Category: Games & Apps

Picrew.Me Kimono Avatar Creators part 3

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It’s that time again! I’ve gone through literally hundreds of avatar creators on Picrew.me to bring you ones with kimono! Sadly none of these are kimono-specific, but they all have kimono hidden within their depths, typically with options to customise styles and colours. You can, of course, also use them to make non-kimono avatar, but where’s the fun in that?

If you need instructions on how to use the interface, I have a detailed breakdown in my first Picrew post.

https://picrew.me/image_maker/112551

The yukata in this one is the veeeery last option available, but it's got a bunch of cute patterns! The base is also very customiseable, so it's great if you're like me and enjoy making avatars of yourself.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/296093

A modern art style that I really enjoy. I also appreciate that this particular Picrew was not made by a Japanese creator, but they included reasonably accurate wafuku nonetheless. It also has hanbok, cheong sam, and sari options!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/332867

Neko-musume (catgirl) maker! I like that this one has kimono and haori options, and the little cats paw kamon is just too cute.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/196270

I will say up front, there's only one kimono option with three colours here (this pattern, solid, and white) and the collar is a bit weird. But it makes really cute portraits so I decided to included.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/190588/

A fun androgynous maker! There's only a few patterns of kimono but there are options for wearing it one-shoulder and some over-layers and things that make it a lot more fun.

https://picrew.me/image_maker/28224

A soft almost watercolour style avatar creator. This one is very soothing and pretty, and has both solid and patterned kimono options. It also has kimono worn in a more masculine style, and you can create some fairly androgynous characters with it.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/137904

Another cute one with a wide variety of traditional Eastern clothing. Only a few kimono options, but it let me recreate my actual undercut hairstyle so I'm biased!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/186583

How adorable is this one?! There are only two options, white feminine style and black masculine style, but I couldn't resist including it because it's just so damn cute.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/395214

I cannot express how happy it makes me when I find a Picrew avatar maker that includes hearing aids! This one only has a few kimono options, but the inclusivity absolutely made it worth sharing. Also I really want boba now...
https://picrew.me/image_maker/549603

This one stands out because of the fun, vintage-feeling pixel art style. Again, there are sadly not many kimono options, but I felt that it was unique enough to include.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/579735

Aaaaa! Full body sitting chibi avatar! Cuuuute! In all seriousness though, this contains a variety of colour options for the kimono as well as a hakama ensemble with multiple colour options. And the faces are so expressive!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/1695

This one is listed as a "ninja maker". It's a very simplified little avatar with a very stylised kimonoish outfit. Just included this one because it made me smile.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/45252

This one is technically a "witch" maker, but nobody ever said witches can't wear kimono, right? Bonus points for the really pretty traditional-style background options too.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/177583

Another charming one with a bunch of traditional Eastern clothing options. There are several colour and pattern options for kimono already, and several blank slots so I imagine they're in the process of adding more.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/388945

The faces on this one just make me laugh! Not a lot of options for the kimono itself, but the avatars are really charming.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/399481

There's both casual and wedding kimono for both avatars in this creator and you can change the colours for all of them! It's the first one I've seen that allows for a couple in kimono. Technically it's male and female, but a lot of the options are androgynous enough that I think it would be possible to make a variety of couples.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/165901

This couple is more obviously two women based solely on the outfits. Unfortunately, there's also only these two options for the kimono, but there are plenty of other clothes so you could do yourself in wafuku and your girlfriend (or sister, or bestie) in yofuku, or even the two sides of your own wardrobe!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/166256

Make your own bento lunch! You can choose everything here, from the tabletop to the drink to the garnish on the rice. Playing with it made me incredibly hungry and now I am craving kara-age. Maybe don't check this one out if you're already hungry.

As always, I hope you have fun with these and I’d love to see what you create with them.  😀

Picrew.Me Kimono Avatar Creators part 2

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I know things have been rather quiet here, and I do apologise. I’ve been doing a lot of back-end work, stuff that keeps the site running efficiently, but I realise that while it’s necessary it’s also not very interesting for you guys!

One of the things I did was update last summer’s Picrew Kimono Avatars post so it was responsive and worked on mobile devices. While doing that, I realised it’s one of my most popular and most frequently revisited posts, so I thought maybe it was time to do another one! I promise, there are actual kimono coordinations and some book reviews coming up, but in the meantime I hope you have fun with this. If you’re new to Picrew.me and aren’t sure how the interface works since it’s all in Japanese, there’s an explanation and tutorial in the previous post.

Female Avatars

https://picrew.me/image_maker/5215

This one is utterly adorable! There are lots of customisation options, different kimono and haori, and the watercolour style is so unique. It was also one of the only ones where I was able to give myself some semblance of a buzz cut, and since I like my avatars to look like me it gets extra points for that.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/110764/

A very pretty vintage-looking avatar maker. Both the style of the art and the style of the kimono give this a feeling of timeless nostalgia. There aren't too many options for the kimono; the whole ensemble (kimono, haneri, obi, accessories) are all connected so it's a bit constrained, but there's lots of customisation for the avatar itself.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/185483/

This one feels like a sort of "create your anime girlfriend" thing, to be honest. Something about the art style and expressions just gives me that impression! There are only a couple of kimono options, and you can't change their colours or accessories, but I thought it was charming enough to include it. Also I totally want a frappucino now!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/146912/

Historical-style avatars to be found here! I love the soft, demure art style of this one. There are lots of assorted Heian-style robes, junihitoe, priest's robes, etc. The layering options sometimes conflict with each other but it's worth a bit of fussing with to make something lovely.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/14538/

Another one with only a few kimono options, but the colour combos available and the art style felt unique enough to me that it was worth including it. I feel like avatars created with this one would do the "Ohohoho" noblewoman laugh in an anime XD
https://picrew.me/image_maker/268253/ This isn't a kimono-specific one but I really liked the anime style of it and there are enough kimono options to warrant including it!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/167775/

This is another one that's not kimono-specific, but it's cute! I'm starting to sound like a broken record here. But I wanted to be as thorough as possible for you guys! The face is nice and customiseable, with lots of hair colours and styles too.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/133067/

This one had to be included for the sheer number of awesome oiran and tayuu hairstyle options. There's lots of colour options for the kimono as well, but the hair's really the main draw here.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/252138/

This is just a lovely, elegant lady with a variety of kimono to choose from. The base is relatively customiseable and there are lots of fun traditional accessories too.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/165093

This is a really sweet vintage-feeling full-body creator. I love that there are a bunch of options to combine kimono, obi, and hakama with western-style clothing. There are even belt and corset style options for the obi, if that's the mood you're in! Even the backgrounds have a soft, Taisho feel to them.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/4607/

This is more of a Kitsune maker and only has a few kimono-specific options, but it's so cute I had to share it. You don't need to make a Kitsune, the ears and tails are totally optional, but I couldn't resist!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/262931

Another full-body option, but this time in a much cuter and more modern style. The customisation in this one is pretty great, you can layer three different types of patterns and motifs to create a really individual kimono. Be sure to explore the "colour" options here, as each one changes the pattern, not just the colour!

Male Avatars

https://picrew.me/image_maker/225108/

This avatar creator has a bit of a spirit/fantasy vibe, but subtle. Lots of options, but the end result always feels a bit ethereal and mysterious, which is never a bad thing!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/5135/

Not sure why I made this poor guy look so sad! Maybe it's because he only has two kimono options to choose from... I just really loved the art style and the level of detail in those two available outfits so I thought it was worthwhile to include.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/51747

Oh look, another one that's not kimono-specific! But the poor dudes really don't have anywhere near as many options as the feminine avatars, so I'm including any ones I find that have even one or two kimono.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/150536/

Again, one kimono with a few colour options. However, this one's got some androgynous features and more feminine hairstyles, so if you're looking for something that feels less strictly gendered than the above male and female options, it might be a good choice for you!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/249679

Again, just one kimono, but lots of solid colour options. This one really stands out in the amount of facial customisation; there are options for shading lines around the eyes and under the mouth, different combinations of nose and nostril shapes, etc.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/80783/

This guy's got a bit of a hard-boiled detective vibe. There's a decent selection of kimono, haori, and loosely-tied yukata to play with, as well as a lot of facial customisation.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/280380

I'm including this one because I thought it might be fun for people to create an avatar and then colour/paint it digitally, allowing for basically infinite customisation!

I hope that this table setup works better on mobile devices for you, and that you have lots of fun playing with these avatars while we’re all stuck inside our homes!

H is for Hanafuda

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Hanafuda, 花札, flower cards, traditional playing cards

Did you know that the Nintendo we all know and love started out as a company that made playing cards? Their original product was a set of hanafuda cards! Hanafuda are small, traditional Japanese cards featuring designs of flowers and seasonal motifs. Like our more familiar decks of playing cards, there are lots of different games and variations you can play with hanafuda.  To this day, Nintendo still makes novelty hanafuda sets. So do several other companies in Japan. You can find decks featuring Super Mario Bros, Kirby, beloved movies like Spirited Away, and even a Pokemon set!

However, if you’d like your own free set, I’m here for you. I’ve created a muted, monochrome set based on the original designs but using the colour scheme from this blog I love so much. All you need to do is print out this PDF on heavy-weight card paper (I had blue and white so I used blue for the background side but plain white works just as well). Then glue each card sheet to one background sheet with stick glue, put a heavy weight on them to dry them flat (I used books), and then cut them out after 24 hours or so.

Click here to download the PDF

For game instructions, Wikipedia has your back. Enjoy your new hanafuda deck, and have fun!

Picrew.me Kimono Avatar Creators

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If you’ve spent any time on any large social media platform lately, odds are you’ve seen avatars made using the Picrew.me site. It’s an enormous repository of avatar creators that started in Japan but has since spread worldwide. No matter what kind of avatar you want to create, you can find something for it.

However, it is quite large and a bit overwhelming to browse, especially since the interface and a lot of the creators are all in Japanese. Fear not though, I’ve gone through and found all of the best kimono-themed ones for you to play with, and a few little extras at the bottom!

How to use Picrew.me

If you’re new to Picrew and feeling overwhelmed by all the Japanese text and buttons, don’t fret! The interface is very straightforward, and here’s a little mini-tutorial that will hopefully help you out.

  • 1. Confirm/begin your avatar
  • 2. Scroll through here to see all the options to customise
  • 3. Choose item colour (if applicable – this one isn’t always available)
  • 4. Choose item style
  • 5. Save/complete your avatar
  • 6. Randomise – The first pink button randomises all features, the second pink button randomises the feature you’ve currently selected. The grey button at the bottom cancels all randomisation, the yellow button at the top confirms them.

For organisational purposes, I’ve separated these into female avatars, male avatars, and other things. I realise this gendering isn’t ideal, but the list got overwhelming without it. However, I do encourage you to use whichever avatar creator you like best!

Female Avatars

https://picrew.me/image_maker/15599

This is the most popular one, and for good reason. There's a huge number of customisation options for every single layer. You can change the girl's appearance colours and patterns, add ruffles and textures, insert accesories, you name it. I could easily spend hours playing with this one. Sadly, only "natural" hair colours here, plus one shade of pinkish strawberry-blonde, but there's so many other options that it doesn't bother me too much.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/84345/

This little cutie may not have many character customisations (two skin tones, two hair colours, a couple of eye styles) but the awesome number of kimono and hakama combinations you can do makes her a worthwhile addition to this list. From super traditional to modern and sexy, you can layer different tops, bottoms, and accessories to get a ton of unique styles.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/9889

This particular doll isn't kimono-specific, but there are enough options for me to include her. There's a ton of customisation for the face and hair, multiple kimono you can change the colours of, different hand poses, and other assorted cuteness!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/46794/

A really elegant manga-style avatar. In true manga style there's no colour to this one, only shades of grey, but plenty of face, hair, and kimono options that more than make up for the monochrome aspect. This one is listed as a "monster" maker and so has horns, fangs, etc, but as you can see you can also totally make a human girl.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/35860

Create your own oiran avatar! Sexy and elegant, this one's got a few kimono options, both in a more normal high-collar style and the low, draped collar of the oiran showed here. Creating a unique hairstyle might be the most appealing part of this one.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/16001/

A very simple but very charming little avatar that includes a variety of obi options and haori. The base offers a fair bit of customisation, which is nice. The kimono options aren't super varied, but adding in a haori gives you more opportunities for coordination.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/15557

This Taisho-inspired beauty might be one of my favourites. I love this style of artwork, and the kimono options are fantastic for a vintage fan. Pretty much everything you can come up with using this generator ends up looking like a lovely 1920s advertising poster!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/29910

Here's another one that offers some very Taisho-feeling kimono, but with a more modern art style. The really neat thing about this particular avatar creator is that it uses photos of actual textiles to make the kimono, obi, and haori. It's a really cool feature.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/18630/

This one's a little simpler than some of the previous ones, but super cute. There are options for haneri, kimono, and a few different types of coats.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/20990/

Have you ever wanted to experiment with the many layers of juunihitoe, but didn't want to deal with the expense or hassle? Have no fear, this avatar maker is out to help! There aren't a huge number of options here, but the real draw is playing with all the layered collar combinations you can make.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/48855/

Another elegant one with a kind of vintage vibe. You can't change the hair or eye colour on this one, but you can change the hair style and there are a few options for eye makeup. The main draw, however, is definitely the outfits. Lots of choices for kimono, and separate options for haneri, obi, obiage, obijime, and obidome, mean that you can make tons of different outfits.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/11253/

This one only has a few colour and style options for each section, but it was too cute not to include! There are kimono with and without hakama, as well as some slightly more fantastical and historical options.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/68061

There's no customisation available at all for the base, not even the hairstyle, but there are plenty of cute vintage-style kimono, obi, and haori to layer and play with here. There's also some alternative options for undergarments, like a blouse instead of a juban.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/20934

Bride generator! There isn't much in the way of colour and pattern here; everything is white, red, or black. However there are lots of facial expressions, so you can make your bride anything from sweet and innocent to legitimately monstrous (horns and blood splatter included)!

Male Avatars

https://picrew.me/image_maker/10347/

A very cute, stylised little samurai or ronin guy. Mostly historically-influenced options for both his hairstyles and his outfits, but a fair level of customisation nonetheless.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/24195/

A handsome man in kimono! Need I say more? Tons of options for face and hair, customiseable kimono and accessories, The example I've made is pretty fantastical but you can make more normal-looking ones as well.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/18771

This is another one that's not kimono-specific, but there are lots of options, and something about the whole "Bad Boy" aesthetic that makes me laugh. The description of this one basically translates to "Make Your Own F**king B**tard", and the facial expressions really do evoke that feeling. It's too amusing not to share.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/8803

This is another historical-based one, which feels like a common theme for the male avatar creators. It's actually got more of an ancient Chinese feeling with some of the outfits and accessories, but as you can see it's also possible to make a kimono-style ensemble.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/26613

Another handsome historical-inspired dude. This one has a lot of fun accessories and options, even if the avatar and kimono themselves aren't super varied.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/15097

This one's actually rather androgynous, so it could easily work for any gender, but the styling of the kimono is more masculine. There's actually a little story implied in this one, parting with a loved one. With or without that in mind, it's fun to play with and makes some really lovely avatars.

Other

https://picrew.me/image_maker/42620

What's this? Not an avatar! This is a really sweet little Japanese scene/garden generator. There's houses, castles, and temples as well as plenty of scenery options. You can even choose which animal you want in your scene!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/51936

This is a very simple one to create your own Hinamatsuri set. There are a few different faces, and different colours for the kimono, headpieces, and backgrounds. Not much to play with but still quite charming.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/79981

Make your own adorable little kitsune companion with this generator! Plenty of options for colours, accessories, ears, tails, and markings. I actually got sucked into playing with this one for nearly half an hour solid while working on this entry!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/122741

Do you know Daruma dolls? Here you can make a custom one in a variety of colours. There are a bunch of different faces, including ones with no eyes, one eye, and both eyes, so you can choose the right face for whether you have made your wish come true or not. Too cute!
https://picrew.me/image_maker/64765/

Izekaya meal generator! This one is a surprising amount of fun. You can choose the contents of each dish as well as your drink.
https://picrew.me/image_maker/95777/

Make your own tamago gohan (egg and rice) bowl with this cute little maker. You can choose your table, bowl, and chopsticks as well as the rice and toppings.

I hope you had tons of fun playing with these amazing kimono avatar creators! I would love to see what you make with them. 💖

Review – Paperless Post Project

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Recently, I was contacted by the Paperless Post Project, offering me some credits to explore and review their service. At first, I admit that I was uncertain about a way to tie it in to the content of this blog, but my worries were unfounded. We had a kimono club event coming up, and there’s such a wonderful variety of invitations and digital paper products that I knew it would be a great way to send out invites.

Paperless Post is a fantastic alternative to traditional mail. It’s infinitely customiseable and eco-friendly, but still feels exciting and cohesive, like receiving a physical invitation. The interface is fantastic – you can personalise nearly every aspect of the “mail” you’re sending, from the card to the envelope and stamp to even the backdrop surface the envelope opens on! For people who don’t have the time or skill to create their own designs, many of the pre-existing designs are absolutely gorgeous. However, if you enjoy that sort of a thing and like being in control, you can change or alter every element involved. As you know, seasonality and aesthetics play a huge part in kimono, so the fact that you can tweak and customise and find designs for nearly everything really appealed to me.

There are plenty of options on the site that are free, but some premium options do require an in-site coin currency. However, it’s totally possible to make and send a beautiful card or invitation without using any coins!

The interface is very straightforward and intuitive;  to change an element simply click on the part you’d like to edit. All the options will be displayed, and a small text in the upper corner will tell you how many coins you’ll need for each card or invitation you send out. You fill out your information and then finally enter the names and email addresses of your desired recipients. One feature I would like to see here would be some sort of integration with Facebook Events. In this modern age of social media, collecting email addresses seems almost archaic. That’s really my only “complaint” about Paperless Post, and it’s definitely a minor one. But if you’re hoping to share your card or invitation online, it’s something to keep in mind.

Now that the event is over and done with, here’s the lovely little invite I created for our kimono club meetup! You can see how much it looks and feels like “real” mail, from the envelope front to the card sliding out of the flap. It’s a really fun and charming experience.

Will Paperless Post replace physical mail entirely? Probably not. But in this brave new world of long-distance friendship, increasing postal service costs, and awareness of carbon footprints and environmental impacts, it’s definitely a service worth looking into!

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me.