Any experienced gifter will agree that buying the gift is only part of the ritual, which is complete only when the wrapping is done.
If you’re looking for ways to enhance your Christmas gifting this year, why not add a touch of local charm with unique gift-wrapping ideas inspired by Southeast Asia?
Unleash your crafty side and get to the top of the gifting heap with these one-of-a-kind, culturally significant gift-wrapping options.
Use banana leaves
Banana leaves have long been used as a wrapper in Southeast Asia, usually to serve or pack food.
From wrapping Malaysia’s breakfast staple, nasi lemak, to serving the Filipino Christmas treat puto bumbong, the versatile, eco-friendly, easily sourced banana leaf is a favourite.
For your gift, simply cut the banana leaf to the desired size and wrap the item as you would with regular wrapping paper. If you find it difficult to fold the leaf without tearing, heat it over an open flame first to make it more pliable.
Finish with a red ribbon over your leafy green cover, and voila, your gift will be dressed in festive colours! Alternatively, you can go fully biodegradable and use hemp string to secure the wrapping.
Wrap in local fabrics
There’s no shortage of truly gorgeous, traditional woven fabrics that highlight the intrinsic beauty of Southeast Asian cultures.
Be it lovely batik from Indonesia, intricate Malaysian songket, or extraordinary ikat of Cambodia, these fabrics make ideal wrappers for your Christmas gifts.
This idea borrows from a traditional Japanese wrapping technique called furoshiki, which uses a large piece of cloth to wrap and transport gifts and other goods.
Besides being kind to the environment, the fabric wrapper can also be considered a gift.
Weave a palm leaf pouch
Making pouches with woven palm leaves for cooking is a common practice across Southeast Asia.
These pouches are the container of choice for preparing rice cakes known as ketupat, an Eid staple in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, and puso or patupat in the Philippines.
If you need compact packaging for items like earrings or keychains, why not weave a gift box with palm leaves? It’s an easy enough task if you’ve woven ketupat parcels before.
Also, your DIY gift box will reflect the extra care and effort that went into your Christmas present and is sure to impress the recipient.
DIY batik wrapping paper
Still prefer good, old-fashioned wrapping paper but with a touch of local artistry? You can make your own Christmassy batik wrapping paper.
Batik refers to the technique of wax-resist dyeing. In the Javanese tradition, it is usually applied to fabric, but the same method can also be used on paper.
Draw a design on your wrapping paper using an unlit candle, paraffin wax, or crayons. Then, dip the whole thing into a shallow pan filled with watercolour or go over the paper with a paintbrush. Finally, dry the paper and remove the wax by ironing it between two pieces of cloth.
It may be time-consuming, but if you want to keep the little ones entertained with a hands-on activity, this is the perfect festive arts and crafts idea.
This story by Jacie Tan Cheng Hwee was originally published on AirAsia. Zafigo republished this story in full with permission from the publisher, simply because good stories should be read by as many people as possible! If you have stories that will be of interest and useful to women travellers, especially in Asia, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
