4. Fold (a) to the left and fold (b) over (a).
5. Push (b) through the circle.
6. Pull (a) and (b) in opposite directions. This completes the ma-musubi knot.
If you have tied the ma-musubi knot correctly, both corners will line up straight.
This is a bad example of the knot. It will come undone easily.
How to untie a ma-musubi knot
No doubt you are surprised by the magic of the knot and understand the wisdom behind it.
1. Hold the bottom of (a) with your left hand and the top of (a) with your right hand.
2. Pull the tip of (a) toward (b) until you feel a kind of click. The important point here is that the whole of (a) should be lined up straight.
3. Hold the knot linking (b) to (a) gently from above.
4. Pull (b) to the right, and the knot comes apart.
How to tie a hitotsu-musubi knot
Hitotsu-musubi is a knot for one corner of the furoshiki. A combination of ma-musubi and hitotsu-musubi knots enables the furoshiki to be used in a variety of ways.
1. Hold one corner of the furoshiki.
2. Make a circle.
3. Push the corner of the furoshiki through the circle.
4. Pull the tip of the corner.
5. This completes the knot.
Flat Wrapping
平包み Hira Tsutsumi
The simplest and most stylish way of wrapping without a knot
1. Spread the furoshiki out with the main design facing down. Place the gift in the center of the furoshiki.
2. Pull the far-side corner of the furoshiki over the gift so that the main design can be seen. Adjust the position of the gift.
3. Return the corner to its previous position and pull the near corner over the gift.
4. Tuck this corner under the gift.
5. Pull the left corner over the gift.
6-1. Adjust the overlapping of the corners.
6-2. Pull the right corner over the gift.
7. Pull the remaining corner over the gift.
8. Tuck the remaining corner under the gift.
The cloth shown here is a patterned silk square measuring 27 x 27in (68 x 68cm).
Errand Wrapping
お使い包み Otsukai Tsutsumi
The most popular form of wrapping with a beautiful knot
1. Position the box in the middle of the furoshiki.
2. Pull the near corner over the gift and tuck the remainder of this corner under the box.
3. Pull the far corner over the box. Tuck the remainder of this corner under the box.
4-1. Tie a ma-musubi knot using the left and right corners of the furoshiki.
4-2. Continue as per page 15, step 3
4-3. See page 15, step 4.
4-4. See page 15, step 5.
4-5. This completes the Errand Wrapping.
Errand Wrapping—about 27in (68cm) silk wrapping cloth
Hidden Wrapping
隠し包み Kakushi Tsutsumi
A practical and beautiful form of wrapping that secures the contents and makes full use of the main design