Tutorial kumihimo disk II

I hope you have fun weaving the braids. As I promised here are a few more pattern you can practice with the disk.

Honeycomb braid in kumihimo disk:

Flat braid in kumihimo disk:

Rounded flat braid in kumihimo disk:

Hollow braid in kumihimo disk:

Enjoy...!!!

Tutorial Kumihimo Disk I

I discovered Kumihimo a few months ago....so I am still a beginner, but I will try to show you some of my basic knowledge.

Kumihimo started as a finger-loop braiding and the tools, the marudai and takadai, were used to make the weaving easier. The modern and cheaper version of these tools is a disk made of flexible foam or plastic with small cuts on the periphery to insert the threads. The disk has 32 notches as the one you see in the picture bellow.

You will need a disk and color treads. Different material, number of strands and color will give you different results and patterns. You can use ribbon, yarn, string, silk thread, etc; all depends of your creativity. You can also add beads in the weaving.

First thing you need to do is cut the threads. Determine the final length you want and then multiply the length by three. This will give you a good final size.

Then arrange the threads on the disk and begin to weave. You will cross the threads in a different manner to obtain the different patterns.
So let's learn the basic procedure and then we can get fancy. Here are a couple of  links with very good explanations.

Kumihimo tutorial posted by RubberStampRosie in YouTube
Kumihimo tutorial posted by Artbeads

Bellow are the basic patterns for the round and square braid.

Round braid in kumhimo disk:

Square braid in kumihimo disk:

Practice this two types of braids and when you are comfortable move to the more complex ones.
I will post patterns for other types of braids later, and you can also try the Kumihimo plate to create a flat braid.

Also, when you fill comfortable you can check this free software by Rosalie Nelson Braid Runner that will allow you to design your own color patterns.

Enjoy...!!!

Making Boxes for Two Parts Putty Molds of Found Objects

Step by Step tutorial of how to make boxes for molds of found objects with two parts putty.

Materials:

- Thin paperboard (you can recycle your cereal or cracker boxes)
- Ruler
- Pencil and eraser
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
- Two parts putty or silicon mix
- Found objects

1. Draw a square of the size of your object and draw 3 more squares of the same size on the side and 1 more on top.

2. Cut the piece and slightly bend the paperboard along the lines and fold along the lines.

 

3.  Tape the ends together and then tape the bottom. You can make the box as shallow or as tall as you like.

4.  Mix the 2 parts putty. Usually the mix starts setting in one minute, so work fast on this step.

5. Push the mix inside the box and insert your found object. Press the object once and firmly in order to make the impression, and let the object set for about 20 minutes or as long as your putty needs to cure. (see instructions in the package). Do not wiggle or re-accomodate if you want crisp details.

6. When it is cured remove the box and the object and you will have your new mold.

I use these molds to make PMC (precious metal clay) jewelry, but you can use them for other purposes like polymer clay or even food. Good luck..!!!