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Showing posts from February, 2012

Kumihimo Braiding: Your Complete Guide to the Ancient Japanese Art of Cord Making

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Have you ever wondered how those gorgeous, intricate cords are made? The ones you see decorating traditional Japanese clothing or adorning modern jewelry? Well, you're about to discover the fascinating world of kumihimo braiding – an ancient Japanese technique that's surprisingly accessible to modern crafters. Kumihimo braiding has been around for over 1,000 years, and it's honestly one of the most relaxing and rewarding crafts you can pick up. Whether you're looking for a new hobby, want to create stunning jewelry, or simply appreciate traditional crafts, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about this beautiful art form. What Exactly is Kumihimo Braiding? Let's start with the basics. Kumihimo (pronounced "koo-mee-hee-mo") literally translates to "gathered threads" in Japanese. It's a traditional braiding technique that creates strong, decorative cords using multiple strands of threa...

Kumihimo Pictures - 8 Thread Kongo Gumi Patterns (Part 1)

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Kumihimo Patterns - 8 Thread Kongo Gumi Patterns (Part 1)                      

Kumihimo Bracelet

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Art Clay and Kumihimo Bracelet Materials: 1 oz 28gg round, fine silver wire 10gm Art Clay Slow Dry (regular or low fire) 10 gm Art Clay Silver Paste type Hook and Eye set (2pc) .980SV Paint brush Kumihimo foam disc Wire snips Chain nose pliers Masking tape Twist tie Butane torch or programmable kiln Water Begin by cutting the wire into 3 foot (1 yard) long pieces. The oz. of wire has 120 feet, so this will give you 40 wires. Separate the wires into 4 bundles of 10 wires. Smooth and even the ends and put a small piece of masking tape on each end to hold the wires together. Hold the kumihimo disc so that #32 is on top, and 16 is on the bottom. Put the two ends of one bundle of wire together and slightly fold them in the middle so that there is a slight bend where the middle of the wires is. Set this mark in the middle of the kumihimo disc and thread one end of the bundle on the right of #16 and the other end between #32 and #1. Keep the wires taut. Take a second bund...

Kumihimo Instructions - Kumihimo Round Braids

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Here's what you'll need: 7 strands of yarn, floss, or string - 12" each Octagon-shaped disk made from foam, cardboard or plastic.  The disk needs a hole in the center and a slit on each of the eight sides. General Instructions: Hold the ends of the 7 strands together and tie a knot. Put the knot through the hole of the disk from top to bottom. Hold the knot with one hand under the disk. The untied ends of the yarn are on top of the disk. With your other hand, place each strand in a slit, leaving one slit open. Hold the disk so that the open slit is towards your body. Count to the third strand to the right of the open slit. Take that strand and move it to the open slit. Rotate the disk clockwise so that the open slit is towards your body. Again, count to the third strand to the right of the open slit. Take that strand and move it to the open slit. Rotate the disk. Repeat these two steps until your braid is the length you want. To end the braid, remove the yarn f...