Fold Silk.
Make Beauty.
Learn the Ancient Japanese Art of Tsumami-zaiku.
Tsumami-zaiku is an 18th-century Japanese craft of folding tiny squares of silk into flowers — once worn by Kyoto's geiko and maiko, and cherished for generations. Passed down in our Kyoto workshop for over 80 years, this art is now open to learners around the world.
絹に始まり、絹に終わる — It begins with silk, and ends with silk.
Watch a Free Lesson Explore the Beginner CourseA Flower Folded from Silk —
Born in Edo, Alive in Kyoto
Tsumami-zaiku — literally "pinching craft" — is the Japanese art of folding small squares of silk fabric into delicate flower petals, then composing them into kanzashi (traditional hair ornaments) and seasonal decorations. The technique emerged in the Edo period (18th century) among the women of Kyoto's imperial court, and has been refined ever since by generations of specialist workshops.
Oharibako was founded in Kyoto in the 1940s. For over 80 years, our studio has kept these techniques alive — in the silk flowers we make by hand, and now in the lessons we share with students worldwide.
Small squares of silk,
folded into a living tradition.
Make Something Beautiful Today —
No Sign-up Needed
This Month's Free Project: June — The Silk Hydrangea (Ajisai)
Every month we release a new free tutorial, timed to the season — watch the video, follow the step-by-step guide below, and make your first tsumami-zaiku flower at home. No registration, no strings attached. Scroll down for the written instructions and materials list.
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Next month: the Morning Glory (Asagao) — arriving early July.
How to Make a Silk Hydrangea (Tsumami-zaiku)
The hydrangea — ajisai — is Japan's flower of the early-summer rains, a soft cloud of tiny four-petaled blossoms. In this free beginner's tutorial you'll fold a single silk floret using the most fundamental tsumami-zaiku technique, the round petal (maru-tsumami). No experience and no special skills are needed — just silk, your fingers, and a little patience. Make one floret, then group several together for a full hydrangea bloom.
What You'll Need
- Silk squares, about 2 cm (¾ in) each — four per floret, in hydrangea shades of pale blue, lavender, or soft white
- One white flower stamen (pep) for the center
- Tweezers
- Small, sharp scissors
- Craft glue and a glue board (or a small dish of glue)
- A base to mount your flower onto — ［要設定：土台仕様（ヘアクリップ／ブローチ台等）確定後に差し替え］
Step by Step
- Fold once. Hold one silk square as a diamond. Fold it in half diagonally into a triangle, lining the corners up neatly.
- Fold again. Fold the triangle in half once more, into a smaller triangle.
- Shape the petal. Bring the two outer points down to meet at the base, and pinch the folds together with your tweezers. A soft, rounded petal forms — this is the maru-tsumami, the round fold at the heart of the craft.
- Trim and set. Even the raw edge at the base of the petal with your scissors. Dip that edge lightly into the glue and press the petal onto the glue board. Gently open the back so the petal holds its round shape.
- Repeat. Make four petals in all.
- Arrange. Set the four petals in a circle, their points meeting at the center, and add a small dot of glue where each one sits on your base.
- Finish. Slip a single white stamen into the middle. Your silk hydrangea floret is complete. Make several and cluster them together, and a whole hydrangea blooms in your hands.
That's the beginning of tsumami-zaiku — one folded petal at a time. When you're ready to go further, explore our free tutorials and beginner's course below.
Loved Making That?
Learn the Whole Craft, Step by Step.
This free flower is just the first fold. In the Beginner Course, our Kyoto artisans guide you from your very first petal to finished pieces you've made yourself — 32 lessons, taught in English, with a materials kit shipped to your door.
Start the Beginner CourseNew free flower every month — get an email when the next one blooms →
Free Tutorials —
Try Before You Buy
We believe the best way to understand our teaching is to try it. Below is a growing library of free tutorials — no sign-up, no strings. Watch the quality for yourself, follow along, and learn the core folds of tsumami-zaiku. When you're ready to make complete kanzashi pieces from start to finish, our courses are waiting.
Maru-Tsumami — The Round Petal Fold
The most fundamental fold in tsumami-zaiku. Learn the tweezer angle and hand motion for a softly rounded petal.
Ken-Tsumami — The Pointed Petal Fold
A small change in technique creates a crisp, pointed petal — the perfect contrast to the round fold.
Applying Glue the Right Way
Every petal starts with glue. Learn to use the spatula at the correct angle for a clean, consistent layer.
NO. 04 — ［要設定：4本目（例：単発の季節の花）。今月の花アーカイブ流用可］
One folded petal at a time —
that is how every flower begins.
Everything You Need —
Shipped from Kyoto
Real silk, the right tools, and beginner-friendly kits, chosen by our artisans. Whether you're following a free tutorial or starting a full course, begin with authentic materials — the same fine silk we use in our own work. We ship worldwide.
Shop All SuppliesFeatured collection
Tsumami-zaiku Materials and Tools
21 colors available
16 colors available
25 colors available
Our Courses — From Your First Fold to Classical Kanzashi
Learn step by step, at your own pace, taught entirely in English by Oharibako's Kyoto artisans. Start with the fundamentals and rise through the same path our own craftspeople follow.
The Beginner Course —
Your Complete Foundation
The complete course for absolute beginners. 32 lessons (9 free to preview), taught in English by our Kyoto artisans — from your very first fold to finished pieces you've made yourself. A materials kit is shipped to your door, so you have everything you need to begin.
$399 USD · 32 lessons · materials kit included · 9 free previews
View the Beginner CourseBeginner Course
The complete foundation for absolute beginners. 32 lessons (9 free to preview), from your very first fold to finished pieces you've made yourself. Includes a materials kit.
$399 USD
View the Beginner Course →Intermediate Course
Go beyond the basics — multi-petal flowers, composition, and your first classical kanzashi. Building on the beginner foundation.
See what you'll learn →Advanced Course
Work with fine habutae silk to create seasonal classical kanzashi — the pieces worn for Japan's most important occasions.
See what you'll learn →Meet Your Teachers
Every lesson is taught by working artisans of the Oharibako studio — the same hands that make kanzashi for Kyoto's geiko, maiko, and celebrations across Japan.
Hidemasa Kitai
Master Artisan · Head of Oharibako
Head of the Oharibako workshop in Kyoto. He has spent his life making kanzashi and seasonal silk pieces — and now teaches the same techniques, step by step, to students around the world.
Kaori Kitai
Okami · Studio Hostess
The okami — the heart of the studio. She looks after every student from first fold to finished piece, and is loved by our classes in Japan for her warmth and encouragement.
Prefer to Explore
at Your Own Pace?
Not ready for a full course? An Oharibako membership opens a growing library of standalone technique and project lessons — plus the complete archive of our seasonal monthly flowers, yours to watch anytime.
What you get:
· À la carte lessons — single techniques and small projects
· The full seasonal flower archive — all twelve months
· New lessons added regularly
Structured courses, certification, and materials kits are sold separately.
Notify me when membership opensYour Path — From Your First Fold
to a Kyoto-Certified Instructor
Tsumami-zaiku is not a one-off craft project — it's a tradition with depth. At Oharibako, the lessons we teach are the same ones our own artisans learn, and they lead somewhere real: the authority to create, and one day to teach, this Kyoto craft yourself.
Beginner
Master the fundamental folds and make your first finished kanzashi.
Intermediate
Fabric cutting, assembly techniques, and your first classical kanzashi.
Advanced
Seasonal classical kanzashi in fine habutae silk — four works per season.
Oharibako Instructor Certification
Issued directly by our Kyoto studio, with over 80 years of history. Earn the recognition — and the authority to teach this living tradition to others.
Every path begins with a single fold.
Begin with the Beginner CourseEverything You Need, Right Here
All in One Place
Lessons live right here in our online shop — no external platforms, no extra accounts. Watch, learn, and buy in one place.
English Subtitles
All video lessons include English captions. Turn them on or off as you like.
Any Device
Smartphone, tablet, or computer. Pick up where you left off, any time.
Buy Once, Keep Forever
No subscription. Pay once and return to your lessons as many times as you like.
Paired with a Kit
Each lesson tells you exactly what you need. A curated tool and fabric kit is available in the shop.
A Flower for Every Season —
Twelve Months of Tsumami-zaiku
In Japan, the flowers you wear tell the season. Our free monthly tutorials follow that same rhythm — each new project is timed to the flower's own blooming season, released a little before it appears in nature. January brings the plum, March the cherry blossom, July the morning glory, and so on through the year. Bookmark this page and come back each month, or subscribe below.
Scroll through the year →
Don't Miss the Next Flower
We send one email per month — a short note when the new free tutorial goes live, nothing more.
Contact
Made in Kyoto.
Taught with Care.
Oharibako was established in Kyoto in the 1940s — over 80 years ago — at a time when tsumami-zaiku was still part of everyday life in Japan. Through decades of change in Japanese fashion and culture, we have continued to make kanzashi and seasonal pieces by hand, and to pass the techniques to the next generation of craftspeople.
Our instructors are practicing artisans, not hobbyists who learned from a book. When you study with Oharibako, you are learning a living tradition from the people who have kept it alive.
The Oharibako Instructor Certification — available at the highest level of our curriculum — is issued directly by our Kyoto studio, and carries the weight of that history.
I live far from any class and never imagined I could learn tsumami-zaiku properly. With these lessons I made a finished kanzashi at home — I still can't believe I did it myself.
Being able to show my hands to the teacher and get advice in the moment made all the difference — and I can rewatch any lesson whenever I forget a step.
I'm a complete beginner and not very dexterous, but everything I needed came in the kit, and the steps were so clear I never once felt lost.
You can feel the instructor's warmth in every lesson. For everything you receive, the course is wonderful value.
Made by Our Students
Every piece below was made by a student in our classes in Japan — many of them complete beginners. Soon, by students around the world.
Questions? We Have Answers.
Do I need special tools or materials to get started?
I have never done any craft like this before. Is this course really for beginners?
Where can I buy the materials and tools?
Do I have a time limit to finish the course? Can I watch the lessons again?
Are the videos in English? Are there subtitles?
What payment methods do you accept?
What is your refund policy?
Is there a certificate? What is the Instructor Certification?
絹に始まり、絹に終わるIt begins with silk, and ends with silk.
Your First Flower Is Waiting.
Start with this month's free tutorial and make something with your hands. When you're ready to learn the whole craft — from your first fold to a finished kanzashi — the Beginner Course is here whenever you are.
Start the Beginner Course Watch the Free TutorialSubscribe for Monthly Updates