Origami Lessons | Useful Origami

05 Dec 2012 No Comments

Easy Origami Candy Cane Christmas Ornament

Learn how to make an easy origami candy cane

Holiday is around the corner, and buying gifts could get expensive. Whether you are looking for a way to save money on Christmas Ornaments or family project that you can enjoy with your kids together to make memory, origami could be on your next to-do list.

Origami candy cane is simple, fun, and quick crafting that anyone with different dexterity level can handle. In just 10 steps, you will have a candy cane of your favorite color!

*It is not necessary to own a pack of real origami paper – pick up a dollar store gift wrapper and cut them in squares. As long as they are two separate colors, most of the light-weighted paper like wrapper and copier paper would be perfect for this activity.*

What you will need:

1 square sheet of paper with two different colors
2 small pieces of double sided tape

Instructions:

Click each image for a larger photo and instructions on bottom. Instructional animated video is also available!

[Show as slideshow]

Start with either side up (It does not matter which side is up – I have my color side up this time)
Take the bottom corner to the top corner, leaving 1/4 inch left from the edge, crease. (This is a 6 inch square paper in the photos)
Flip over.
Take the bottom line and fold up about 1/4 inches. Keep folding tightly, maintaining about the same width. Continue 3-4 times, and you will see this coming out on the both sides
Around the half way, start rolling not so tightly – tight enough that you can still hold together, but crease line should not be as prominent. The photo shows the optimal amount of pressure.
When you get to the top part, take a small piece of double sided tape and put it on the top white side, keep folding up till the tape touches the paper.
You will have another piece of paper you will have to tape. Take a piece of double sided tape and put it on red side, fold.
Take your thumb and pointing finger and squeeze the sides, making the model more round like a real candy cane.
Pick a point above the half line and start bending carefully. Bend more points to make a curve. (It tends to want to twist itself, so try to avoid that while bending and shaping.)
Congratulations, you have finished!

03 May 2012 1 Comment

How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers – Origami Carnations; Lesson 14

“What are you doing for Mother’s Day?”

Every year, you might send something to your mom on Mother’s Day, like flowers.

If you want to show gratitude to your mom with a bright and beautiful bouquet of carnations, why not try making them on your own?

According to ProFlowers.com, carnations mean “fascination, distinction, and love.”

You can see why carnations are the official flower of Mother’s Day by looking at those words, but more over, what’s even better is that you can hand craft it just by using tissue paper and make them last forever!

What you will need:

Colored tissue paper (in color you want as flower)
A strip of green tissue paper (about 20 inches)
Glue (optional)

Ideas on what colors of carnations mean:

Light red -> admiration
Dark red -> deeper sentiments of love and affection
White -> purity and luck
Pink -> sign of gratitude

Before getting started, please let me clarify some points on the following photo diagrams. The carnation has 3 rings – which will take three flips. At the shaping stage at the end, quoting from the creator himself, who directly gave me this quote as an advice – “the more crumpling done from the center of the flower, the more realistic the carnation appears.” Lastly, make the edge of each ring curve like “s” as a shaping process as it makes the flower bloom.

[Show as slideshow]

*This is posted with permission by Russell Sutherland, the creator of this model.*