Kawaii: Cute Japanese Style Crafts

I first became obsessed with Japanese style (if you don't include my childhood love of Hello Kitty) when I came across a copy of Fruits, Shoichi Aoki's photographic study of Tokyo street style, which focused on young people in the Harajuku district.  (You might have also heard about Harajuku if you listened to Gwen Stefani's first album, Love, Angel, Music, Baby. Her song "Harajuku Girls" is where I first encountered the word kawaii - "'Cause it's super kawaii, that means super cute in Japanese!") I found these fresh & funky fashions amusing & delightful, & I became a dedicated follower of all things kawaii & Japanese style.  Happily, there are items in the ABC Libraries' catalog to meet my needs!

Some examples of Japanese (crafting) style:

Furoshiki Fabric Wraps: Simple-Reusable-Beautiful by Pixeladies

Omiyage: Handmade Gifts from Fabric in the Japanese Tradition by Kumiko Sudo

Temari: How to Make Japanese Thread Balls by Diana Vandervoort

A Japanese Touch for the Seasons by Kunio Ekiguchi and Ruth S. McCreery

Japan Crafts Sourcebook: A Guide to Today's Traditional Handmade Objects by Japan Craft Forum

The Beginner's Guide to Braiding: The Craft of Kumihimo by Jacqui Carey

Simple Modern Sewing: 8 Basic Patterns to Create 25 Favorite Garments by Shufu to Seikatsusha

Cut-Up Couture by Koko Yamase


Some examples of kawaii, mostly in crafting:

Hello Please!: Very Helpful and Super Kawaii Characters from Japan by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amigurumi by June Gilbank.

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts- Fuzzy Felted Friends by Saori Yamazaki

Stitchy Kitty Fuzzy Puppy: 60 Motifs to Stitch Everywhere by Ayako Otsuka

Fleece Dog by Nobuko Nagakubo

Amigurumi Toy Box by Ana Paula Rímoli

Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat by Kaori Tsutaya

Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi: More than 40 Itty-Bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, and Give by Anna Hrachovec

Happy Gloves: Charming Softy Friends Made from Colorful Gloves by Miyako Kanamori

Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves by Miyako Kanamori


Not Japanese, but totally cute!

Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines by Sally Muir and Joanne Osborne

Stupid Sock Creatures: Making Quirky, Lovable Figures from Cast-Off Socks by John Murphy