Shiny crack – Kintsugi pottery inspires slow fashion
In the third part of our DIY video series on slow fashion, we finally explain the kintsugi technique that inspired all of this. In the first article, you can find out how the philosophy of wabi-sabi - finding beauty in broken objects - inspired the Japanese art of pottery. You will also learn how to repair a pair of ripped jeans in the Kintsugi style. In the second part of the series, you will learn how to darn. A little kintsugi technique creates a funny dot pattern.
Now we turn to the actual technique of the original Kintsugi to repair a torn shirt.
DIY idea for slow fashion: repair with Kintsugi painting
In our third Kintsugi-inspired video and step-by-step DIY guide, we show how easy it is to turn an ugly tear into a beautiful element of a garment.
If a fabric such as cotton, silk or satin is torn, the repair will practically always remain visible. Rather than trying to hide the tear, try to emphasize it in a tribute to kintsugi pottery. In this ancient Japanese technique, skilled craftsmen reassemble broken ceramics, porcelain objects and other pottery with golden lacquer. The crack shines like a beautiful embellishment, transforming it from an ugly flaw to a desirable feature.
Kintsugi for a torn T-shirt – DIY video for slow fashion and step-by-step instructions
What you need:
- Plain T-shirt (or another woven garment)
- Patch tape for ironing on
- Iron
- Golden textile paint (we use 3D paint that is applied directly from the tube)
This is how it works:
1. Cut the patching tape so that the entire tear can be covered with a strip.
2. Turn your T-shirt inside out, place the patch tape on the tear and iron the adhesive in place following the instructions.
3. Turn the T-shirt again and prepare to “paint over the cracks”.
4. Option: Draw the outline of the pattern you want with a pencil, tailor's chalk, washable textile pen or even a bar of soap. If the fabric is quite thin and translucent, you can also draw the pattern on a white sheet of paper and then place it under the fabric so that you can trace it. We found it easier to draw freehand.
5. Try to draw each line in one go to create an even effect.
6. Before washing, be sure to dry the T-shirt thoroughly and heat cure the dye according to the instructions.
7. Wear it with pride!
Even more DIY ideas for slow fashion inspired by Kintsugi
The DIY projects shown above are of course not the only way to transform a damaged, old piece of clothing into a new, beautiful work of art using inspiration from Kintsugi. Here are more DIY ideas in the spirit of slow fashion for repairing tears.
- Instead of 3D paint, you can also apply normal golden textile paint with a brush. This is more like the Japanese kintsugi masters.
- If you are skilled with a needle and thread, you can also repair the tear with golden thread.
- Kintsugi repairs sometimes involve replacing an entire piece of porcelain or clay with a piece of a similar size from another broken vessel. You can achieve this effect by mending the crack with a distinctly different piece of fabric and then trimming the edges with gold paint or decorative seams.
- We have opted for gold in the style of traditional Kintsugi pottery. Of course, you are spoiled for choice, the entire color horizon is open to you!
Image credits:
Image of traditional kintsugi pottery: Shutterstock
DIY
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