Wrap a Gift in a Tea Towel: Reusable Fabric Gift Wrap

Here is a gift-wrapping trick that feels a little bit magic: wrap the present in a tea towel. The wrapping becomes part of the gift. There is nothing to throw away, it looks beautiful, and you get to skip the tape-and-scissors wrestling match entirely. It is the two-gifts-in-one move, and once you try it you will keep reaching for it.

This is my favorite way to wrap something for a person who appreciates a little extra thought, and it could not be easier.

How to wrap a gift in a tea towel

The basic method borrows from furoshiki, the Japanese art of wrapping things in cloth. Lay your tea towel flat, print side down, like a diamond. Set the gift in the center. Bring two opposite corners up and over the top and tie them in a knot, then bring the other two corners up and tie again. Tuck the ends, and you are done. A rectangular tea towel handles most small gifts, books, and boxes beautifully.

A bold print makes the presentation. Something like the Dancing Blooms Tea Towel turns even a plain box into a showpiece, and the recipient keeps a useful linen towel long after the gift is unwrapped.

Finish it off

A knotted cloth is pretty on its own, but a little detail seals it. Slip an illustrated gift tag under the knot, or tie one on with a bit of twine. Now it reads as fully, deliberately wrapped.

When to use fabric wrap (and when to grab paper)

Fabric wrap shines for gifts where the towel is a bonus the person will love, like a housewarming, a birthday for a fellow color lover, or any kitchen-minded gift. For a big pile of presents where cloth would get expensive, my beloved wrapping paper is still the workhorse. I made the full case for saving that paper in my post on wrapping paper that is too good to throw away. And if the towel sparks more ideas, my post on creative ways to use tea towels keeps the theme going.

Frequently asked questions

How do you wrap a gift in a tea towel?

Lay the towel flat like a diamond with the print facing down, place the gift in the center, then bring opposite corners up and over and knot them. Tie the remaining corners on top and tuck the ends for a clean finish.

What is furoshiki?

Furoshiki is the traditional Japanese practice of wrapping gifts and goods in a square of cloth using folds and knots instead of tape. Wrapping a gift in a tea towel is a simple, everyday version of the same idea.

What size cloth do you need to wrap a gift?

A good rule of thumb is a cloth roughly three times the width of the item. A standard rectangular tea towel comfortably wraps most small gifts, books, and boxes.

Is fabric gift wrap better for the environment?

It can be, because the cloth is reusable and becomes part of the gift instead of being thrown away. When the wrap is a useful linen tea towel, nothing goes to waste at all.

What gifts work best for fabric wrapping?

Small to medium gifts with a boxy or rounded shape wrap best, and the method is especially lovely for kitchen and home gifts where a bonus tea towel fits right in.