Making guide / Supplies
Kinusaiga supplies for your first project
You can start with a pattern, fabric scraps, a foam base and a few common cutting and measuring tools. Buy for one small project first. The list below separates what you need to make a panel from tools that simply make a particular method easier.
The short shopping list
| Bring or buy | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A pattern at your board size | Start with a simple design. Download an A4 or US Letter PDF, or size it to your measured board before printing. |
| Fabric scraps | Choose pieces larger than their pattern regions so there is fabric to tuck into each groove. Set aside extra for a test cut. |
| A suitable foam base | Use a board that holds a shallow groove without crumbling. Check the material and thickness against your frame; try an offcut first. |
| Ruler and pencil | Measure the board, mark the design and check the printed scale. An acrylic quilting ruler is convenient, but an ordinary straight ruler works. |
| Sharp cutting tool | A craft or precision knife is useful for scoring lines. A larger utility knife may help cut a board to size; you do not need both for every project. |
| Scissors and a blunt tucking tool | Use fabric scissors for pieces and a smooth, rounded tool to push fabric into grooves without cutting it. |
Useful extras, depending on your method
Double-sided adhesive sheet
Can hold fabric while you work. It is a method choice, not a requirement. Test whether its backing lifts cleanly from your foam.
Tape or pins
Temporarily hold the printed pattern in place. Keep it flat while transferring or cutting the lines.
Fine tweezers
Helpful for placing a small corner or removing a loose thread; broad beginner patterns may not need them.
Frame or edge covering
Choose after measuring the finished board. A deep frame needs enough inner depth for foam, fabric and backing.
Choose for your project, not a fixed shopping list
Board thickness depends on the groove your fabric needs and the space inside your frame. Measure the frame and test a shallow groove on an offcut rather than buying a particular thickness by default. Adhesive is also optional: some makers use it to keep fabric in place while working, while others rely on the grooves. If you try an adhesive sheet, check on an offcut that it stays flat and that removing its backing does not damage the foam.
Before spending money
- Pick a beginner pattern and note its suggested finished dimensions.
- Measure the frame's inner opening and depth if you plan to frame the piece. Choose a foam sheet that fits, or make a frameless panel first.
- Check what you already own: ruler, pencil, scissors, tape and a smooth blunt tucking tool may be enough alongside one suitable knife.
- Test one straight groove, one curve and one small corner on foam offcut using the same fabric you plan to use.
- Only then decide whether adhesive, fine tweezers or an additional blade would solve a problem you actually encountered.
Next steps
Read the foam board guide for material and thickness choices, then follow the beginner making guide from printing to tucking. If the picture will go in a frame, check the frame and edge guide before cutting the board.