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taeliac — Tutorial: Make your own hakama

Published: 2009-01-28 23:24:53 +0000 UTC; Views: 112549; Favourites: 1531; Downloads: 19626
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Description If you are having problems still with this PDF, I'm sorry that there isn't anything more I can do to help - yes, it is an absolutely huge file to download, because it is full of photographs of many of the steps. Be patient.


You need Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar to view this PDF
Also! This is a big file (almost 40mg) compressing it was causing problems with it being downloaded, so I'm reuploading it without any compression~

Please, if you make something with this tutorial (or any of my other one's), send me a link to it - I really want to see it!

OMFG. Okay, I've been working on this on and off for the past week, and really wanted to get it posted before I leave for the weekend. Not to mention, it has been my most requested tutorial, too. And, I have to say, I'm very happy with it.

Just like my kimono pattern tutorial , this is my methodology for creating (fake) hakama for cosplay purposes.

The pictures for this were taken while I was working on my Mai from Avatar: The Last Airbender commission , and that is where I got the methodology down.

It is long, and you do have to do math. Read through the whole tutorial first, before attempting to make it, so you understand the points.

As with all of my tutorials, they're wordy, because I want you to understand everything that you are doing. I abhor tutorials that are "and then do this, and then do this, and then this, and then you're done," especially for things that are sewing based off of measurements. You need to understand what you are doing.

This also may be more advanced than some peoples sewing skills are at, I would tag this as a "MEDIUM" tutorial, in terms of difficulty. You need to know how to hem something, press something, and what words like "seam allowance" mean.

These are not historically or Kendo accurate hakama, so there is no need to point that out to me in a comment - I know, that's why the word "fake" is on the preview image!

If you do want to make more historically accurate hakama, Folkwear has a hakama pattern available, just do a google search for it. These are meant to be more dramatic and stylized for cosplay purposes, because for many applications, traditional hakama are no where near as full as they should be.

There are two different styles described in this tutorial - ones that have elastic in a waistband for comfort, and where the hakama aren't going to be seen, and ones that have side slits and ties to close them, so they look more accurate to traditional hakama (they do not, however, have a backboard - you're going to have to figure that one out on your own if you want to add one)

I would ask that you do not sell anything you make with this tutorial~

I know that there isn't any way to enforce this, but if I do see this happening, it's going to keep me from writing or making other one's, or even deleting what I have done already, okay?

I'm appealing to your conscience.

© 2009 Samantha Lemieux/Taeliac Studio
Do not edit in any way, repost or redistribute without permission. DO NOT STEAL!
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Comments: 189

chasingbutterfly [2011-04-17 08:58:33 +0000 UTC]

Supercool! I love having instructions for making this kind of thing because it is either impossible to find or too expensive pre made. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm going to download the kimono tutorial too, wish I could afford the fabric right now...lol.

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ZaxaRyah [2011-03-29 07:04:53 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic. I was just looking at this other tutorial, but it had two sets of directions (that didn't seem to follow each other), and the English got worse as the directions went on.

I'll try this out and let you know how it turns out

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Otakuzilla [2011-02-07 20:23:42 +0000 UTC]

used this and the kimono tutorials to make my shinigami Bleach cosplay ^.^ it really helped, thank you!!
And it's not quite as hard as it looks XD

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VickyAngel [2011-01-30 16:42:19 +0000 UTC]

I'm making these hakama for a Menoly Mallia cosplay, it's really easy to follow so far I'll post pictures once it's done~

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jynxwolfe In reply to ??? [2011-01-20 22:00:50 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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emo-luxun-zai [2010-12-08 16:59:52 +0000 UTC]

well...urhh...sorry~i totally forgoten that u wrote there u want use to show u our work after using ur tutorial >
here is my group
[link]
all 3 of us used your tutorial
well sorry the picture didnt show the hakama much = =
but your tutorial saved us because i couldnt find a perfect tutorial..i must thank you and our group have gone successful ~
will be looking forward to see more of your helpful tutorial

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simpuruu-hime In reply to ??? [2010-11-14 07:17:05 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for taking the time to make this tutorial
Now (with my limited sewing skills) I shall attempt to make this for my cosplay.

I have no idea if you'll reply to this question but,
Do you think I can do this by hand?

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taeliac In reply to simpuruu-hime [2010-11-14 17:31:45 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, I'm always happy to help! And, you caught me on a good day, I'm trying to get dA back under control

I think you could do this all by hand - it's almost completely straight lines and the like, I actually think it would be an easy beginner-ish project to do that way :3 If you get stuck on anything, tho, just lemme know and I'll do my best to help!

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simpuruu-hime In reply to taeliac [2010-11-15 07:04:42 +0000 UTC]

Ooh lucky me ^^
Thank you once again. I'll be sure to ask you if I encounter any problems

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simpuruu-hime In reply to simpuruu-hime [2011-01-22 12:20:52 +0000 UTC]

I finally got around to making it ^^
Here are some pics: [link]

Considering the fact that I know nothing about sewing techniques/words/whatever (and had to google them), it seems I did pretty well. I think the tutorial was fairly easy to follow for a beginner. But sometimes I got confused as to what I was meant to do, overall I think that it's a great tutorial.

Thanks again.

P.S. If you ever get the time to, I'd love to hear your opinion on how well I did.

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Bou-Is-Love In reply to ??? [2010-11-01 04:27:00 +0000 UTC]

I haven't downloaded this yet.
I'm new to sewing, so I'm favoring some tutorials that I might want to try once I get comfortable.
I'll leave another comment once I try

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

taeliac In reply to Bou-Is-Love [2010-11-14 17:32:30 +0000 UTC]

Ooh! You should definitely try this if you're new - it's pretty simple compared to some of the stuff you normally do with sewing - most of the lines are straight, which makes it even easier :3

If you do get stuck with it, or any sewing projects, feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to help you out!

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Bou-Is-Love In reply to taeliac [2010-11-23 00:59:51 +0000 UTC]

Thank You

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vasooki [2010-10-02 19:27:43 +0000 UTC]

I LOVE YOU! I'm making a Hichigo cosplay for my little brother, and I couldn't find a way to make children's hakama anywhere. Now I can just edit numbers.

You win the universe.

And have made an 8 year old very happy that he can be Hichigo for halloween.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

taeliac In reply to vasooki [2010-11-14 17:33:21 +0000 UTC]

Yes!! It really is just that easy - isn't it silly that it's so hard to find things like that sometimes? (I had a heck of a time making a costume for my 10 year old cousin a few years ago, because there were no good patterns out there, either XP)

I'm always happy to help!! I hope he loved the outfit!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

vasooki In reply to taeliac [2010-11-19 03:37:38 +0000 UTC]

I finished making them (Actually, a while ago) and they were so simple. Your instructions were awesome!!

He loved the outfit. Even though no one knew who he was, he enjoyed every minute. xD

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NotaSouthernGirl [2010-09-30 20:38:30 +0000 UTC]

well, i hould have looked through your tuts before asking in the other about hakamas... :must have eaten a brain worm for breakfast: so.. ummm.. yea... i will now attempt to DL the tut. :feels very stupid:

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taeliac In reply to NotaSouthernGirl [2010-11-14 17:33:43 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, no worries at all :3 I know how it goes (hence the super-late-reply to comments XP)

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mori-miko In reply to ??? [2010-09-20 02:31:16 +0000 UTC]

thanks so much for both this and the kimono tutorial. I used them to make my Soi Fong outfit. [link]
They were really helpful.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

MidnightOokami In reply to ??? [2010-08-06 08:40:08 +0000 UTC]

Really wanna make my own pair for my cosplay.. Great tutorial, only wish I had the skill. Would be much cheaper than trying to find a dirt cheap pair somewhere *sigh* Still, it was wonderful of you to create this tut.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

taeliac In reply to MidnightOokami [2010-11-14 17:34:32 +0000 UTC]

I know this is super late from the comment, but you should totally try! They are surprisingly easy to make - they're pretty basic sewing, and the hardest part of them is the pressing for the pleats :3 It's a good learning experience!

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rubyspitfire In reply to ??? [2010-08-05 07:50:45 +0000 UTC]

these are so EASY to make! thanks!

[link]
[link]

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Woofie-chan [2010-08-03 16:46:24 +0000 UTC]

u almost made these exacly like how you would make real ones. But you really dont need the elastic the front and back thread ... thingys... waist ties... are enough to hold them up STRONG ... I actually have trouble breathing in Iaido when i tie them to hard.
I make hakamas for fun and sell them where i live and i participate in a Japanese Fencing class. Is how i know But i really enjoyed your turtorial ^^

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La-Vie-en-Rose [2010-07-28 07:46:58 +0000 UTC]

How many yards of fabric do I need for this? I'm poor and don't want to end up spending more money than I need to D:

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FantasyStock [2010-07-23 21:41:20 +0000 UTC]

This tutorial is featured in "Costume Design 101 " for Costume Week.

Thank you for sharing your design techniques with the community!

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kittylyoko [2010-07-05 19:01:31 +0000 UTC]

i want to try it but the page isn`t downloading

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taeliac In reply to kittylyoko [2010-07-13 20:59:35 +0000 UTC]

Really?! I'll see if it has something to do with the new version of DeviantArt, it was working a few weeks ago

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kittylyoko In reply to taeliac [2010-07-14 09:24:23 +0000 UTC]

might just be my computer being grumpy

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alliaxandromeda In reply to ??? [2010-06-28 18:40:04 +0000 UTC]

So does this make a skirt hakama or trousers hakama?

Forgive me if that's a stupid question.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

taeliac In reply to alliaxandromeda [2010-06-30 15:54:48 +0000 UTC]

No problem! There are instructions for doing both split and unsplit (pant and skirt) hakama in the PDF

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alliaxandromeda In reply to taeliac [2010-07-06 19:59:26 +0000 UTC]

Also, I don't know if this has been asked already, but what fabric do you recommend for making a hakama out of?

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taeliac In reply to alliaxandromeda [2010-07-08 12:18:38 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, no problem!

Usually, I use either a cotton/poly fabric like broadcloth, because it tends to wrinkle less than a full cotton fabric, or I like to use twill or some other bottomweight like that, or even a polyester suiting, depending on what is available in the color I need~

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aque-mizuhara [2010-06-15 17:39:17 +0000 UTC]

I allowed myself to feature this here: [link]
Hope you won't mind!

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jakito-kun [2010-05-20 16:35:05 +0000 UTC]

Hey, could i ask you something? I had a spanish talk page about cosplay, and im looking for good tutorials to translate. Can I translate yours, and use the photos? I will give you the credit, anyway...

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Melodicanth [2010-04-08 07:37:21 +0000 UTC]

This is too awesome! I'm gonna have to do this sometime!

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taeliac In reply to Melodicanth [2010-04-10 09:13:47 +0000 UTC]

I hope you do! And, I hope it's easy to follow, too

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Melodicanth In reply to taeliac [2010-04-10 09:21:59 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, as far as I'm concerned it's easy to follow. 8D Thanks again!

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SophieLuana [2010-04-07 13:17:35 +0000 UTC]

I've used your tutorial.


I don't have a picture, but I just wanted to say that, you should do it on more languages.

It's a very good tutorial

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taeliac In reply to SophieLuana [2010-04-07 17:18:05 +0000 UTC]

I would love to have it in more languages, but I can only speak/write the one (I suck miserably at languages - I've tried to learn four or five, and just can't seem to do it )

If you know anyone who is willing to translate, though, a lot of tutorials could use the love over at #GlobalTutorials

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daetaine [2010-02-06 21:11:56 +0000 UTC]

I used your tutorial for my nephew's Urahara costume! It was fun to make them so small ^^ I promise I will get a picture with out the coat and post it here but for now, [link]

I used 3, 1 1/2 inch pleats and I tell you for the first time in my life I made a garment start to finish with no road bumps. Your tutorial is super clear and to the point. Thanks so much! I'll post a better pic soon, promise ^^

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Nekochi-Kamitsuki [2010-02-02 03:51:31 +0000 UTC]

got any advice on how to make halibel's hakama from bleach? ^-^

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taeliac In reply to Nekochi-Kamitsuki [2010-02-03 00:39:28 +0000 UTC]

I thought they were pretty much the same as regular hakama - it's her top that is weird! Otherwise, I'm not sure - I haven't looked at a picture in a while of her

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Nekochi-Kamitsuki In reply to taeliac [2010-02-03 06:56:48 +0000 UTC]

thank you anyways ^-^ and i think i may have figured it by using your pattern. i will upload the outfit when its done k ^-^

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OmegaWolfess [2010-01-08 00:10:37 +0000 UTC]

Hey! Finally I can appease my mom with a mother-daughter thing WHLIE getting my cosplay costume ready. lol! GUess I am going to Kamikaze con as a cosplayer again!

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Tiny-Terror94 [2009-11-15 21:34:45 +0000 UTC]

OMG I love you for this!!!

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taeliac In reply to Tiny-Terror94 [2009-11-15 23:06:19 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, I'm just happy to be of help!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Tiny-Terror94 In reply to taeliac [2009-11-15 23:40:29 +0000 UTC]

^_^ I need as much as I can get, Sango and Miroku are still "in the Making" Say you wouldn't happen to know where I could get Faux fur for a Kouga cosplay would yea?

Sorry, bout the questions, we wanted to do an Inuyasha theme next year.

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Perpandicular [2009-11-02 00:30:31 +0000 UTC]

Oohh..This'll be useful!~
Thanks a lot!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

taeliac In reply to Perpandicular [2009-11-06 03:24:56 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, any time! It's really not too bad to do, but so incredibly useful (I just finished making a pair of pseudo hakama this same way )

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DragonDreamer93 [2009-10-23 19:11:12 +0000 UTC]

my measurements are about the same as the ones in the tutorial.
how many yards of cloth did you use? 3 yards?

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