Must-Buy Japanese Gifts

Attaching an Origami Decoration (easy)

Materials: origami (double sided is preferable), raffia ribbon and an already wrapped gift

Place the origami with one of the points facing straight at you, and fold the left side diagonally as shown.
Fold the right side over to the left in the same way.
Fold the right side back halfway to show the pattern on the back of the origami.
Place the origami on the center of your gift and tie it with the raffia ribbon (You can also use mizuhiki instead of the raffia ribbon).

Materials: Tenugui, chopsticks, two small bottles

Stand the two bottles in the center of the tenugui.
Hold the top of the left bottle with your left hand and the right bottle with your right hand, and lay them on their sides. Keep the bottom space open as shown.
Roll the tenugui over the bottles from front to back.
Grab the tops of the bottles, which are now wrapped by tenugui, and stand them up again. Be sure not to move the position of the bottoms while you stand up the bottles.
Twist the excess part of the tenugui on top (both right and left), and tie twice to make a knot.
Stick the chopsticks into the knot.

Materials: Washi, mizuhiki, tape (one sided and double sided), wine bottle

Make three pleats by folding over one edge of the washi three times in the same direction: first half an inch, then one inch and then another inch.
Open the folded parts and flip the washi.
Fold down the first half-inch part as it’s creased and make the first pleat.
Pinch the second crease, bring it to the front and make the second pleat.
Pinch the third crease, bring it to the front in the same way and make the third pleat as shown. Use one sided tape to hold the pleats.
Flip the washi, keeping the pleats parted on your right side, and place the wine bottle in the center of it width-wise. Leave a few inches from the bottom for covering the bottom of the bottle.
Wrap the bottle with the washi and make sure the pleat part is shown. Use double sided tape to secure the washi and prevent it from unfolding.
Tuck the washi into the bottom of the bottle and tape it.
Stand up the bottle and grab it by its neck, which is now wrapped by the washi, and tie it with mizuhiki. You can make a ribbon knot or whatever you like with the mizuhiki.
Cut the top of the washi diagonally if you like (optional)

Materials: Furoshiki (20 in. x 20 in.), rubber band, wine bottle

Stand wine bottle in the center of the furoshiki.
Fold one of the points of the furoshiki to make a triangle shape and bring the triangle over the bottle top as shown. Be sure that the furoshiki can fully cover the bottle.
Make pleats by hand at the neck of the bottle and hold them.
Take the opposite point to make a triangle and repeat steps 2 and 3.
Use a rubber band to hold the pleats.
Now you have two points left. Grab the two points of the furoshiki, bring them to the back of the bottle and cross over.
Bring the two points to the front and make knots.