Origami
 

two picture threads in one day, woo hoo! :p

don't know if this really belongs here in artwork, but this is a how-to for some really simple origami I like to make. You can use them for decoration or whatever, the possibilites are endless. The best thing about them is that they look complicated but are really effortless (almost). Well, I'm sure lots of you can make much more exciting origami but here's my contribution. Hope you enjoy making them! :)

So, how to:

ok, so this REALLY is easy to make. Don't let the number of photos fool you. I just wanted to make sure you could all understand it with all clarity. So here goes...bear with me

To start, you need a square piece of paper. I usually start with an A4 piece of paper, then fold it in half, and separate the halves. Then I halve it again, and separate the two halves. And I do this one more time, and end up with an A7 piece of paper, like this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or1.jpg

then you need to make a square out of this. What I usually do is fold over one of the top 2 corners until the sides meet. Then you chop off the bit that's left, and you have a square piece of paper.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or3.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or4.jpg

The square paper can be any size you like, huge or teeny, whatever you're comfortable with.
Then the origami folding actually starts. If you're using coloured paper, remember that if only one side has colour, it should be on the outside, so in the final result it's facing out.

Fold the square in half:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or5.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or6.jpg

Then fold that half of the square in half.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or7.jpg

Then fold the lower left corner so the side meets the last fold you made (quarter fold).

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or8.jpg

Fold the already folded corner again, so the side meets the quarter fold.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/or9.jpg

close the quarter fold to the halfway fold.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ora.jpg

flip your paper 180º and repeat the steps for this side:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orb.jpg

fold in half:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orc.jpg

fold the corner:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ord.jpg

refold the corner:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ore.jpg

close the quarter fold to the halfway fold:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orf.jpg

Now fold the bottom right corner so the side touches the opposite quarter fold (lift the opposite flap so the corner folds under it):

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orh.jpg

then close the other flap over it again:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ori.jpg

flip your paper 180º and fold the bottom right corner to the top fold, as on the other side:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orj.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ork.jpg

now slip the folded corner under the other already closed flap, so that the piece has no loose ends:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orl.jpg

here is the piece. almost finished:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orm.jpg

now fold the piece in half by the central line:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orn.jpg

now fold over the corner to meet the opposite one:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/oro.jpg

flip your piece upside down and repeat this on the other side:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orp.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orq.jpg

here is the finished puzzle piece that makes up my dodecahedron:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orr.jpg

ASSEMBLY:

this origami works like a little puzzle. Once you've worked out how the pieces fit together, it's very easy to do.

Here are 3 coloured paper pieces to start:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ors.jpg

Each piece has 2 keys and two flaps. They fit together as shown:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/ort.jpg

The first basic shape you can make with them is a triangular corner: As you see these pieces fit together in threes:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/oru.jpg

the keys that are left hanging out, will be the base for further corners:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orv.jpg

you just keep adding on as many corners as you want. You can make about 4 different 3D geometric shapes with these pieces. For this dodecahedron, you need to have groups of 5 corners together:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orw.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...ippler/orx.jpg

this is the finished piece. As you can see ,there is a group of 5 corners in plain view in this photo. Around it are other groups of 5, that all together make this origami shape.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...pler/final.jpg

So there you are, hope some of you will be brave enough to give it a go. Let me know how you do!

this is awesome!! i think this is a very fitting place for your origami. it's definitely artwork. i will definitely give this one a try some time. boy, it's been so long since i've done any origami. this should be fun.

Damn. I mis-read the topic. Thought it said "Orgasm me"

We've never had posts about origami before – how exciting!! :D

Did you design the ball yourself?

I used to do origami as well but stopped because as cool as it may be it's so damn fragile :|

Wow sweet!
I used to do origami when I was knee high, mum purchased us a whole heap of paper and a few books, was fun ^_^

That's awesome. I love unit origami.

It's both entertainment and education.

It's edutainment.


http://img160.echo.cx/img160/1044/origshite7ex.jpg

http://img158.echo.cx/img158/2037/orig6bc.jpg

cool jwoody, you did it! easy isn't it?I find it very therapeutic. It's cool you guys are so receptive to origami. I think you can make really beautfiul things with it. I have yet to progress to more difficult levels of it, such as the kawasaki rose...now that's a real hard one. I didn't make this up myself, a friend taught me. As for their fragility...I think you can develop them I've tried making things in sheet acrylic, it works ok. I'm thinking of making this dodechaderon as a lamp shade for my dining table, if it works I'll show you. Also I have made sculptures with origami before, and if you give it all a coat of PVA glue, it goes hard (albeit shiny). There's ways around it if you use your imagination!

edit: found this link for Kawasaki rose instructions...really daunting

Kawasaki Rose PDF

foto of said Rose:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70...wasakirose.jpg

also, here is an online site that sells bouquets of origami roses...cool gift idea!

Blooms 4 Ever

The rose is pretty crazy. All those little folds; I'd never get 'em all lined up right :( Looks pretty, tho'.

And I agree with degrawj, this is probably the best section for origami :D

that rose is absolutely beautiful!

i'm in awe of the skill present in this thread.

I think I'm going to need some time and courage to try to fold that rose. And as for the first one, you could pretty much keep going to make it as big as a house?