useful origami | Useful Origami

30 Jan 2011 4 Comments

Paper Crane & Twin birds – Lesson 1

When you google “origami,” one of the first products that appears is a paper crane. I didn’t want to give you just a plain crane, but also one of many variations that you can make with cranes – twin cranes.

If you get tired of clicking each thumbnail and opening a new window, this page enabled the pop-up box so you don’t have to reload each page every time you go to the next step. Check it out HERE!

How to make a basic Paper Crane

What you need:

1 sheet of plain square paper (preferably thinner origami paper with no pattern on it)

Instructions:

1. Lay the paper back side up.

2. Fold in half diagonally

3. Fold in half again

4. Take RED corner to BLUE point, inflating the double arrow and fold down

Paper Crane & Twin birds Lesson 1

5. Flip it up-side-down and take the RED corner to the BLUE point, inflating the double arrow

6. Make sure the part that is The Connecting Corner is on your left and fold in along the center diagonal line

7. Fold the connecting corner in

8. Flip it and do the same thing – make sure the connecting corner is on your left

9. Take the opposite corner of the connecting corner, and open like the arrow shows

10. Fold along the crease you made in step 6-8

11. Flip it and take the same step as 9&10

12. Make sure the Connecting Corner is on your right and fold along the center line

13. Flip, and again, keep the Connecting Corner is on your right – keep folding like the other side

14. Take one flap and fold up – it’ll be the neck or tail

15. Fold some angles so that they look like the neck and tail

16. Decide whichever you’d like to make it as a neck, and fold in as picture shows

17. Now it’s the fun time – puff up the belly! Take white corners and then yellow corners, use your commonsense and don’t rip the poor crane. If it’s not enough, you can pull the wings to make a nice puff.

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Using the instruction above, here is a cool variation of a simple crane!

How to make Twin Cranes

What you need:

1 sheet of plain paper cut in half (preferably thinner origami paper with no pattern on it)

Instructions:

1. Cut a paper into half

2. Fold and crease the half line

3. Mark the half way, and cut the RED line

4. Make cranes as explained above

* Some points to note
It’ll be a bit difficult during the processes when folding cranes, since they are connected. When you get confused with which direction it was, remember that the two birds are connected at their wings, but not their tails.

When you successfully finish the first bird, it should look like this.

Try not to fold the first head and tail until the next one is finished – it’ll just be easier for you.

And when you start the other bird, it should look like this

Good luck! Please let me know if you have questions and don’t forget to send me pictures of your cranes!

(hayrowkitty@usefulorigami.com)

Next is Valentine’s Day Origami!

19 Jan 2011 2 Comments

Before You Start Folding… – Lesson 0

I would like to give you some heads up before I proceed to the basic instructions. Please remember these things before starting origami:

1. Be patient

I know it gets a little bit complicated at first, but once you get it, it’s a great feeling with accomplishment!

2. Take your time

Make sure you don’t make anything in a hurry unless you know what you are doing with the paper. As traditional Shinto says, anything could become “Kami or 神” (interesting article of Kami on wikipedia here) if you put your soul and effort in it. Plus, your origami product becomes more than a craft if you put your emotion, time, and passion to it!

3. Don’t be discouraged with the first crooked product

You always have the first time. I know we all see the awesome picture of a finished product with the instructions – but don’t be fooled, even those pros made crooked cranes at first! Be prepared to make the same product 3-5 times before you can make the decent one!

4. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE PICTURES!!

I would like to see how you made! Did you use news paper, flyer, or scratch paper from your notebook? I also would love to see different colors / textures on origami paper you used!! If I see any interesting submission, I’ll post it on my blog – Contact me