Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding has been around for ages. Sheets of square coloured paper have kept generations of little kids busy and their mothers happy. Innovative crafters have taken origami a step ahead and have used this traditional art to reduce and recycle old books that may be lying around catching dust. This is a creative and economical solution to update your home decor.
Sounds exciting? Let’s ‘Recyclogami’
Here are three must do’s for starters:
- Before you start tearing up your significant other’s priced possession, it’s a good idea to use old newspapers, watch some YouTube videos and familiarize yourself once again with the basics of paper folding.
- Sort out the books that you can tear up from the ones that you might want to keep, make sure that these don’t get mixed. Since origami can get a little complicated, use books that have thick pages. This will also make essential steps like folding and turning easier.
- Finally, make sure that you have a flat surface and a comfortable chair to work on. Origami is a serious craft. Unlike knitting, it takes a while to learn to do it on the couch while watching the T.V. or while playing blackjack online.
Kusudama flower balls are one of the easiest folds for the origami novice. To begin with, tear a few sheets of paper and cut them into equal sized squares. Watch this video and learn how to make the basic flower balls. You can experiment with various square sizes for your perfect flower.
Add a ribbon to make a great hanging for your door, or bunch a few of these flowers and make a gorgeous table centre piece. You can also use some old pictorial or comic books for flower ball buntings in the kids’ bedroom. Origami gets easier and more intuitive as you go along. Play around with various folds, and combine these to create your own signature origami style. Check out Etsy for some stunning inspiration.
