Who does origami?

[Prairie Momma]

I've been looking for other origami artists to connect with and share diagrams with. Anyone?

[bestjob]

Hmmm... must be a Canadian thing! (We're in Ontario.)

We do quite a bit of origami, mostly from books from the library, but sometimes from the untranslated sheets of instructions that come in origami paper from Japan. Recently, Scholastic Books had a couple of different books for sale and we got the Usborne Books Guide to Origami. It is great for beginners, so my eight year old helped her five year old brother with some activities.

If you use Altavista, you can get quite a few good sites that have free patterns.

[Aster]

I've been doing origami since i was a kid. I have a few things memorized (crane, frog, balloon, star, turtle etc... just easy little ones) and have found that little kids think it's fascinating that i can make them a bird out of a flat sheet of paper. Havent really done much paper folding lately, but agree that the library is a great resource for learning new folds.

[Prairie Momma]

Woo Hoo! More people who do origami! I was beginning to think I was weird!

Yes, I'll check out the library again. I've looked at all the books our library here carries, but I haven't done a search at other libraries yet. And I'm going to look for that Usborne book....I Love Usborne books!

Aster....Land of the Perpetual Winter.....Does that mean Canada?

Have a good day all!

[Aster]

Anyways, it's going to be cool when Boo's old enough to teach origami. I make him little things out of paper and he likes to play with them, so that's cool too.

Aster,
Just another paper-folding Canadian weirdo

[Prairie Momma]

:LOL I KWYM about the weather ~ I'm in Northern AB! :LOL

I enjoy sharing this craft with my kids as well. My DD is 8 now and starting to develop enough dexterity in her fingers to fold well. But all the kids still love for me to make them a flapping bird or jumping frog whenever I pull my card or mobile making stuff out. Somedays taking those few minutes to make a little frog is the only way to protect my bigger projects from the 2 yr old! And it comes in so handy when you are waiting for a meal in the restaurant with four little impatient children. To play with the kids is actually why I even started origami, but it has become so much fun for just me now!

I had a call yesterday from our local Fine Arts Center and I may get the opportunity to teach a class or two next month! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

[Aster]

That's awesome that you're going to be teaching a class! You must be good!! Do you make up your own creatures?

I learned origami to keep my younger sibs occupied in church when we were a lot younger. It's amazing how the little things make such a big difference sometimes. A little paper crane could keep their attention for ages.

[Prairie Momma]

No, I don't make my own designs, but I am the only one who is doing origami around here. I mean a few people know how to folds cranes and other common creations, but I am the only in this area person making cards and mobiles and doing this as a *craft*. The funny thing is, I don't consider myself a very creative person, and that is why origami appeals to me so much. I consider it more of a skill that anyone can learn if they have some patience and pay attention to detail. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to this class, (even though I've never taught before and I'm extremely nervous about that) and I hope it goes ahead.

I started when my dd was just few months old. I bought a book thinking that I could make her some stuff when she was a bit older. I find it amazing how much I enjoy it now!

BTW, I'm working on a Senbazuru (thousand cranes) right now. (slowly, between all my other projects and family stuff ) I want to string them all together and use them as a garland on my Christmas tree next year.

[lucimomster]

Waves hand! I do origami, and I'm NOT from Canada!

My "signature" pieces are reindeer made from kraft paper and swedish/german stars made from narrow strips of paper. Almost every year I make some of both of these at Christmastime for gifts, and people are always amazed.

I love how, once you know how to do this, you can do them almost mindlessly, almost as a meditation!

But then again, I spend most of my time here on MDC on various Spirituality threads, so my mind's there, anyway! Don't want to hijack your thread!

Luci

[Prairie Momma]

Hello Luci!

I'm always happy to meet another paper folder!

I haven't ever seen any reindeer before. They must be so neat! My favorite pieces are suns with smiley faces and seahorses. I'm trying to find the time to learn an elephant and would love to learn the dolphin and shark in my book as well. They are rather tough folds for me, especially with the kids interrupting! I just think the dolphin and shark would make such fabulous mobiles for some little boys!

Do you do any "projects" with your folding too?

[lucimomster]

Haven't really "done" anything with the reindeers, other than sometimes making a set of 8 (so they can be Dancer, Prancer, Comet....).

The stars work well as ornaments, and I've seen several of them strung together in a pattern to make a sort of beaded curtain ... but I haven't done that.

Also, you can make the stars flat on the back, so I've used them like ribbons for wrapped presents.

Gotta rush. Your projects sounds great! I'd like to see the sun and seahorse!

L

[Prairie Momma]

I'd be happy to share the sun and seahorse diagrams I have with you if you'd like. Like I said above, they aren't my own designs, they actually come from a book called "Fantastic Folds" by Andrew Stoker and Sasha Williamson. I would have to photocopy them and send them to you by snail mail. You can PM me if you are interested.

I'm certainly interested in your reindeer and stars!! Do you have diagrams for them that you can share?

[lucimomster]

Here's a link to how to make the stars I do:

http://www.howtomakestars.com/instructions.html

And as for the reindeer ... it's been so long since I've learned how to make them that I don't need written instructions anymore ... I'll have to see if I can dig them up.

I'll PM you with my snailmail addy ... I'd love a copy of the sun and seahorse patterns! Thanks! And then I'll have your return address and if I can find the pattern for the reindeer, I'll mail it back to you. (Just can't promise I'll be able to find it.)

Luci

[Prairie Momma]

Thankyou for the link Luci! I answered your PM before I saw this post.

Have a wonderful day!

[leafylady]

I've been fooling around with origami too. I also like to do paper airplanes. I used some library books and I've bought 2 for myself. I've got one called "kusudama" that uses origami to make ornaments. I think we'll use that to make paper ornaments for the tree next year. Then it's ok if the kids & cat ruin them.

I started the origami because I thought it would be educational for my son. Although he likes the paper airplanes, I am probably much more intrigued than he is. :

[Prairie Momma]

I decorated our tree in paper ornaments one year too, and it looked fantastic! I used that shiny foil wrap in gold, silver, red, blue and green for it. I found that they were a lot of work and I actually got rather upset when the kids wrecked them. But of course, I'm kinda anal that way : I might do some more now that my dd is old enough to do some of the folding too. Plus, I'm starting to relax a little more in my old age. (We need a granny emoticom :LOL )

[Elismama]

novice here

I make the stars and cranes- looking to do more in my free time (hee hee!)

-jeanie

[Prairie Momma]

Jeanie,

Stars and cranes are a great start! My kids favorites are the flapping birds and jumping frogs.

We're slowly starting to gather a few of us paper folders here, aren't we?

[roarzilla]

My dad loves origami and I on the other hand get frusterated trying to do it. He insists it's easy and buys me books and paper (I never touch) Although I have a book on boxes and would love to figure them out someday! Maybe cool for wedding favors?
SARAH Mom to Aurora 6/11/01 and Genevieve edd 6/29/03

[leafylady]

My 3 yr old son enjoyed a book called "Horrorgami" that I checked out from the library last fall. It had bats, spiders, rats, skeletons and other fun creepy creatures. I made the creatures. He played with them. The folding diagrams were very easy to follow.