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Patchwork without needle painting. Kinusaiga: learning to create paintings from scraps

Despite the fact that the word “patchwork” sounds unusual for many, they have been doing it for a very long time. It means a unique type of creativity. With its help, you can create beautiful crafts that are useful in the household and usefully get rid of old things that accumulate in piles in every home. The scraps are selected according to the color scheme and sewn together into something whole. This later turns into much more. Patchwork without a needle does not require sewing. At first glance, its technology is simple. Take scraps, make a drawing and create. However, not everything is as easy as it seems.

How was Kinusaiga born?

If simple patchwork was widespread almost everywhere, then patchwork without a needle was invented in Japan. Maeno Takashi did this, and quite recently, in 1987. The purpose of the new creativity was the same as that of ordinary patchwork - to attach old things somewhere. The main clothing of Japanese women has traditionally been kimonos. Beautiful, soft to the touch, made of expensive silk. Of course, even when they’re worn, it’s a shame to throw them away. So they began to create masterpieces from them, the sight of which will take your breath away. They called this patchwork without a needle kinusaiga.

Despite the fact that this type of needlework originated in Japan, even there few people do it. The reason for this is the great painstaking work involved. Paintings are done only by hand. Therefore, each one, even the simplest in plot, becomes a work of art.

Classic kinusaiga

Patchwork without a needle, the master class for which is given below, is essentially not that difficult to do. The process technology is as follows step by step.

1. Take a board.

2. A drawing is selected.

3. This drawing is applied to a board and paper, preferably tracing paper, because it is transparent.

4. Each fragment is numbered. Check if the numbers on the paper and on the board match. They must match.

5. The paper is cut into drawn fragments.

6. Indentations (grooves) are made on the board along all lines. Their depth should be within 2 mm and their width less than 1 mm.

7. Paper fragments are secured to the fabric with something, for example, pins. the right colors and traced with an allowance of a couple of millimeters along each contour.

8. The pieces are cut out and placed according to their numbers on the board.

9. Using any suitable tool, the edges of the scraps are pushed into the grooves.

All. All that remains is to insert the picture into the appropriate frame.

The complexities of Japanese patchwork needlework

You can’t help but wonder, if patchwork without a needle is so simple, why are paintings in this style so expensive? Their cost starts from tens of dollars, and exclusive works cost several thousand. The fact is that good picture, as a rule, contains a lot of tiny fragments. Sometimes their number is more than a hundred. All these scraps are not arranged haphazardly, but as if an artist were painting an oil painting. The tone of the patches is carefully selected to convey magical beauty dawn, the tenderness of cherry blossoms or the beauty of autumn foliage fireworks. This is why real kinusaiga is so difficult. Patchwork without a needle requires a lot of perseverance, care and talent. You can come up with an image yourself, or you can take a ready-made template. But in any case, you need to comply with the combination color ranges, accurately maintain the transition from light to shadow, complete a lot of small details so that the picture “comes to life”.

Where to begin

If your soul has become attached to Japanese patchwork art, but you don’t have any experience or confidence yet, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is there is a desire. Kinusaiga for beginners also exists. Its technology is the same as for experienced craftsmen. The only difference is the composition of the drawing. It is advisable to first choose simple circuits, in which there are few fragments and there is no great need to maintain tones and halftones. In this case, images of animals, for example, a rooster or a parrot, are very suitable. Here you can pick up any scraps, and don’t worry if they don’t fit well somewhere. The main thing is to fill your hand.

You can also recommend making a fly agaric. As they say, simple and tasteful. To make the task easier, it is better to make the red part of the cap not whole, but to break it into several fragments.

Also suitable for beginners are those consisting of geometric shapes- squares, triangles, circles. If you choose the colors well, it will turn out beautiful. Some people like this style even more than classical realism.

Plank substitutes

The more Kinusaiga conquers the world, the more new ideas appear in it. One of the latest is a patchwork without a needle on polystyrene foam. Carving even a simple design on wood is quite difficult. This requires special tools and carving skills. Polystyrene foam is an ideal alternative. The only thing you need to remember is that it is fragile and breaks easily. That's why ready product you will have to attach everything to the same board or to thick cardboard. In addition to polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam is excellent, its texture is more durable. This kind of kinusaiga is extremely convenient for beginners, because polystyrene foam and polystyrene are cheap, and you can train on them as much as you like. Both materials are sold in any hardware store or market. Ceiling tiles without three-dimensional patterns are suitable. At home, they can be cut out in the shape of the future painting using ordinary scissors or a knife. The further technology is the same as with the board.

Volumetric patchwork without a needle

The classic kinusaiga is very beautiful and arouses only admiration. But the inquisitive minds of the craftswomen come up with more and more new variations of it. So, in order to give volume and realism to the images, they began to insert not only the edges of the patches, but also pieces of lace into the grooves. This improvement looks especially beautiful in paintings depicting ladies or children. The angle is chosen such that the face is not visible. The main emphasis is on creating lush frills, ribbons and bows on hats and garters.

Those who use other materials together with fabrics, such as gilded or simple threads, have gone even further. Also, some craftsmen attach beads, rhinestones or beads to a picture already assembled from scraps. More often, such elements are added in children's themes or for decoration. New Year's toys, caskets, gift boxes.

Christmas decorations in the style of Kinusaiga

Using Japanese technology, you can create any objects whose use does not involve mechanical deformation, for example, during a game. Thus, craftswomen use patchwork without a needle for Christmas tree decorations, Easter eggs, gifts for Valentine’s Day and other cute little things. To make any of them, the same foam plastic is taken, only not ceiling tiles, but pieces of thick slabs. Blanks of the desired shape are cut from them. These can be balls, hearts, cones, or any others. If there is no slab of the required thickness, the workpiece can be glued together from fragments. Further work is carried out according to the general principle. Craftswomen for round balls advise using stretch, knitwear or velvet, because these fabrics fit better on the bulges. Some craftsmen glue the shreds to the foam to make them stick better. Such crafts, decorated with gold threads, “snow” made of the same foam plastic, or finely chopped rain, look very beautiful.

Caskets and boxes

To make a beautiful box or gift box, patchwork without a needle is also ideal. Schemes for these products are selected depending on the purpose of the product. If you plan to store jewelry in the box, you can choose a design with an elegant lady or some women's accessory, for example, a hat. If the box will be used for children's little things, a drawing with a funny animal will do. But more often images of flowers are used for decoration. To simplify the task, it is better to take the most ordinary cardboard box suitable size. Cut out rectangles from polystyrene foam corresponding to its sides. If you plan to decorate only the lid, simply cover the remaining sides with matching fabric. You can pre-glue thin foam rubber to the cardboard. Next, the intended kinusaiga is made on the central piece of polystyrene foam, attached to the lid of the box, and the box is ready. To make it look beautiful around the edges, they are decorated with ribbon or braid.

The kinusaiga technique may seem difficult for beginning craftswomen, especially if the edges of the patches do not want to stay in the grooves. Some people try to glue them, but this worsens the final result. It is better to try to make the grooves a little narrower and a little deeper.

When choosing the exposure of a future painting, it is advisable to avoid complex, too fancy forms. Masters more often create landscape compositions or “paint” city blocks, houses and courtyards with scraps. You can rarely see flowers in paintings. Even rarer are people, especially faces. After all, it’s almost impossible to make a face made from scraps look like it’s alive.

In order not to make a mistake and not to confuse the scraps, before you start pushing them into the grooves, you need to visually evaluate the future picture, because the pieces of fabric are already laid out on the board.

Is it possible to work with fabric without a needle and create delightful panels from pieces? Yes, such art was invented many centuries ago.

It’s easy to guess from the name that the kinusaiga technique came to us from the East. Like all Japanese forms of creativity, kinusaiga amazes with its originality, brightness and many ideas that can be realized using simple techniques. Paintings made from scraps have already conquered European needlewomen. But not many people know how to practically make a panel from pieces of fabric without using threads or needles.

History of art kinusaiga

Like the classic one, Japanese technology Kunusaiga is the result of saving. Initially, the main material for patchwork “painting” on wood was the remains of silk from a worn kimono.

Traditional Japanese clothing has long been made from the most expensive fabric a family could afford. So just throw it away old thing no one raised their hand. After the kimono wore out, it was recut into smaller items for everyday use, and the remaining small scraps were used to make paintings to decorate the home.

The basis for wall panels made using the kinusaiga method were wooden planks. The craftsmen drew a sketch on paper and copied it onto the board. After this, slits were made along the contour of the future painting, into which silk shreds were tucked. Thus, from small pieces of different colors, three-dimensional objects were obtained that grew into paintings of extraordinary beauty.

Most often, the Japanese depicted landscapes or intricate geometric patterns on their canvases. The amount of small details, skillful combination of colors, smooth transitions from one shade to another. Skilled craftsmen created canvases that looked more like paintings and even photographs than a painting from “ waste material».

Modern patchwork without a needle

European patchwork without a needle, or the kinusaiga technique, has its own distinctive features:

  • applied nature of products. Modern needlewomen create not only wall panels, but also decorate boxes, key holders, boxes, Christmas tree decorations, etc. in this way;
  • various types of fabrics. In addition to traditional silk, cotton and linen fabrics, thin fleece, velvet. This allows you to make things more textured and interesting;
  • additional decorative elements. If ancient Japanese paintings showed nothing but scraps of fabric, modern masters handmade decided that various ribbons, lace, and beads would add charm to the finished products.

Basic principles of work in Japanese technology

Kinusaiga's performance technique has not changed over many centuries. Pre-cut pieces of fabric are placed on a flat backing or three-dimensional object. And their edges are tucked into special slots (grooves). As a result of the combination of pieces different color and shape, an original plot or pattern emerges.

What you need for needlework

Necessary materials:

  1. Foam blanks. For paintings, panels, and box lids, use sheet foam. This could be packaging from household appliances, cut into layers 1-1.5 cm thick. if you are planning to make New Year's ball, valentine, easter decor using the kinusaiga technique, purchase special foam plastic figures at a craft store.
  2. Fabrics. The more fabrics of different textures and colors you manage to collect, the more varied your future works will be. You don’t have to immediately run to the store and buy dozens of cuts. If you are just at the beginning of the “patchwork journey”, just open the closet and do an audit. This way you will kill two birds with one stone - make room for new things and get a huge stack of material for creativity.
  3. Ribbons and braid of any width, decorative cords, lace, buttons. If you are already into other handicrafts, then all these elements are probably present in your box. If this is your first work, then look around again and see a lot of little things that will be useful when decorating your future masterpiece.
  4. Scissors. They must be sharp so that the cut pieces crumble as little as possible.
  5. PVA glue for gluing fabric to the base for kinusaiga.
  6. A pencil or thin marker for drawing a design on the foam.
  7. Fabric marker or sewing chalk to create the outline of future scraps.
  8. A utility knife to make slits in the foam;
  9. Copy paper.
  10. A stack (or something similar) that you will use to tuck the edges of the fabric.

How to make the first panel

When all the tools are prepared, you can begin to create paintings using the Kinusaiga technique.

  1. The first step is to decide on the idea of ​​the future product. Easier to navigate by photos finished works, schematic drawings. You can make a sketch yourself. To do this, you need to choose any picture you like (to begin with, it’s better if it’s not too saturated), transfer it to paper and draw it with lines, which will be the boundaries of the multi-colored patches.
  2. After the sketch is transferred to paper, schematically indicate on it all the shades used. Identical colors can be marked with numbers or icons. Don't try to save time by skipping this step. If the shades are mixed up during the work, the rework will take much more minutes.
  3. Using carbon paper, transfer the outline of the design onto the foam base.
  4. Carefully make slits 3-4 mm deep using a stationery knife. Try to follow the contour clearly, otherwise the future drawing will also look uneven. The basis for the kinusaiga is ready.
  5. At the next stage, return to the sketch again. Cut it into pieces.
  6. Place each piece of paper on the fabric according to the numbers marked, trace it with a marker and cut it out, leaving an allowance of 2-3 mm along the entire contour.
  7. Proceed to the main and most exciting operation. Take one piece of paper, apply it to the desired area on the foam and tuck the edges into the cut out outline. Do this operation with all the pieces.
  8. If you want the design to be slightly voluminous, you can use filler. Ordinary cotton pads or thin padding polyester are best suited for this purpose. Place them in one layer under the elements that you want to highlight (for example, the petals of a flower or the outline of an animal or other object).
  9. After all the scraps have found their place, proceed to decorating the finished picture of the kinusaiga. Most often, decorative elements are laid along the same joints of pieces of fabric.
  10. To make the product pleasing to the eye longer, and to keep the shreds more firmly on the backing, each piece can be coated with a little glue before applying.

This is an interesting way of creating paintings and decorating interior items that you can master in one day. The Japanese Kinusaiga technique is suitable for both independent handicrafts and creativity lessons with children. This is a wonderful alternative to the usual knitted patchwork.

The technique is great for those who are on a first-name basis. sewing machine or simply wants to learn a new business. Pick up necessary materials and feel free to start creating!

Kinusaiga is a patchwork without a needle, and patchwork is a technique in which a whole product is made from pieces of fabric. As you may have guessed from the name, Kinusaiga is a Japanese technique like origami and kanzashi. In this article we will look at how to make a painting using the Kinusaiga technique with your own hands. It is worth noting that the fabric must be thin and non-stretchable, for example: silk.

You will need: polystyrene foam, scraps of fabric of various colors, ruler, scissors, glue stick, stationery knife, nail file, carbon paper, felt-tip pen, push pins.

Master Class


The original painting using the Kinusaiga technique is ready! I recommend watching this video!

You will need: a template for a panel, a board, polystyrene foam, scraps of fabric of various colors, a ruler, a simple pencil, scissors, a glue stick, a stationery knife, a nail file, carbon paper.

Master Class


The kitchen panel using the Kinusaiga technique is ready! I recommend watching this video!

You will need: a template for a panel, a board, polystyrene foam, scraps of fabric of various colors, a ruler, scissors, a glue stick, a stationery knife, a nail file, a simple pencil.

Master Class


The panel for the children's room using the Kinusaiga technique is ready! I recommend watching this video!

Kinusaiga schemes

As you understood from previous master classes, all paintings using the Kinusaiga technique are made according to the same principle. The difference between kinusaiga paintings directly depends on the chosen pattern or scheme. If the picture large sizes, contains a huge amount various parts, all kinds of bends - it will be difficult for a beginner to do quality work the first time. Start with the simplest thing, and then move on to the complex process and then everything will work out. Now look through the diagrams for creating delightful masterpieces using the Kinusaiga technique.

Kinusaiga ideas

Using the kinusaiga technique, they not only make paintings and panels, but also decorate boxes, book covers, and even collect Christmas decorations. It is worth noting that you can use paints, felt-tip pens, pencils, add details and fill in the gaps. You can also use padding polyester to add volume and realism to some parts of the picture. And also, be sure to decorate the kinusaiga with decorative elements - beads, beads, sparkles, ribbons... Look through the photo gallery and get inspired by kinusaiga ideas!

If you don’t have fabric or don’t know where to get foam, don’t despair! There are special Kinusaiga sets. They are intended for both beginners and skilled craftsmen. You can purchase them at an office supply store or online store. And this is what they look like.

Fantasize, create your own drawings, think through the design and be better than Japanese needlewomen! Create masterpieces with your own hands and surprise those around you.

You can add variety to your leisure time different ways. One of the options for what to do in free time, can become handicraft. Experienced craftswomen They advise you to try your skills in the fascinating technique of patchwork without a needle, or kinusaiga. This style makes it possible to create original and colorful pictures from scraps without using a needle. The technique is not very complicated, but it is still best to take the first steps in this type of needlework by watching a master class for beginners. A little imagination and free time, and the result will exceed all your expectations.

A little about the history of kinusaiga

The unique art of kinusaiga originated in ancient Japan several centuries ago, but over time it lost its popularity. Only in the 80s of the last century did patchwork without a needle become relevant again and was revived as a form of creativity.

Kinusaiga, like patchwork in its classic form, appeared out of the need to save money.


In ancient times, in the Land of the Rising Sun, poor Japan, no one threw away old worn out kimonos, because natural silk is a very expensive fabric. Therefore, as soon as the kimono wore out, and this happened quite quickly, its owner, not wanting to throw away expensive clothes, ripped it open, and small things were created from large pieces of fabric, and small shreds were used to make unique paintings, the sight of which was simply captivating spirit. They called this patchwork without a needle - kinusaiga. Of course, you can use not only silk, but various other fabrics are suitable for making masterpieces using this technique. And you can master it using detailed instructions and watching the master class.

Before starting work, the master made a sketch of the design on paper, so that he could later depict it on a wooden board. After the drawing was on the board, it was necessary to make slits along its contour, along which the patchwork paintings were made. The process itself was as follows: prepared pieces of material were pierced into the slots made, and then fastened on the wrong side. A painting made using the patchwork technique without a needle or kinusaiga was both woven and quite durable, and from the outside it looked like a real photograph.


Nowadays, needlewomen very rarely use wood. As a rule, paintings are created on sheet foam.

You can use the patchwork technique without a needle or kinusaiga on almost everything. First of all, of course, for a variety of panels and paintings that can be used to decorate the interior of the room. Also, the needleless technique is used to decorate decorative boxes, caskets, book covers and notebooks, postcards, and albums. Kinusaiga has become widespread in the production of toys for Christmas trees, souvenir Easter eggs, Valentine's cards for Valentine's Day, Patchwork without a needle is also used to decorate furniture and lampshades.

Basics of Kinusaiga: master class for beginners

The master class, which is presented a little lower, is actually not that difficult to complete. In order to create your own home masterpiece using the patchwork technique without a needle, you will need to purchase a sheet of foam plastic, prepare pieces of fabric, and also have a sheet of cardboard, a simple pencil, a ruler, PVA glue, a scalpel, a metal spatula with one end must be stupid.

After all the necessary materials and tools have been prepared, we will proceed directly to work. First, glue the foam onto a sheet of cardboard. This is necessary so that our painting does not fall apart during the manufacturing process, and workplace protect from scratches.


We carry a drawing on the foam. Then we very carefully cut along the drawn contour using a scalpel. We coat the pieces of fabric and foam with a thin layer of glue. Next, place the scraps in place and press them very carefully until the glue dries a little. To tuck the pieces of fabric into the slits we made, you can use a metal spatula with a blunt end.

Once the edges of all the scraps have been tucked into the back, you can add some interesting elements to the panel. You can place buttons, rhinestones, beads, sequins on the picture, and glue various appliqués on top of the fabric.

In order for the painting to have a finished look, it is best to place it in a frame, which you can also make yourself.

Master class: Easter egg made in patchwork style without a needle

To make a decorative egg you will need: foam plastic in the shape of an egg, braid, glue, a glue brush, a knife, a metal spatula for placing the material in the slots, scissors.

To begin, measure the egg-shaped foam and draw straight lines on it: one across, one from one end to the other. In places where the stripes intersect, draw lines so that you get triangles of the same size. Then measure the dimensions of the resulting triangles and make patterns for cutting the fabric with an allowance of a few centimeters.


Once the triangles are cut out from the various scraps, take one of them, spread it with glue, and using a spatula, place the triangle in the slots that were made on the foam, stretching the surface of the fabric. Do the same procedure with all other scraps of fabric. If desired, you can decorate the resulting egg with braid by gluing it on top of the scraps.

Advice: this master class can also be used for making Christmas balls and other three-dimensional foam toys.

Kinusaiga schemes for creating paintings


Several exciting ideas for making patchwork-style products without a needle - kinusaiga, master class

Using technologykinusaiga - patchwork without a needleYou can make very colorful panels and decorate boxes. I would like to present you with some inspiration great ideas, as well as a video master class for a visual introduction to the interesting process of working on foam plastic.



It is not difficult to guess that this type of patchwork came to us from the East. Indeed, the Japanese gave this craft many fresh ideas that are still successfully used today. Kinusaiga is the most unusual way to create silk patchwork paintings, which does not require the use of a needle. Let's see how European fans liked it.

The art of creating beauty - kinusaiga

Like the classic patchwork, kinusaiga appeared out of the need to save money. It is known that kimono - traditional Japanese clothing, was made from the best silk fabrics that the owner of the future clothing could afford.

Therefore, when the kimono wore out (and this happened quite quickly), its owner did not want to part with such an expensive item. As a result, the kimono was ripped open, small items were sewn from large flaps, and small scraps were used to create paintings.

Before starting work, the master made a sketch of the drawing on paper in order to later transfer it to a wooden board. When the drawing was on the board, it was necessary to make slits along the contours, along which the patchwork pictures were drawn.

It happened like this: flaps selected by color were pushed into the contour slots and secured on the reverse side. The picture turned out to be both textile and quite dense, and from the outside it looked like a photograph.

Of course, Europeans happily took up the idea of ​​patchwork without using a needle. By the way, now this work is called: kinusaiga - patchwork without a needle. However, Europeans, more practical in everyday affairs than the Japanese, use this technique not just for creating paintings.

Basically, kinusaiga is used to decorate interior items, furniture, and souvenir items. Although the technique came to us quite recently, it has already managed to identify itself as the newest exciting method of inlay in patchwork and win over lovers of traditional patchwork.

Modern kinusaiga is almost no different from its eastern predecessor. The fabrics are also placed on a thick base and the edges are passed through the cut out recesses. However, European craftsmen decided that it would be useful to add decoration to such products with ribbons, ribbons, and lace.

Kinusayga - performance technique

This technique can be used in almost everything. These are, of course, a variety of wall panels and paintings, simple interior items and furniture. Also now kinusaiga is used to create all kinds of boxes, toys, book covers, notebooks, postcards and much more.

Materials required for working with the Kinusaiga technique

If you are interested in this method, then it’s time to find out what materials you may need. For kinusaiga you will need mandatory materials, as well as elements that you can choose at your discretion.
It is best to choose foam plates as the basis for the product. You can, of course, use wooden planks, but obviously foam will lend itself better when cutting out the contours.

Foam plastic plates can be cut out yourself from large pieces that are used for packaging goods. In addition, in specialized stores you can find voluminous bases for products of unusual shapes.

To cut out the contours you will need a regular stationery knife, scissors are needed when cutting fabric, and to secure the fabric on the back side you will need PVA glue.
As for other materials, these include fabrics of various colors and types, as well as any decorative elements. These include ribbons, braid, cords of any color and size and, of course, beads, buttons, beads, rhinestones.

In general, as for the creative part, there are no recommendations here. The main thing is to be able to combine all the elements of decoration so that the end result is a stylish product made with taste.

Technical features of kinusaiga - patchwork without a needle

If you have purchased all the necessary materials and tools, and the idea of ​​​​the future product has already arisen in your imagination, then you can begin to manufacture it. For this technique, it doesn’t matter which product you choose, the actions will always be the same. So, having decided on the product, you should transfer your products to paper, so to speak, draw a sketch.

In the draft version, you can indicate the colors and decoration elements used. Although, if you are confident in your abilities or just like to experiment, then you can do without a sketch.
You should start with the basics. As mentioned earlier, you can make it yourself or purchase it in a store. An image is applied to the base, dividing the product into small sections. Next, slits are made with a utility knife.

The next step is preparing the fabric scraps. I would like to note that while in some patchwork techniques it is recommended to choose fabrics of the same density, here you can combine absolutely any fabric from silk to wool, the main thing is that it looks appropriate. The flaps should be slightly larger than the pieces on the base, as the edges will be tucked into the slits.
When all the elements are prepared, take the first flap, put it in its place, and its edges are tucked into the cut out outline. The same is done with the remaining parts until the base is completely painted.

Then comes the moment of decoration. Usually the product is decorated along the same contours with various ribbons, beads, and rhinestones. It turns out very elegant and beautiful.

There is, of course, a slightly different version of this technique. When using this technique, you will not have to make contour cuts, but you will just need to put the flaps on top of each other, bending the edges.

But for products made using this technique, you will need to make a frame. This is done as follows:

  1. A large piece of fabric is cut out with an addition of about five centimeters on each side.
  2. Then the frame fabric is placed on the table with the wrong side up and the patchwork image is laid out on it.
  3. When the image is ready, slits are made along the edge, into which the set aside 5 centimeters of fabric is inserted.

For the durability of products, fabric flaps or only slits are often coated with glue. To create a relief of the product, you can slip padding polyester or unnecessary shreds under some flaps.
This is an interesting alternative for fans of patchwork without the use of threads and needles. Arm yourself with everything you need and start creating!