The folks over at Re-Nest suggested printing the chart onto a square cloth to use, with diagrams right there on the cloth you're using. I might just have to do that.

And here's a quick tutorial (and I mean quick) on how to wrap two bottles so that you have a little carry handle. Supernifty!:



There are some great images and videos over at furoshiki.com (I've watched this one, and this one, and enjoyed and learned from both.)

I have a furoshiki cloth that W's brother--an Asian Studies/History professor who's been to Japan many times and always brings back great stuff--brought back from a trip a couple years ago. But, I didn't exactly know how to use it: too big for a head wrap or a scarf, odd sized for a table or other home decoration. Well...now I know. Hmmmm...and now that I think about it, I have 2 or 3 furoshiki. Guess what's going into my purse tomorrow? But only after I play around, learning the folds and wraps for a while.