Kimono Paper Craft Pattern

This is a pattern I created for a kimono for artist trading cards [ACEO], collage, hand-made card making, ornaments, embellishments and other paper crafting.  This design is free for your personal use: no re-selling this pattern or commercial use is permitted.  The scale of the pattern is for standard artist trading card size at 2.5″ x 3.5″.

Complete pattern [right click & “Save image as…”]

STEPS TO ASSEMBLE:

1. Print out the pattern above. It should print to 2.5″ x 3.5 [outer dimensions].  It helps to use a heavier paper like cardstock for the template.  Cut out the pattern pieces.
2. Trace the cut out pieces in light pencil onto your papers. Cut out all of the shapes.  I recommend three papers for the design [collar: paper A, kimono: paper B, Obi: paper C].  Origami and patterned papers look great.  Thing about hand-made and hand-painted papers.
3. Fold the collar down viewer’s right over left at sharp angles.  The bottom points should overlap. Tack the bottom edge of the collar flaps in place with a little adhesive.  I like glue stick for this project on lighter papers, rubber cement for heavier papers or many layers.
4. If you want extra layers on the obi, put them on now.  It helps to wrap them around the rectangle obi shape to keep them in place.
5. Paste the obi to the right side [top] layer of the kimono.  Put some glue stick on the inside edge [overlap] and use the obi to get the width of the kimono [left and right] the size of the obi belt.  The top will strongly overlap the lower [left] layer. If the obi seems short, you need to overlap the layers more.
6. Paste the collar into the opening at the neck of the kimono.
7. Center the kimono body on your ATC or other project.  I place the sleeves and body of the kimono into position before I glue them down.  For an ATC, the center of the collar should be about 1.25″ [centered left to right} and 0.25″ from the top.  A light pencil line across the top may help you keep the kimono and sleeves lines up nicely.  You want the sides of the kimono to be parallel to the edges of the ATC.  The sleeves should tip at a slight angle, leaving a gap between the body and the inner edges of the sleeves.  Be careful as you glue everything in place.

SOME TIPS:

1. Keep the cut out pieces in a small dish so they cannot get lost or fall to the floor.
2. Erase pencil lines on the inside of the collar shape and if the paper is thin or translucent enough for the pencil lines to show through.
3. Label the pattern pieces on the back so they stay in order.  Also note the the bottoms of the sleeves have soft, rounded corners.
4. Hold the cut out pieces of the template against your patterned paper and hold them up to a light source to find the best sections of paper to use.
5. Use a background paper that does not compete with the final design.
6. If you are struggling to line up the parts paste the body and sleeves on a thin piece of paper and align the whole kimono with a pencil line drawn across the top.
7. I measured the height of mine at 2 7/8 inches [7.3 cm] and the width at 2 3/8 inches [6 cm].  You can flex the size to fit on an ATC.

That’s everything!  Now you can make your own tiny paper kimonos.  Here is an illustration of the paper pieces as they will be arranged in your final art work.

Related: Japanese Kimonos 1915 – 1940

* The collar part folds over a bit messy.  The parts do not line up perfectly; it is just enough to give you an impression of the collar of a second kimono under the main one and overlap at the bottom like this:

Also here is a full page .jpeg image to better see the instructions and also if you want to shrink it down for applique quilting, artist post cards, etc.