Thanks so much to Steve for this kind note and pic. Proof that bobowrapping is easy as well as beautiful and eco-friendly!
June 2nd, 2010
Celebrate: BDay Presents from Philly
Having grown up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I am a Philly girl through and through. I am super picky about my cheesesteaks (provolone, wit!) and the memory of a city gone wild when the Phillies won the 1980 World Series is seared into my mind forever.
I have 3 friends with similar birthdays and this year I scored with this cute Phillies baseball shirt I found on a recent trip to my favorite city of brotherly love.
Here’s how I bobowrapped one of them using a variation of the Single Handle Wrap found on page 46 of The Wrapping Scarf Revolution.
First fold the t-shirt so that it is a nice solid piece instead of all bendy wendy.
Then place items on the diagonal in the center of a small size wrap and tie opposite corners in a square knot (a secure double knot).
Bring the other 2 corners together and tie a snug half knot which is just the first part of a double knot.
Bring those corners together and tie a square knot to make a little handle. Presto your’e done!
Happy Wrapping to all my fellow Phillies fanatics. 
May 7th, 2010
First Prize for The Wrapping Scarf Revolution
My sincere thanks to the Connecticut Press Club for honoring The Wrapping Scarf Revolution with a First Prize Award for Nonfiction-Instructional. Judged by members of the Delaware Press Club, the annual contest was celebrated at the 9th Annual Awards Dinner last night at Quattro Pazzi Restaurant in Norwalk.
Celebrating with CT Press Club President Sherry Cohen
The highlight of the evening (other than winning!) was listening to a talk by Pulitzer winning playwright Donald Margulies. His speech was fascinating and full of gems of wisdom that he normally reserves for his students at Yale. At one point, he talked about his Broadway debut which he claims was a “debacle” and when I asked him to elaborate on that, it turns out that what happened to him was what happens to so many of us when we compromise too much and lose our original vision.
Talking to playwright Donald Margulies.
Like all successful people, he picked himself up, dusted himself off and moved on to eventually win the Pulitzer prize for his drama, “Dinner with Friends”.
Thanks to everyone who has helped my little green book get off the ground and cheers to all our successes and dusted off failures!
Happy wrapping everyone! xoxo Patricia
April 22nd, 2010
This Earth Day Join the Wrapping Scarf Revolution!
Going green can seem more than a little intimidating sometimes. Solar panels sound wonderful and as I look out at my laundry drying in the sun, I dream of the day I can harness that same great energy to power up my home. But for now, I 
reach for the lower hanging fruit on the tree of eco-living. Wrapping with fabric to reduce senseless garbage? That’s like fruit on the ground!
Giving gifts is one of the great pleasures in life and the suspense and mystery in unwrapping a gift is the icing on the cake. But did you know that during the holidays alone, Americans create 5 million additional tons of garbage and that 80% of this garbage is just wrapping paper and gift bags? These are crazy numbers and there’s a lot we can do about it without eliminating the joys of beautifully wrapped gifts.
The ancient Korean people really hated waste and considered it bad luck. They created the concept of the wrapping scarf or wrapping cloth called bojagi (boh-jah-kee), which they used to wrap and carry everything from gifts to bundles of merchandise for the market. The great thing about wrapping with bojagi is that it adapts to the shape being wrapped for a custom fit and then can be reused countless times. This was my inspiration in creating my own line of reusable wraps called BOBO.
BOBO wrapping is a lot like origami in that a square shape works best. Try the bow tie wrap technique for wrapping up your next gift with a square scarf or hankie. If you like the contrasting reverse effect, try using 2 scarves put together with a bit of light spray adhesive.
If you are crafty and have fabric lying around your home from old projects, you can make your own BOBOs by taking a square piece of fabric and finishing off the edges. Just make sure the fabric’s not too thick by grabbing a corner of material and tying in a knot. If it doesn’t knot easily, it’s probably too thick.
Stanford University Recycling Center says ”If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.” Now 3 presents a year is a number we can all commit to.
I wrote The Wrapping Scarf Revolution to teach a new generation of Earth citizens a great old way to be kinder to the planet. Join the 
Wrapping Scarf Revolution and take the pledge to wrap at least 3 gifts in reusables this year. Send me a picture of your fabric wrapped gift and you may receive a nice a little gift certificate from yours truly. Happy Earth Day everyone. Let’s hear it for the low hanging fruit!
For more information and video demonstrations on how to wrap with fabric, visit the How-To Page at BOBOwrap.com. To enter a great book and wrap giveaway, check out the original site of this post at galtime.com. Write a comment there by tomorrow and be entered.
For a nice 15% off discount to try our products, use this great coupon by the Eco Diva. Code: DIVA410 Expiration: 4/30/2010.
April 21st, 2010
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
A selection of our favorites for all those special Moms out there. LOVE the new Celadon Tea Mug set from Korea. Steep loose tea in the ceramic strainer then just lift out and place on the lid while enjoying all the health benefits of a great cup of tea. All lovingly pre-wrapped with Earth friendly reusable BOBO wrap. We’ll even hand write your message on a beautiful BOBO card. Check out all the great wrapped gift items in stock now.
March 31st, 2010
DC and Westport Lead Battle Against Plastic Bags
I knew I loved DC! What great news to hear that our nation’s capitol has started charging a 5 cent tax on disposable plastic bags. The new law which went into effect on January 1st, not only dramatically reduced the amount of plastic bags being used, it generated $150,000 in one month to help clean up the Anacostia River. This is great news!
The Hobo Bag, from "The Wrapping Scarf Revolution"
Back in 2002, Ireland placed a 15 cent tax on their plastic bags and dropped their usage by 90%. When I was living in Korea in the late 90s, we purchased pricey mandatory garbage bags, forcing us to be careful what we threw away. These garbage bags were also translucent and if you happened to throw out some recyclables in your regular garbage, forget about it. People in your apartment building would give you nasty looks for weeks. Seinfeld style.
It’s taking the US a long time to get the message, but this taxing thing works! Especially when so many people are already on the verge of giving up plastic bags. Now the whole nation just needs to follow suit. At a time when most cities and states are experiencing budget crisis, THIS is the time!
Very important to remember is how resistant people can be to change. Many District residents were furiously up in arms when they first faced the tax in January. This Washington Informer article from January makes it very clear how angry many people were at the time.
I so admire our neighboring town of Westport, CT, for banning plastic bags in March of last year, becoming the first town in Connecticut to do so. In the year that has passed, not a single additional town in CT has followed suit although Westport reports no problems with the ban and a reduction of about a million bags so far. Wilton is said to be considering a similar law.
Wendy Carlson for The New York Times
The New York Times reported that the ordinance had passed 26 to 5 despite opposition by representatives from the chemical industry and the supermarket chains. “Westport is well known for being progressive, and in the forefront of social issues,” said Gordon Joseloff, a first selectman, noting that it was one of the first communities to pass a resolution opposing the Vietnam War. (NYT)
In Korea, groceries were carried in wrapping scarves for centuries. Check out how to make big hobo bags (first pic) in the The Wrapping Scarf Revolution. Bravo DC and Westport! What a great display of leadership.
March 30th, 2010
BOBO Live in DC
We were a few days too early to see any real cherry blossom action but what a night we had in DC last week. So many wonderful people came out to the Korus House of the Korean Embassy to hear my little Bojagi to BOBO presentation. Even the overflow room was full to capacity and it ended up being standing room only.
It was one of those lucky nights when things just seemed to click. DC/MD/VA traffic can be murderous but it was smooth sailing all the way from the highways to the triangular mazes that lead to Embassy Row. The audience was also amazing and we were so on the same green colored wavelength. Heavenly!
Main Presentation room at the Korus House of the Korean Embassy in Washington DC
Speaking to a room full of DC intellectuals was daunting but the guests were very warm and engaged in the topic of the night. A 25 minute presentation with slides was followed by a demonstration time.
Then we had a very lively Q & A with many great questions and comments by the audience. Wish we had more time to hear from everyone. Here’s a sampling of what was asked:
Q: What is the Korean etiquette with using a bojagi (wrapping scarf)? Is it rude to take the wrap back when giving a gift?
A: There are many correct ways to use a bojagi. Many people choose to give the bojagi to someone as part of a gift. Others use the wrap as a personal accessory much like a bag and use it to transport a gift of wine or food. They unwrap the gift, hand it to the recipient and put their wrapping scarf away.
Q: What are the best fabrics to use as a wrapping scarf? I have a lot of cotton fabrics at home and would like to try the techniques.
A: The beauty of wrapping scarves is that you can use so many different fabrics and materials depending on what you may have available. My book, The Wrapping Scarf Revolution, goes into more detail as to what fabrics and sizes to use for specific projects but one easy test to see if your fabric will work is to hold a corner of the fabric and tie a knot. If you can’t tie a knot easily, the material is probably too thick.
Some of our lucky raffle winners.
We gave 7 lucky winners a BOBO wrapped and signed copy of The Wrapping Scarf Revolution.
I loved seeing my friend and eco-warrior Reena Kazmann. Thanks for coming Reena!
Reena Kazmann of ecoartware.com
A mini exhibit of BOBO lovelies.
Before and after the presentation, everyone had a chance to check out the small exhibition of BOBO wrapped goodies. Here’s some of the great feedback we got from the guests:
“Intelligent, poignant, impressive!” -Soojung K.
“Excellent: very informative and comprehensive also greatly appreciated the historical research.” -Peggie D.
“Excellent presentation. Clear and concise, your vision is ecologically appropriate.” -Beth C.
“Absolutely wonderful! I know what I’ll be playing with next week!” -Peg H.
“Well presented, well organized. Enjoyed every moment and learned a lot.” -Regina C.
Many thanks to the Korean Embassy and to all the people who came out for a fun and memorable evening. Cheers!
BOBO Wrap, Green, Korea, Luck | 
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March 24th, 2010
Cherry Hunting in DC
I’m getting ready to head down to DC for my Bojagi to BOBO event at the Korean Embassy and all I can think about are the cherry trees and how for the very first time, I may get a glimpse of the famous blossoms that majestically adorn our nation’s capital once a year.
I am a few days early but I hear that there are some sunny spots where the trees will get an early start. In 1912, 3000 cherry trees were given to the city of Washington by the Japanese mayor of Tokyo and the trees have flourished ever since. Most Americans assume that the cherry tree is originated in Japan but it is now know that they actually probably originated in Korea. From wikipedia:
“In 1933, the Japanese botanist Koizumi Genichi reported that the Japanese Sakura (Somei Yoshino) is of Jeju-do island origin.[14] In 1992, Takaki Kiyoko[who?], another botanist specializing in sakura, also claimed that the Yoshino sakura hails from Jeju Island. According to Invest Korea journal, more evidence supporting this claim is that while this species of cherry tree is indigenous to Korea and can be found as part of the natural flora of Mount Halla, it cannot be found anywhere in Japan”.
Koreans gather for the annual cherry blossom watching. Zyrtec anyone?
Interesting! Well kudos to the Japanese for recognizing the amazing beauty of these trees and sharing it with the West. The cherry blossoms appear in Korea about the same time they do here and Koreans flock en masse to see these natural beauties in action. Wish me luck and if you’re in the area, come on out to Embassy Row tomorrow night and join me for a fun evening of discussion, sharing, and perhaps most importantly, some great Korean refreshments!
If you can come to the event please click the image above as rsvp is required. Hope to see you there!
