The eastern peoples, in particular the Japanese and Chinese, have a very developed sense of beauty, an aesthetic flair. They not only subtly feel the fleeting fragility and from this even greater value of true beauty, but they themselves try their best to surround themselves with beautiful things, objects, whether these are elements of everyday life or clothing, flora and fauna, works of art, jewelry. Kanzashi, or kanzashi, also belongs to the realm of beauty.
What is Kanzashi
These are all kinds of accessories for creating and maintaining hairstyles. The tradition of using them as hair ornaments originated in the distant 18th century, when fashionable geisha dressed up not only in kimonos, but also made complex hairstyles requiring a large number of combs, hairpins and other “tools”. Then the kanzashi rim appeared. Such jewelry was made from precious wood, precious and ornamental stones, silver and gold, and the most expensive were made from tortoise shells and cranial bones. Kanzashi was decorated with silk and
satin ribbons, flowers and whole floral arrangements, bows, rhinestones and gems. Charming, delicate, these accessories should emphasize the femininity, sophistication of their owners, as well as make it clear about their social status. Nowadays, inexpensive kanzashi: a rim, hairpins, combs, hair sticks are made of plastic or other inexpensive materials. However, in jewelry stores, kanzashi are still common, standing fortunes. And they are still worn with geisha or ordinary Japanese women with kimonos on special occasions.
Kanzashi Bezel
Suppose you yourself decided to try to make the simplest kanzashi-style jewelry - a bezel. What is needed for this? Firstly, the headband itself (in other words, “hoop”) for hair, glass beads - transparent, faceted or imitation under pearls, threads with a needle, fabric glue, elegant silk or satin ribbons of soft shades: green apple, pink, sky -blue, etc., 5 cm wide. Scissors, and also a sample that you will be guided by mastering your kanzashi-rim. In passing, we note: this technique is very effective for creating beautiful, stylish jewelry: earrings and clips, necklaces, etc. But back to the hoop.
- Gently, with an overlap, wrap the hoop with that ribbon, what color of accessory you want to have. On the inside, glue one end of the material and then the other. It is from this moment that we begin the kanzashi-master class: braiding the bezel is the simplest action of the coming.
- The ribbons need to be cut into 5 cm squares and folded so as wrapping paper in origami crafts, folding the flower. That is, each fold into a triangle, then one more time, then glue the two ends, and cut off the top of the third in a circle. You have obtained blanks for flower petals - the main decoration of the hoop. So that the edges of the ribbons do not sprinkle, they need to be treated with a hot match, only so that there are no black tan marks.
- In this way, make as many petals as there are on your sample. Kanzashi-style headbands can be either with one flower, voluminous, or with several smaller ones. But the principle of their assembly is the same. Using glue, the blanks are connected into inflorescences, the center is made of beads - either stick them in or sew them on. Then stick the composition onto the hoop itself.
Are you satisfied with the result? Put on renewal, admire and pick up new patterns for this amazing decoration - kanzashi! By the way, for a start, practice on tissue paper or even napkins, fill your hand - then you will very soon become a real master in this matter. Or make small flowers for invisibility, hairpins - it will come out very cute.