Uncategorized – Easy Origami Crafts http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog Fun and practical projects for play and profit Thu, 16 Jul 2015 00:08:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1 Origami Handbook http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2012/02/origami-handbook/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2012/02/origami-handbook/#respond Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:40:27 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=449 This is a correction to a post I did a while back….The book I meant to recommend is by Rick Beech, called “The Origami Handbook – the classic art of paperfolding in step-by-step contemporary projects.”  It is a favorite because it not only includes lots of fun models (among my favorites: a Pecking Crow “action [...]]]> This is a correction to a post I did a while back….The book I meant to recommend is by Rick Beech, called “The Origami Handbook – the classic art of paperfolding in step-by-step contemporary projects.”  It is a favorite because it not only includes lots of fun models (among my favorites: a Pecking Crow “action toy”, compartment insert for the masu box, and a lovely page marker), but also lots of photographs and clear instructions. This is a real gem, available on Amazon with many good condition used versions offered at very low prices. Check it out by clicking the link below, and enjoy!

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Happy Valentines Day! http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2012/02/happy-valentines-day/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2012/02/happy-valentines-day/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:41:41 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=392

I know, this is long overdue and late for Valentine planning — my apologies! But if you’re a last-minute type like I am you may enjoy this cute, clever and relatively easy stand-up heart. There are a couple of slightly tricky steps but I’ve tried to make my instructions and diagrams easy to understand….

All you [...]]]> Origami Hearts

I know, this is long overdue and late for Valentine planning — my apologies! But if you’re a last-minute type like I am you may enjoy this cute, clever and relatively easy stand-up heart. There are a couple of slightly tricky steps but I’ve tried to make my instructions and diagrams easy to understand….

All you need is a square sheet of paper; easiest to follow the directions if it is printed on one side and white on the other. A 6″ square works great, I haven’t tried bigger … I like 4″ as well but if you go too much smaller the folds get kind of thick toward the end.

Start with your square sheet of paper white (or un-printed, or that you don’t want to show when we’re finished) side up. Fold the sheet in half from the top to the bottom and give it a good crease; be sure that the open (not folded) edge is on the bottom, nearest you. Diagram 1 below shows the folded sheet with bottom edges down, and indicates our next move: the dashed lines indicate where we fold next — bring each bottom corner up to the center of the top edge, fold and crease well. The result should look like Diagram 2 below. As shown in Diagram 3, take each of the upper corners, fold them down to the bottom point and crease.

Diagrams 1 thru 3

Your result should look like the diamond in Diagram 4. As indicated in Diagram 4, next take each of the top layers of the bottom points and fold them up to meet the top point. Crease each one well, as shown in Diagram 5. Now we are going to focus on the right side first: the result of the next step is shown in Diagram 6. Take a deep breath, it’s not difficult if you pay attention to detail. Note that I have labeled some points on the diagram, and that valley folds are marked by dashed lines and the mountain folds are marked by dashed & dotted lines. It is important as a first step here that you reverse the folds that run from the center to point B and from the center to point A (that is, change the valley fold to a mountain fold and the mountain fold to a valley fold). Then swivel point B over to meet point F; as you do so the bottom half of the opened side will come up and you can lay point D down on top of B (which is now on top of F). Flatten everything out and crease all over.

The result should look like Diagram 7 below. Now do the exact same thing on the left side of the model, resulting in Diagram 8. Note that there are two “flaps”, one in each of the upper left and right corners. First take hold of the upper left flap. Gently lift and bring it straight down so that what was the top edge now lies along the center vertical crease, ending at the bottom point. Do the same on the right side. See Figure 9 for what the model will look like after this step. Finally, flip the model over from top to bottom; Be sure your result looks like Figure 10.

Note the diamond shape in Diagram 10. Fold the top point of the diamond down to the bottom point and crease — see Figure 11 for the result. You can now see in Figure 11 that there are two separate squares at the top. Fold the top edge of each square down to meet the middle horizontal crease, and crease well; see Figure 12. Unfold each of these folds; we will use the creases we just made as landmarks for our next folds, shown in Figure 13.

Now focus on Figure 13. Fold the left and right top corners of each square down to the center of the crease we just created as a landmark; crease and keep folded. Then fold the top points down to that landmark crease as well, and crease, as shown in Figure 14. Voila, see Figure 15 — this is the back side of your heart! Fold the top layer only of the bottom point up a bit and crease; turn the model over to see the prettier side, and use the folded point behind to make it stand up. Play with the location of the fold and see how far up or back you want your heart to tilt.

a pretty folded flower heart Put one on a card, make a bunch of them to put around a dining table, sneak one onto someone’s pillow … Enjoy!

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Spring Flower in a Vase http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2011/06/spring-flower-in-a-vase/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2011/06/spring-flower-in-a-vase/#respond Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:48:14 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=292

Celebrate Spring and oncoming Summer with these cheerful, easy to fold flowers, each with its own coordinated plant holder. For the flowers pictured above, I used small pieces of colorful papers 3″ square. The patterns shown here are from a pack of 300 sheets of floral print chiyogami, which I found at PaperJade.com (an excellent [...]]]>

Celebrate Spring and oncoming Summer with these cheerful, easy to fold flowers, each with its own coordinated plant holder. For the flowers pictured above, I used small pieces of colorful papers 3″ square. The patterns shown here are from a pack of 300 sheets of floral print chiyogami, which I found at PaperJade.com (an excellent online store). The designs for both the flower and the plant holder are designs created by a number of modern origami artists. The idea to put them together was suggested by Michael LaFosse in his fun kit called “Origami Flowers”. (See end of post for a link)

Ready? Let’s get started and fold some of these…. We’ll start with the plant holder. You can start with a square sheet of paper the same size as you will use for the flower, or use one that is just a little bit smaller — it’s a matter of taste, you can play with the results and see what you like the most. If your paper is colored on one side and white (or pale) on the other, begin with the white side up; in any case, the side you want to show at the end should be face down. We’ll start here with paper that is a very pale pink on one side (facing up in the first picture) and deeper pink on the other:

Orient your paper so the points are at the top and bottom and each side, then fold the bottom point up to the top. The result should look similar to the picture below: a triangle shape with your desired color showing:

Next we are going to fold the left point over to the right point, make a nice sharp crease, and unfold:

Now we are going to take the left point of the triangle and bring it up to meet the top point, folding it so that what was the bottom left edge now lies along the triangle’s vertical crease. Then do the same with the right point — bring it up to meet the top point so the bottom right edge lies along the traingle’s vertical crease. The result should look like the picture on the left below. Then we will take the entire model and turn it over, from left to right. The side facing up shoujld be smooth (no flaps), as shown in the photo below on the right:

Next take the lower left edge and fold it over so that it lies along the center vertical crease. Important: as you do so, left the flap on the back side swing out to the right. Do the same thing on theright side. See photos:

Our last two steps: first, fold the bottom point up to meet the top of the edges you just finished folding.

Then turn the whole thing over (see photo).

Note that the middle point that is higher than the rest of the unit is a double layer — next we will make the flower that will fit right in between those layers. Put the plant base or “vase” aside, and take the paper you are using for the flower. With the white or pale side up and the points of the square at the top and bottom and left and right (like a diamond shape), fold the bottom point up to the top and crease. Now you are looking at a triangle shape, as in the far left photo below. Now, as we did when folding the vase, take the left point of the triangle and fold it over to the right and crease (middle photo). Then unfold it so you have a triangle with a vertical crease in the middle, as in the far right photo below:

For our last two flower steps, we are going to take the left and right points and fold them up toward the top point, but not all the way. Bring them up just a bit off center — look at the photos below to guide you. There is no precise point to fold to here — it’s a matter of taste and what appeals to you. When you have folded up both points, your flower is done. For the final step, place the bottom point of the flower into the middle point of the plant holder or vase, as shown below.

For this and other more elaborate flowers, check out Michael LaFosse’s Origami Flower Kit:

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Cruising with Origami http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2011/02/cruising-with-origami/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2011/02/cruising-with-origami/#respond Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:56:59 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=260

Take a cruise, learn a craft — or teach one! Did you know that you can “earn” cruises by speaking or teaching on board? I do so regularly and have had some wonderful adventures as a result. Learn how you can earn free cruises here!

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luxury cruise ship

Take a cruise, learn a craft — or teach one! Did you know that you can “earn” cruises by speaking or teaching on board? I do so regularly and have had some wonderful adventures as a result. Learn how you can earn free cruises here!

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Delightful Origami Santa’s http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2010/11/delightful-origami-santas/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2010/11/delightful-origami-santas/#comments Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:02:36 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=255  

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! 
That Is So Cute Origami Book

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.) 

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Origami Cross http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2009/11/origami-cross/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2009/11/origami-cross/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:46:23 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=111 This is a simple model created from a single, long and narrow strip of paper. Quilling paper works well if you happen to have  that on hand — it’s often available at craft stores like Michael’s as well as online. But you can use any kind of paper that is available in large enough sheets [...]]]> This is a simple model created from a single, long and narrow strip of paper. Quilling paper works well if yO_Cross_11_Finalou happen to have  that on hand — it’s often available at craft stores like Michael’s as well as online. But you can use any kind of paper that is available in large enough sheets to let you cut a strip that is 13-15″ long and 1/2 to 5/8″ wide. I like to use paper that is a different color on each side even though only a small square of the “wrong” side shows up in the final model.

I hunted down instructions in order to make these for my classmates at the close of  a recent Bible class at our church. It was enjoyable to make them on All Saints Day/All Souls Day as I remembered the dear people no longer with us who have been so important in my life. That’s one of the beauties of Origami … once you have mastered a particular techniqe or model, it is a lovely, meditative and relaxing activity.

Here are the Origami Cross step-by-step instructions with photos:

I used a piece of paper about 15″ long and just over 1/2″ wide. It has a vine pattern on one side and is green on the other — decorative paper that I bought at Paper Source (one of my favorite stores). We used this paper in several items for my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding this past summer — fortunately I’m  a compulsive saver and kept the long narrow strips left from cutting many smaller pieces from large sheets of this paper…yay!.

1.  Begin with your paper’s primary design side facing up so the long edge is vertical, as in photo 1.   2. Now measure about 5-5.5″ down and at that point, fold the top end of the paper down and across to the left so that it now lies perpendicular to the vertical piece — see photo 2.  Photo 3 is simply a close-up of what the top of the piece should now look like:

Instructions_Group_1

Though typically it is recommended that you fold on a hard flat surface, at this point I think it is easier to pick the whole piece up.  4. Fold the arm extending out to the left in photos 2 & 3 back behind the unit and out to the right — as in photos 4 & 5 –  and crease at the point where it is approximately even with the left side of the vertical “stem” :

Instructions_Group_2

6. Still holding the unit, fold the arm back across the front of the piece and crease it even with the right side of the stem, as in photo 6 and close-up in photo 7.

Instructions_Group_3

 

8. Now lift what has become the left arm and start to fold it to the right — however, don’t fold it all the way across. Stop so that a short piece still extends to the left — this will be the left arm of your cross. You may want to wait to crease it until you start the next step and can make the two sides even before committing your creases (though photo 9 shows the first crease already made – I used a fairly soft kind of paper so it was rather forgiving…). 10. Fold the right side under and slide it between the layers in the center as you can see in photo 10. Crease when you are satisfied that the left and right arms of the cross are approximately even. The result should look like photo 11.

Instructions_Group_4

Instructions_Group_5

12. & 13.  Now you have a T-shape, and photo 12 shows a close-up of the top of the T. Grasp the top and fold it down over itself and crease, resulting in photo 13. Note the small loop that is now visible at the center of the “arms”:

Instructions_Group_6

14. At this stage, you may want to use scissors to create a point at the bottom of the vertical piece (as in photo 14) to make the next few steps a little easier. )Origami purists would not approve.) If you have not folded too tightly in steps 4 throught 6 this is not be necessary.  15. Lift the bottom of the stem and weave it up through loop at the center of the arms. 16. Draw it all the way through and  17. Crease. The unit should now look like photo 17.

Instructions_Group_7

18. Next we form the vertical part of the cross. Take the top point and fold it over and down, weaving it back through the loop at the center of the arms. 19. Draw it down until you reach the point that leaves the upper portion (above the cross arms) just a bit longer than the width of each arm. The result should look like photo 19.

Instructions_Group_8

20. Finally, fold the bottom stem under and back up toward the center. 21. Tuck it in between the layers in the center and 22. Crease when it is the right length. (Depending on how long a piece you started with, you may want to trim a bit off this bottom piece).Instructions_Group_9

23. Now turn the piece over, and you have your finished cross.  Make several models — once you are used to the steps, it goes quite quickly and easily. Play with various lengths and widths and see what appeals to you most…

Instructions_Group_10

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Happy Halloween http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2009/10/happy-halloween/ http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/2009/10/happy-halloween/#respond Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:57:06 +0000 http://www.easyorigamicrafts.com/blog/?p=93  

OK, this isn’t Origami — but I had to give a nod to Halloween and show off my Halloween Eggs. The nest is made of papier maiche, so at least paper is involved.  And it highlights one of my other passions: eggs! This was a Martha Stewart Project from her October 2004 magazine. You [...]]]> Eggs_Nest_2_Mod 

OK, this isn’t Origami — but I had to give a nod to Halloween and show off my Halloween Eggs. The nest is made of papier maiche, so at least paper is involved.  And it highlights one of my other passions: eggs! This was a Martha Stewart Project from her October 2004 magazine. You can still find her Halloween Eggs pictures and instructions on her web site. A warning: it’s a lot of work and requires some special equipment (not to mention blowing out eggs)!

Here they are sitting on some of my little sticky-note boxes (box how-to’s coming soon!). Eggs_Row_PostPic_MOd

 

The pumpkin is my favorite….Egg_Pumpkin_PostPic_Mod
followed by the spider web.

Egg_Web_PostPic_Mod

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