Crafty things: Making Kanzashi
Hello, as I have been laying off painting my nails for a while now in a bid to get them back to health I have been looking for other creative pursuits 
I have no idea where I first heard about Kanzashi I just knew it was something I had to attempt as I have fallen in love with some amazing Kanzashi pieces on Etsy.
Kanzashi is the Japanese art of folding small fabric (traditionally silk) squares into petals to form a flower. These flowers are used to adorn the hair of geisha’s and are symbol of her status.
If you want to know more about Kanzashi and its origins click ***here*** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanzashi
Here are some examples of beautiful Kanzashi:
(Amazing Kanzashi by Atelier Kanawa on etsy)
When looking for tutorials on how to make Kanzashi I found this one http://www.mookychick.co.uk/how-to/diy-arts-and-crafts/kanzashi_tutorial.php really clear and helpful.
After figuring out how to do the basic rounded petal technique it I happily skipped to my local fabric shop and got LOTS of lovely fabrics:
And this is my first attempt….I was not too happy with this one but my mum liked it so I made it into a brooch for her 
Second attempt (the small one) a hair clip and third attempt I put on a hairband and wear all the time
And this is my latest one I made at the weekend. I love it but its massive and doesn’t quite look right on any of the hairbands I have.
I just got this book from Amazon and cant wait to learn more Kanzashi techniques
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kanzashi-Bloom-Fold-Sew-Projects/dp/0823084817
£10.09 from amazon
Are any of you fans of Kanzashi? Do you get crafty on a regular basis?
Marina
xo
Guest blog by Marina http://www.forevertheuglyduckling.com