Technique Spotlight: Kumihimo Braiding

UPDATE December 2023: Months have passed since I wrote this article, and it is now almost Christmas! It's hard to believe how quickly time passes. Since this was posted, I have made several new videos that help the kumihimo enthusiast further their craft. One teaches you how to shorten your braid end if you need to make it a little shorter to fit into a cord end. The other video shows you how to turn bead caps into cord ends—a very handy thing to know which opens up so many more possibilities on how to finish your braids. 

Featured Video: Troubleshooting: How to Shorten the End of a Kumihimo Braid to Fit into a Cord End

Featured Video: How to Turn Bead Caps into Cord Ends

Finally, there is a new project to check out. It's called the Colorful Garden Kumihimo Bracelet and it uses beautiful Gardanne Beads bead caps as cord ends. 

Original Article:  

Whether kumihimo is a completely new technique to you, or you have been doing it for years, I hope this technique spotlight brings forth some inspiration. When I first heard of kumihimo, I instantly googled it to find out more. It was such a different jewelry making technique than any I had tried before. What resulted from my google search was fascinating! Images and videos of large, standing wooden platform discs with large wood bobbins hanging from them abounded. I would go on to learn that this is a very old traditional braiding technique originating in Japan. I loved the history of it, and once I learned how to do it, I also loved the simplicity of it. The repetition of the overlapping cords is soothing, and if you do it long it enough, it can be utter Zen. I liken it to much of what an experienced knitter or crocheter feels when they are in the “zone” and busily working on their craft. If you are new to kumihimo, we have created a Kumihimo 101 page with all the information you need to get started. A great first video to check out is below. This video will show you how to set up your cords on your disc and how to do the braiding.

Featured Video: How to Make a Simple 8-Warp Kumihimo Braid Bracelet

Once you have learned the basics, you can expand the number of cords you use to 12 or even 24. You can create stripes, clusters, beaded kumihimo and more. You can even switch to a square disc and create flat braids. The possibilities really are endless!

Your basic kumihimo set up will be a disc (sometimes called a plate), some bobbins (at least 8) and a kumihimo weight. We’ve created a bundle to help you get started. Then if you want to add beads, you will want a twisted wire needle to put your cord through and then be able to easily pick up beads.

Adding beads to your braid can change the entire look of a design. You can use seed beads, Czech glass fire polished beads, or other beads that strike your fancy. This is the area of the design where you can really “play” and experiment. Here is a good tutorial on making beaded kumihimo:

Featured Video: How to Braid Beaded Kumihimo and Make a Bracelet

If you would like some additional inspiration, we have created over 40 different kumihimo design projects. These include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and even Christmas ornaments! You will even find projects that have used chain instead of cord to braid with. Here are some of my favorites: