How it works
Everything you need to go from an empty board to a framed piece of Japanese fabric art. Follow along here, or download the guide and keep it next to you while you work.
Step 1
Lay everything out on a clear table: the foam board, the design sheet, the fabric pieces, the craft knife, the scissors, the tucking tool and the double-sided tape.
Keep the photo of your finished design open on your phone: it is your color map for the whole project.
Tip: Give yourself a flat table, good light and a small bowl for the scraps.
Step 2
Place the design sheet on the foam board with the edges aligned. Fix it with a small piece of double-sided tape at each corner so it cannot move while you cut.
Step 3
Hold the craft knife straight up and follow every line of the design, cutting a shallow groove about 3–5 mm (1/8 in) deep. Use slow, steady strokes: on long lines it is better to go over twice than to press hard once.
Tip: Always cut away from your fingers and retract the blade when you put it down.
Step 4
Start from the background and the biggest areas. Lay the right fabric over one area and cut a piece about 3–5 mm larger than the shape on every side. That small margin is what you will tuck in.
Tip: On tiny details (eyes, flower centers) leave only 2–3 mm.
Step 5
Lay the piece on its area and, with the tucking tool, gently push the margin into the grooves all around. Work from the middle of each side towards the corners, so the fabric stays smooth. No glue, no needle, no thread: the groove holds it.
Tip: Smooth, not tight: if the opposite edge pops out, ease the tension a little.
Step 6
If a bit of fabric sticks out, trim it with the scissors and tuck again. Then move to the next area: back to front, big to small, until the whole picture is filled.
Made a mistake? Nothing is glued, so you can lift any piece out and tuck it again.
Tip: Most people finish in 3–5 relaxed hours, spread over two or three evenings.
Step 7
Check the edges one last time, then place your artwork in its frame: our wooden frame or any 8 × 8 in frame. That's it: you made a piece of Japanese fabric art.
Both guides are free PDFs. Read them on your phone or tablet, or print only the pages you want.
Why your guide is digital
We don't print a paper instruction booklet for our kits. Instead, your guide arrives by email right after your order, and you can download it from this page at any time.
It's easier to follow on a phone or tablet next to your board, it never gets lost, and if you like paper you can print only the pages you need. Multiplied by every kit we send, that's a lot of paper we simply don't use.
Nothing wasted
Kinusaiga was born in Japan from leftover kimono silk, in the spirit of mottainai: the feeling that nothing useful should go to waste. Every picture is made of small pieces of fabric, so even small offcuts become part of a design.
We keep that spirit in our kits, and we'd love your leftover scraps to have a second life too: gift tags, bookmarks, a tiny picture on a foam offcut. You'll find more ideas at the end of the complete guide.
No. If you can cut along a line and tuck a sheet into a bed, you can make a kinusaiga picture. The first piece teaches you everything.
About 3–5 relaxed hours. Most people split it over two or three evenings.
Our kits are made for adults because the craft knife is very sharp. Children from 8 years old can join in with an adult, who does all the cutting.
We send it by email right after your order, and you can always download it from this page. Prefer paper? Print it at home, even just the pages you need.
Reply to your order email or write to support@kinucalm.com. We'll help you with any step.