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KinuMakerKinusaiga patterns

How to make kinusaiga

Kinusaiga (絹彩画) is picture-making by tucking fabric edges into grooves cut in a board — no sewing required. Many modern makers use foam board and fabric scraps; some also use adhesive to hold fabric while they work. Here is a beginner process, from materials to finish.

Materials

  • A craft foam board suitable for scoring shallow grooves — one piece at least as large as your finished picture
  • A kinusaiga pattern printed at the exact size of your board
  • Fabric scraps larger than each region, plus a little extra for tucking in
  • Sharp craft knife for scoring grooves, plus a blunt fabric tucking tool or small flat screwdriver
  • Scissors, pins or masking tape to hold the pattern in place
  • Optional frame or edge covering for finishing

Step by step

  1. 1Print and check the pattern

    Print at 100% / actual size on A4 or US Letter and measure the calibration square — it must be exactly 25 mm. See the printing guide for multi-sheet patterns.

  2. 2Fix the pattern to the foam board

    Tape or pin the printed pattern flat onto the foam board. Any wrinkles here become wavy lines in the finished piece.

  3. 3Cut the grooves

    With a craft knife, trace every printed line to a shallow, consistent depth — enough to hold fabric, not so deep that the board cracks. Test the depth on an offcut of your chosen foam first.

  4. 4Plan the fabrics

    Use the numbered regions and the colour reference. Lay scraps over the picture first; cut each piece a few millimetres larger than its region on all sides.

  5. 5Tuck, region by region

    Place fabric over a region and push its edges into the surrounding groove with a blunt tucking tool. Start with the largest regions; small ones last. If a piece puckers, lift it carefully and trim it before trying again; repeated lifting can damage some foam or adhesive.

  6. 6Finish the back

    Trim loose edges and finish the board with a suitable frame or edge covering. Sign and date it — you made this.

Ready to make one?

Start with the beginner patterns — large regions, provisional size guidance, and a tool that warns you when a board may be too small for a design.

Materials and finishing questions

If your board sheds beads or you are unsure about thickness, read our foam board guide. For a clean side and a frame that fits the finished piece, see finishing edges and framing.