All About Kansashi Bows

Kanzashi bows are in demand and loved not only in Japan, where they are part of traditional culture. Novelties of unusual hair ornaments traditionally delight both children and adults, and even a person who is not very versed in needlework can make them. Detailed workshops will help you learn how to make rep ribbon bows and other options yourself quickly and easily.

Most people traditionally associate bows with school years and elegant first-graders, but these decorations have much wider application. They are complemented by shoe buckles and adorned rims, tied to a newborn’s “envelope” at discharge. Kansashi bows are no exception. They are made of rep, silk or satin ribbon, hold their shape well, look attractive.

Kanzashi art is suitable for masters with different levels of training. There are very simple bows that can be made in 1 hour, they are ideal for beginners. More complex products require patience and skill, but the result will look much more impressive. Kansashi technique is very similar to another popular type of Japanese art - origami, only pieces of fabric are used for folding, not paper. Once upon a time, natural silk trimmings were used for these purposes; today, blanks are also made of rep or satin ribbon.

Kansashi bows differ from the usual way of fastening. They are not tied, forming a tight knot, but are folded and fixed with an adhesive joint.Depending on the type of product, it can take the form of traditional bows or decorations in the form of false flowers - miniature or large.

When creating bows using the kanzashi technique from satin, silk or rep ribbons not only square pieces of fabric with a width of 0.5 to 5 cm are used. When folding products of this type, fairly long strips of 6-10 cm are also used. felt to create the basis: rounded details are cut from it, to which the remaining elements are attached.

Additionally, it can be used for decoration organza or lace. Among the necessary materials can also be noted all kinds of beads, buttons, rhinestones, buckles, holders for beads and the middle in the form of cartoon characters.

Here is a list of tools needed to create kanzashi bows.

1. Scissors for cutting materials.
2. Ruler for measuring segments.
3. Thread and needle to assemble items. To obtain a more accurate and presentable connection, it is better to replace them with an adhesive thermal gun.
4. Pins for chipping parts. Experienced masters cope without them, but for beginners, this auxiliary tool can not do.
5. Lighter, matches, candle or burner on fabric. Thermal sealing of the edges of matter is necessary for satin and silk, otherwise they will crumble and creep. For large volumes of work, it is better to purchase a burner - it cuts off the edge evenly, and can be used already when cutting. In this case, the metal ruler will act as a stencil.
6. Tweezers. It is necessary to hold small parts during operation.

Kanzashi bows are a universal solution to decorate a headband, satin headband or hair clip, to make an original elastic band for a girl in a garden, school. Design novelties in this area appear regularly; craftsmen experiment with volume and form. There are American options with tresses - strands of various colors. Japanese models are more conservative and traditional.

Thematic new ideas are most often targeted at teenage and children's audiences. Summer options with princesses in skirts and butterflies, New Year's white waterfalls, festive lush flowers - these are just a small part of the design decisions that can be brought to life. For discharge from the hospital, it is customary to create large decorations from wide ribbons of 4 or 5 cm wide.

The simplest products in popular Japanese technology are made from rep ribbons. It is simple in work, not so slippery. For the most ordinary bows you will need a red rep ribbon 2.5 cm wide and 30 cm long, the same length with a watermelon print, a green ribbon (1.2 x 10 cm), and rubber bands. Matches or a lighter, scissors, a glue gun or a thread with a needle are also useful.

The product manufacturing process involves a number of steps.

1. First, cut the red and “watermelon” ribbons into fragments 15 cm long.
2. We take the red segment and bend it in half. Then we unfold the tape and turn both ends with a 2 cm overlap to the bend. We fix the bow in the middle with 2 stitches, we do not tear the thread.
3. We perform a similar operation with a "watermelon" ribbon. We fix 2 bows with a thread together, gently pick up and tie a knot from the wrong side.
4. The first bow is ready, the second is done in the same way.
5. We cut the green ribbon into 2 segments of 5 cm long.
6. On the back of each bow we gum, and on top of it - a green ribbon.
7. We wrap a green ribbon around the middle of the bow to fasten the end from the back.
8. Now it remains only to straighten the bows.

Every girl dreams of a beautiful bow to school. To make this jewelry original, copyright, it is enough to make very little effort. Kanzashi technique will allow you to fix the finished product on an elastic band, hairpin, rim or comb, decorating the hairstyle, regardless of the length of the hair.

The bow for September 1 is made of satin ribbon with a width of 5 cm and a length of 12 cm. 17 items are enough for a magnificent accessory. Themed cabochon or large bead is used as decoration in the center.

Here is the procedure for making a bow.

1. From the prepared segments of the white satin, you need to make parts of the bow. The tape is placed face down, the right corner from above is bent inward, fixed with a pin, the lower left part is similarly fastened. The pointed tip bends inward.
2. The part is laid horizontally. Bent parts on both sides should be directed to the master. The workpiece is connected, scorched or stitched along the edge, pulled together at the base. The part unfolds and unfolds, acquiring volume.
3. As soon as all 17 "petals" of the bow are made, you can begin to assemble it. To do this, you need 3 needles with a white thread in each. On the first - 8 elements are strung, on the second - 6 petals, the remaining are attached to the last needle.
4. Assemble the first tier of 8 parts, glue a felt white circle onto the back of the gun. Assemble the 2nd tier, carefully glue it into the 1st. Pull off the last 3 petals. Gather a bow and paste the bead in the center. Leave to dry completely.

For everyday school attendance, simpler and more rigorous hair ornaments are suitable. Such bows are best made from a rep ribbon that holds its shape well and is quite dense. She will withstand the most active games at recess, will not rumple under a hat.

For the manufacture of the product you need a white rep tape - 6 pieces with a width of 40 mm and a length of 105 mm, the same shade and size of lace for the base. Felt circle with a diameter of 40 mm and a rectangle of 10 × 40 mm. Colored rep ribbon will need 12 pieces of 10 cm in width 25 mm, white lace of the same size - 6 pieces. To fix the product comes in handy elastic.

In addition, you will need a white satin ribbon. Enough 1 piece of 5 × 5 cm and 20 pieces measuring 25 × 30 mm. For cutting material, it is recommended to use a soldering iron or a tissue burner.

Consider a step-by-step procedure.

1. The formation of the bow. Wide white ribbons fold into loops, lace is laid on top of them. The ends of the workpieces are soldered, all the details are collected on a thread so that a vicious circle with 6 rays is obtained. From the colored rep ribbon and narrow lace, the 2nd tier of the bow is also collected. Rays should not overlap each other.
2. Assembling a flower for the center of the bow. For him, 20 satin blanks are rounded from 1 side - these will be rose petals, a large flap of 5 × 5 cm diagonally folds not quite symmetrically, folds into a tube, and is fixed with glue. Separate petals in the direction from the bottom up are fixed on the resulting rod in a spiral. The finished rose is glued into the middle of the bow.

Rounded petals are used in the kanzashi technique quite often. To make a flower, you need segments of a satin ribbon measuring 5 × 5 cm - the amount is determined by the splendor of the product, but usually there are at least 5.

The process itself looks like this:

• burned atlas squares along the edges, fold in half in the center;
• place the resulting triangle with the top toward you, pull the corners down so that you get a rhombus;
• bend the corners of the resulting figure left and right inside out so that they touch in the center, secure with pins or tweezers;
• fold the workpiece in half with closed angles inward, cut off the lower edge;
• singe the raw parts with fire, squeeze with tweezers, the petal is ready.

The simplest and most elegant bows are obtained from a narrow ribbon 0.5 cm wide. Use of blanks of contrasting colors - white and pink, red and blue, yellow and green - will give decorativeness to the product. Of the tapes of each shade, 8 segments of 80 mm, 8 of 70 mm, 8 of 60 mm are cut. Segments of the same size are stacked together, soldered at the ends, in contrasting combinations it is better to place the darker one below. The connection occurs in loops, one edge overlaps the other, is processed by fire, and is cauterized.

In this technique, all the petals are made. Assembly is carried out immediately on the basis of felt in tiers, from longer to shorter. A bead is glued into the center.

New Year's children’s snowflakes bows made using the kanzashi technique will decorate the festive outfit of any young princess. They can be pinned in the form of a brooch, made on an elastic band or hair clip. For the manufacture of the original product will require the following materials:

• satin ribbon 1.2 × 12 cm of a milk shade, 5 × 10.5 cm white and red - 2 segments each;
• decorative mesh 2.5 × 10.5 cm - 2 pcs. each color;
• green atlas - 21 blanks measuring 5 × 5 cm;
• golden brocade - 14 squares 2.5 × 2.5 cm;
• track of green translucent lace 16 cm long and 2 cm wide;
• Christmas themed cabochon - snowman, Santa Claus, snowflake.

Step-by-step instructions for making bows consists of several actions.

1. To create the base of the bow, you need to combine wide satin ribbons of 5 × 10 cm with a decorative mesh in contrasting color. Narrower material is centered. The ends of the tapes are combined, bending in half with the front side outward, fixed, singeing with fire. The action is repeated for all 4 parts. You should get 2 red volumetric loops with white lace and 2 contrasting ones.
2. For assembly, a glue gun is used. The edges of the details of the bows, folded by the singed side to the center, are fastened together. Enough 2 drops of hot melt adhesive for each part. You can also use a needle with a thread.
3. At the junction at the center, a narrow white tape of several turns is fixed with glue, each layer is fixed separately. It will hide the scorched edges and become the basis for fixing the felt base, decorative cabochon. You need to wind it so that the trim of the edge of the ribbon is from the inside of the product.
4. Green satin squares fold diagonally 2 times. The obtained blanks connect the ends at a wide base, singe them. Then the lower part is cut off, getting a "petal-boat", equally wide along the entire length. Billets in the amount of 21 pcs. connected in twigs by 3. Secure with fire at the base.
5. Brocade squares are turned into blanks using the same technique as green satin. The obtained elements must be glued into the gaps of the "branches" of green color, between them. Then collect all the details in a “snowflake”.
6. On the underside of the bow, a felt base circle is glued to a thin satin ribbon. You need to use a thermal gun. On top of the front side is attached a green snowflake.
7. From “green lace” they form a “cloud” - a rounded cabochon underlay. A New Year symbol is glued on it. It remains only to fix it on top of an elegant snowflake and choose a mount with a base for an elastic or clip.

In order to fix the finished kanzashi bow on the basis, you can use different techniques. To begin with, you will have to make a circle from felt - this material is sold in A4 sheets. Depending on the size of the bow, the diameter of the circle should be between 20 and 40 mm. The same circle is fixed on the back of the product itself after it is assembled.

In the center of the prepared part, 2 slots with a length of 7 mm are created. A narrow satin or rep ribbon is threaded through them so that a small loop remains on the outside. If the product is attached to an elastic band, it is threaded inward in advance, and the cuts are arranged in parallel through 0.5 cm. Then the edges of the tape are displayed on the back side of the circle, the elastic band is glued to felt for greater reliability. The edges of the satin stripes are cut to the diameter of the circle, fixed with a thermal gun.

If you need to make a multifunctional mounting option, use a combination of felt circle and rectangle. It is considered universal, suitable for the manufacture of elegant clips, rubber bands. The felt rectangle in this case is first fixed on the fastener by the adhesive method. Then it is applied to the circle and the edges are “soldered” with a thermogun. Excess material is cut to the edge.

If you want the mount to be suitable for both the rim and the clamp, use a different fixing method. For him, you will need a regular linen elastic and a felt circle. At the base, 4 slots are made - in pairs on each side. Pieces of gum are inserted into them, its edges are fixed with glue.

Here are some examples of using the kanzashi technique for bow decoration.

• Original bows for school - You can make an elegant snow-white or contrasting option for everyday use.

• Simple rep ribbon bows for preschool girls. Cabochons repeat the print of the basics, such a fruit and berry solution is perfect for the summer season.

• Classic white and blue polka dot bows with elastic. They are made of rep ribbon, hold their shape well, look neat and stylish. The original middle buckle serves as an additional decoration, gives the composition harmony and a finished look.

See how to make a bow using the kanzashi technique in the next video.