Are these not adorable? This origami Santa was designed by Linda Mihara. I took her class at the 2009 Pacific Coast Origami Conference and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, it was an afternoon class and my brain was over-full from the day’s instructions.  I didn’t get the figure quite right and later could not [...]]]>  

Are these not adorable? This origami Santa was designed by Linda Mihara. I took her class at the 2009 Pacific Coast Origami Conference and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, it was an afternoon class and my brain was over-full from the day’s instructions.  I didn’t get the figure quite right and later could not remember how to make it. Fortunately it is included in John Montroll’s book: Easy Christmas Origami. I purchased the book and worked through the instructions…with more than a little help from my friends. Some people may find Montroll’s diagrams and very limited instructions to be all that is needed, but I’m afraid I need more! 

I now have this guy pretty well figured out and can turn one out in a reasonably short period of time…fortunately, because I plan to use them on Christmas cards this year. I have come up with my own guidelines, landmarks and techniques for completing the figure so that it comes out right and usually will even stand up on its own. 

If you’re up for some fun Christmas origami you might want to purchase John Montroll’s book. It is a bargain on Amazon and is also eligible for Prime shipping.
 In the meantime, I am going to see if I can contact Ms. Mahara and see if she will give me permission to post my own instructions with photos. Please post a comment if you would find that helpful and it will help our case! 

If you’re interested in some fun, cute and practical Origami crafts for year-round decorating and gift-giving, take a look at my book. It is designed for origami enthusiasts AND beginners, with clear step-by-step instructions with photos — you do not need to understand traditional Origami diagrams to make these models! Just choose appropriate colors and thems for your papers and customize these items for the holidays.

The book is currently available on Amazon for $12.95; I am offering it here for $11.00 including shipping. (State tax will also apply for California orders.) 

This model is a lot of fun to make and to share… great for leaving an unusual tip for great service, making an out-of-the-ordinary cash gift, or simply entertaining people. The example below uses a U.S. $1 bill:

1.  I like to start with George Washington face up. Use as crisp a bill as [...]]]>

This model is a lot of fun to make and to share… great for leaving an unusual tip for great service, making an out-of-the-ordinary cash gift, or simply entertaining people. The example below uses a U.S. $1 bill:

1.  I like to start with George Washington face up. Use as crisp a bill as you can find, as that will make it easier to fold and make nice sharp creases. Position the bill as shown below (A.), and then fold each of the bottom corners up to meet the top edge of the bill (B.). Crease well and unfold. The resulting creases should look like (B2.).

2.  Next, do the same with the top two corners, folding them down to meet the bottom edge of the bill, as in (C.). Crease folds well and unfold. See resulting creases shown in (C1) & (C2). All these folds are called “valley folds”, as the “peak” is at the bottom (like a valley). The reverse of this fold, which we’ll see in the next step, is called a “mountain fold”….

3.  Now we want to fold each side of the bill back in a mountain fold, at the precise point where the “X” creases on either side of the bill intersect. We will make two folds, with the result shown in (D.); the creases are shown in (D1); ignore the red circles until the next step. Note that the blue crease lines are a combination of dashes and dots, representing a mountain fold. The “X” creases are valley folds. Be sure to crease all folds very well.

4.  Note in figure (D.) that the mountain fold creases point up. With your index finger, poke down just the point at the intersection of your creases on each side of the bill, marked with the red circles in (D1.). The result should look like (E.) and the close-up in (F.) below. Turn your bill a quarter turn to the left as in (F.) and, with an index finger on each side, start to bring the points indicated with the green arrows in (F.) in toward each other, as shown in (G.). Continue to bring them together; as you do, the upper portion of the bill will fold down over them — this should happen quite naturally due to the creases you have made. The result should look like (H.). Repeat this fold on the opposite end of the bill; the result is shown in (I.).

5.  Turn your model so George is once again right side up (J.). Next fold the entire unit in half, from right to left, as in (K.). Note the yellow crease lines shown in (K.); fold the upper and lower right-side corners along those lines, so your model looks like (L.). Using the inner edge of those folds as a guide (indicated by the yellow crease line in L.), fold the top layer of the left-hand point over to the right. The result is shown in figure (M.).

6.  Note that the upper layer of the top and bottom points of the model each have a “flap” on the right and left sides (see N.). Following the indications of the arrows and crease lines shown in (O.), fold the tips of the flaps on each side out to meet the left or right points of the model. Figure (P.) shows the upper right flap folded out to the right point; crease well. The lower right flap is folded to that same point in figure (Q.), and the left side folds are shown complete in figure (R.).

7.   Now we start to have some fun! Take the upper right flap you folded in the previous section, and gently press on the tip to open it up a bit — see the result in figure (S.). Continue to press (as in T. ), bringing the top point down to the center of the model and forming a small square shape. Crease the folds well; the result is shown in (U.). Do the same with each of the remaining three flaps; the end result should look like (V.).

8.  Figure (W.) is the same as (V.). with the addition of yellow crease lines on the upper right square folded in the previous step. Fold the two corner points in to meet in the middle, along the crease lines indicated—the first fold is shown in (X.) and the second in (Y.). Crease well. Do the same on the three other squares; the result should look like (Z.).

9.  Next we do some folds similar to the “squash” folds you did to create the squares in step 7. You are going to open up each of the flaps you just folded in step 8 and squash the top down flat to create a kite-like shape. These flaps are quite small, so it will be useful to use a toothpick to open them up — see figure (AA.). See the completed fold in figure (BB.). Now do the same fold with the remaining seven flaps… The result should look like figure (CC.).Now fold the back of the model back to meet the bottom point and crease. You will be able to see your heart taking shape (figure DD.). You’re almost there!

10.  Finally, fold the right and left points back, and there is your heart (EE.)! Figure( FF.) shows the heart from the back.

Use the heart as is, as a gift or tip. Or put it on the front of a card — use a tiny piece of double sided tape to do that, or better yet a removable glue dot. They are nice to leave as a tip, and you can use the folded piece in the back to “hang” it on the portfolio your restaurant check arrives in, or on a glass, or wherever appeals to you. You can also tuck a quarter snugly in to the front of the heart, held in place by some of model’s points. Some people call this a “change of heart”…..

Have fun!

This model was originally designed by Tomoko Fuse, one of the preeminent living Japanese Origami Masters. It is a wonderful example of what you can create using only the more basic of Origami folds: “valley folds” and “mountain folds”. The model is an intriguing geometric form in its own [...]]]>  

This model was originally designed by Tomoko Fuse, one of the preeminent living Japanese Origami Masters. It is a wonderful example of what you can create using only the more basic of Origami folds: “valley folds” and “mountain folds”. The model is an intriguing geometric form in its own right, and it becomes a lovely piece of decor when placed over a light source. The picture above on the right was taken at our last Thanksgiving dinner — we collected greens and branches on a hike and created our own centerpiece with origami vases and these shades.

Personally, I would strongly discourage using this model with a light bulb and would never use it with a candle due to fire concerns. If you even consider using it with a light bulb you must treat the paper first iwth a fire retardant spray!

OK, here is the how-to:  We begin with a rectangular piece of paper that is 14” x 22” or the same proportion. I like to use a sheet that is 7” x 11” both because it is easy to cut from a standard 8.5” x 11” sheet  and because I like the resulting size — it fits nicely over a flameless tea light or a standing Maglite® flashlight (or something similar). It’s also fun to play with different sizes and assemble a collection (smaller ones are quite cute….).

1.   The diagrams for this model are openly available in several places elsewhere on the web; I am including them here along with my photos for additional clarity. Start with your rectangular sheet of paper positioned so that the long ends run horizontally (A.). Fold the lower left corner up to meet the top edge and crease (B.). Then bring the lower right corner up to meet the edge of your first fold (C.). Unfold both of these folds (D.).

2. Now do the same with the top corners, first bringing the top left corner down to meet the bottom edge and the top right corner down to meet the edge of that fold; crease well (E.) and unfold (F.).

3. Now fold the lower left corner up to meet the first diagonal crease (G.); then bring the right lower corner up past the top edge of the paper so that its vertical edge now lies along the edge you just created—see figure (H.). Crease folds well and unfold.

4.  Now do the same thing from the top of the paper: fold the upper left corner in  to meet the nearest diagonal crease; then fold the upper right corner down past the bottom edge of the paper, so that its vertical edge lines up with the vertical edge you created in the previous fold (I.). Crease both folds well and unfold (J.).

5.   We complete our diagonal valley folds by continuing to fold the corners at half-way points throughout the entire sheet, as indicated in the diagram below. Be sure to crease all folds very well, they should be nice and crisp. Then turn your piece of paper over.

6. Note that, now that you have turned the sheet over, your diagonal folds have become mountain folds. Now make horizontal (valley) folds at the intersections of the diagonal folds and crease them very well — see diagram below.

Once you have made your horizontal folds and creased them well, turn the sheet back over (K.). Your diagonal folds are once again valley folds, and your horizontal folds are mountain folds. Before assembling the shade, you may wish to “re-crisp” your diagonal folds… 

7.  Finally, pick up your sheet and bend the ends around so the short ends meet; line them up, overlapping a bit, so that creases line up and intersections lie precisely on top of intersections. Use a bit of double-sided tape or a few glue dots to attach the ends, then be sure all your diagonal folds are nicely indented. There you have your shade!

These would make great, inexpensive yet classy decorations for any event, including a wedding! A parchment-type paper makes nice, crisp creases and also lets  light shine through nicely. Have fun experimenting and share your results!

I know, looks rather like a box … but it does differ from others with those “handles” on two sides., and you wouldn’t put a lid on it. Easy to make and fun to use for a variety of purposes: a serving bowl, a mini trash receptacle, maybe a container for small supplies, [...]]]>

I know, looks rather like a box … but it does differ from others with those “handles” on two sides., and you wouldn’t put a lid on it. Easy to make and fun to use for a variety of purposes: a serving bowl, a mini trash receptacle, maybe a container for small supplies, especially if you need several of them and are looking for inexpensive solutions! This item must be made from a rectangular piece of paper, and a standard 8.5”x11” sheet works perfectly. You can use any type of paper, just base your choice on the intended use … maybe cardstock to hold heavier items, any sort of lightweight paper when that’s not an issue. I made the bowl pictured here from a rectangle cut from a pretty sheet of Japanese paper. While you can buy beautiful (and pricey) Japanese papers in beautiful designs, you can also find it at stores like Daiso or Lychee Tree if those happen to be in your area. They often have inexpensive packs of origami papers and sometimes larger sheets in a variety of designs. A sheet large enough to create three bowls only cost me $1.50, so the bowls were basically 50 cents each. And of course if you use a recycled piece of printer paper (or a bulletin or program from an event, pretty wrapping paper salvaged from a gift, a colorful magazine page, etc.) we’re talking pennies or no cost at all.

You can customize your finished piece for a specific purpose (fundraiser, special occasion or holiday, etc) by printing or drawing a design on your paper before folding. I made several of the one pictured here to use at several events promoting our fundraising efforts for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk on Treasure Island earlier this month. To come up with the design I did some experimenting and quite a bit of trial and error…basically folded a bowl, marked the areas where I wanted my designs, unfolded and mapped out where to place my graphics. (I use Adobe’s Photoshop Elements to do photo editing, and I’m a huge fan of Microsoft Publisher for my layouts and basically all the desktop publishing that I do.) In order to have the print visible on the tops of the “handles” I had to print on the back side of the paper as well as the front. You can’t see it in these photos but I also put a picture of our Memory Walk Team on the bottom of the bowl.

You’ll note that the contents of the bowl are customized as well — those are Hershey Miniatures with custom wrappers wrapped around the purchased candies. Totally sanitary as there is no need to unwrap the candy, just wrap the strip of paper around it with a little glue to adhere the ends on the bottom. If you want to give it a try, the custom wrapper should be about 1⅜” wide and 3⅛” long. These are simple and fun to use to personalize a treat for party favors,
birthdays and other holidays, fundraising events, thank-you’s, and more — comment with suggestions for these and the origami bowl! I have also made unique party invitations by printing the invite itself on a custom wrapper for a larger candy bar — definitely got teenagers’ attention! I’ll  post a picture if I can find it.

So find some paper you’d like to use to try making a bowl, and I’ll post the how-to’s tomorrow, complete with photos!