Make Your Own Square Kumihimo Disk From Foam Packaging

Kumihimo is a Japanese art of braiding. You can buy foam disks round and square and learn to braid using them. Rather than buy a square disk used for flat braids you can easily make one from foam packaging. It may be slightly less sturdy than a bought one but is good enough to learn some basic braids.

For this instructable I'm using imperial measurements - inches ("). Please scale and convert if you want to use metric (cm).

Foam packaging (at least 6 inches x 6 inches), 1/2 inch thick

Ruler

Scissors

Craft Knife

Pen

Permanent marker pen

Measure out a 6 inch square on your foam packaging.

Cut our using a craft knife or scissors.

Measure in 1/4" from the side of your square. Now measure in a further 1/2" and make a mark. Keep making marks every 1/2"until you have 10 marks.

Repeat this for all 4 sides of the square.

Now go round your square with a ruler and make each mark 1/2" long

Now using scissors snip along each mark.

Now using a permanent marker pen label your kumihimo square.

1 to 10 along the top, 11 to 20 along the bottom.

A to J down the left hand side, a to j down the right hand side.

Place your ruler along across the disk from E to e. Draw a line from 2 1/4" to 3 3/4"

Now place your ruler across the disk from F to f. Draw a line from 2 1/4" to 3 3/4"

Place your ruler from top to bottom at 4 to 14. Draw a line to form the side of the rectangle.

Place your ruler from top to bottom 7 to 17. Draw a line to complete your rectangle.

Now using your craft knife, scissors and ruler, cut out the centre slot.

Now your square kumihimo disk is ready to use. Try it out with some ratttail satin.