Very easy hobby to start!

Very easy hobby to start!

The art of Origami is often considered to be Japanese and while the word itself is Japanese for "to fold paper" the actual art of paper folding originates well before the Japanese refined it.  It is believed by some that the ancient Egyptians started the art of paper folding by using papyrus and it is known that the chinese invented paper and the art of paper folding.

But when we think of origami we think of the japanese style and for good reason. The japanese raised it to the status of art form that it now holds and this is mostly due to Akira Yoshizawa who raised it from obscurity beginning in the 1950's.

Regardless of where and how it started it is now a vibrant art form and a wonderful pursuit that can be had with just a simple square of paper.

Some Quick Rules

You can do anything you want with a piece of paper. You can fold it into any kind of a shape and technically you can call it origami. But if you want to do it in a traditional way you should follow these two simple rules: Start with a square of paper and never cut the paper!

That's it!

The beauty is also in the paper

 As a beginner you are anxious to start making beautiful litle creatures, flowers, and other things out of paper. And this is terrific but you might also want to consider the paper. It makes a big difference in the final result.

Regular printer paper or notebook paper is very adequate for making basic origami figures and shapes but if you want to make something really special you should get some paper that is made specifically for origami.

About the Paper

Typical paper for origami is thinner than printer paper. This makes it much easier to fold and makes it a lot easier to get multiple folds out of. Once you start making intermediate figures and shapes you will have difficulty with printer paper. The thinner origami paper will take folding much better.

And, Origami paper comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns which makes the end result much more attractive.

Real Paper!

And, the best origami paper is made from the fibers of various plants. It has a luxurious feel and is a bit thicker than normal paper. If you are looking for the best paper you should look at something called Washi Paper. This is handmade from the bark of japanese trees and shrubs.

Patterns:

There are also names for styles of patterns in the paper. Yuzen paper had textile patterns on it and Chiyogami had repeating wood block patterns.

Shinwazome Paper - This is thick textured that has embossed and raised patterns. It is paper that is often described as luxurioius and it often is embossed and detailed with gold highlights.

Origami objects, hats etc

Origami Objects & Toys

Fortune Teller	Heart	Pine Tree

 

Drinking Cup	Monkey Mountain	House

 

Sail Boats	Boat	Bar Envelope

 

Gift Bow	Cross	Snapper

 

Origami Hats

Crown	Samurai Hat	Hat

 

Paper air plane

	Paper airplane
	While making the classical paper airplane, students follow folding instructions and talk about flying. You will need: For each student, a rectangular piece of paper; a variety of colors/sizes will make the activity more interesting. Crayons or colored pencils for decorating. Students should work on a flat surface (desk, binder, etc.) and fold with precision. Uneven folding will result in a lopsided plane. Suggested vocabulary: paper  airplane  fold  unfold  middle  point  together  triangle  flap  turn over  corner  center  body  nose  wing  tail  inside  trip  fly Instructions: Click on the thumbnail image if you want to see a larger picture. Teachers who use a screen reader should ignore the links to the larger images, as the screen reader will read the instructions in order.
	1. Fold the paper lengthwise.
	2. Crease the folded end.
	3. Unfold the paper and lay it on a flat surface.
	4. Fold the right top corner to the center line.
	5. Crease the diagonal fold.
	6. Fold the left top corner to the center line.
	7. Crease the diagonal fold.
	8. Fold the new right top corner to the center line.
	9. Crease the folded end.
	10. Repeat steps 8 and 9, this time with the new left top corner.
	11. Fold the sheet lengthwise, inward, along the center line.
	12. Crease the folded end.
	13. Fold the top flap down, so that its front touches the bottom of the "plane."
	14. Crease the folded end.
	15. Turn the paper over, and fold and crease the other flap as you did in steps 13 and 14.
	16. Lift the flaps to create the wings.
	17. Decorate your plane. Is it a civilian plane? A military plane? Where is it going? What can you say about the structure? Who is sitting inside?

Pop Up Card Tree

Kirigami- Pop up Card Tree

Pop Up Card Tree

Why buy a Christmas card when you can make an easy pop up card tree yourself? This craft is kid-friendly, very doable and safe. You will need a pair of scissors, a piece of white paper, and a piece of green paper for backing. You may also use stickers, crayons, markers, and color pencils for decorating.

1. Fold a piece of white paper in half; this will be your 'card'. Cut a tree shape along the folded edge of the paper. Do not cut out the tree completely; leave a small notch at the base of the tree uncut.
2. Open the card half way. Use your fingers to push the tree into the card so that it lies in between the two layers of the paper. The crease on the tree will change from a valley fold to a mountain fold.
3. This is how the outside of the card will look like. When you open the card, the tree will pop up at you.
4. To complete the card, glue it onto a piece of green paper for backing. You can use stickers and color pencil to add ornaments.

KIRIGAMI

Kirigami

Kirigami is similar to origami in that it is a form of paper art. The major difference is that in origami, you fold paper whereas in kirigami, you fold and cut paper.

In the United States, the term "kirigami" was coined by Florence Temko. She used the word kirigami in the title of her book, Kirigami, the Creative Art of Papercutting, 1962. The book was so successful that the word kirigami was accepted as the name for the art of paper cutting.

In Japan, the word kirigami had been in use for a long time because "kiru" means to cut, and "gami" means paper. So, kirigami meant to cut paper.

Paper Snowflakes

Most people will remember kirigami as a way to make paper snowflakes. Unfolding the paper snowflake is a delightful surprise because it's almost impossible to make the exact pattern twice. Paper snowflakes have six sections because the paper is folded in half and then thirds.

Real snowflakes have six-fold symmetry too. This is because water molecules crystalize into a hexagonal lattice. No two snowflakes are alike because the condition in a cloud is always changing when water vapour crystallizes into snowflakes. Because of these ever changing atmospheric conditions, each snowflake grows in a different way. Click here for snowflake FAQs. [Photo by KG Libbrecht]

• how to make a paper snowflake

Problem: it's spring and it just doesn't feel right to make snowflakes in the glorious growing season. Not a problem! Cut kirigami flowers, sun bursts, stars, hearts, and other cool designs. Look here for some different ideas:

• make a kirigami flower
• unique kirigami patterns

Cutting paper snowflakes is fun, but if you don't want to use scissors, you don't have to. Computer software experts have now made it possible to make e-snowflakes. It's not the same as good old "arts & crafts", but it's worth a try nevertheless.

• e-snowflakes by lookandfeel.com
• cut virtual paper applet by K Whitley

Beyond Simple Snowflakes

Some artists can make extremely elaborate kirigami patterns. These often retain a high level of symmetry and have a delicate lace-like quality. [Photo from Bekah Gjerde] With a practice, you can make similar creations.

       

Here are some tips:

1. Practice and experiment with different designs. You need to do it to get an idea of what looks nice and what looks basic. Sit down, try it, and experiment. That's the best way.
2. Use thin paper. Folded layers of paper become thick and difficult to cut. Thin paper, like origami paper is easier to cut and therefore will allow you to make detailed designs.
3. Fold the paper differently to change the symmetry. You can have
   * 4-fold symmetry (fold in half and then half again),
   * 6-fold symmetry (fold in half, then into thirds),
   * 8-fold symmetry (fold in half, then into quarters),
   * 12-fold symmetry (fold in half, then into thirds, and then fold in half again). At this level, thin paper is a must.

   Keep in mind that real snowflakes have a six-fold symmetry and sometimes a 12-fold symmetry. If you fold the paper into four or eight sections, it shouldn't be called a snowflake anymore.

4. Make lots of small cuts instead of a few large cuts. More cuts will give a more lacier look.
5. Make long cuts that go deep towards the other side of the paper. This will give you an elegant design instead of the chunky kindergartener look. Be careful though, too much cutting will cause the entire snowflake to fall apart.

Robert Ryan has taken kirigami one step up by layering a paper cut design over top a gown. Definately a one-of-a-kind dress! Other incredible designs can be found in these web sites:

• Bekah Gjerde's Flicker photos
• Kanako Yaguchi's web site
• David C. Stredulinsky's web site
• GW Hart does modular kirigami

Books available from Amazon.com

• Kirigami: The Art of 3-dimensional Paper Cutting by Laura Badalucco
• Origami and Kirigami: 75 Fun-to-Do Projects by Florence Temko
• Kirigami - Basic Design (Kirigami) by Joyce Hwang
• Kirigami - Sweethearts (Kirigami) by Joyce Hwang
• click here to buy kirigami books.
• buy kirigami calendars
• buy Kirigami Kit
• buy origami paper

3D Kirigami and Origamic Architecture

When paper is cut to make pleasing artwork, it can be called kirigami. Thus pop-up cards, origamic architecture and other elaborate cut-outs can also be called kirigami. This type of artwork is beyond paper snowflakes and deserves to be shown in a separtes page. [Photo by P Callesen]

• see easy kirigami projects
• see complex kirigami called origamic-architecture