Vixen (Roman Diaz)

This is yet another model from the book – Origami Essence, by Román Díaz; the finished model is absolutely great, and the expression on the Vixen’s face is priceless. Very few Origami designs have such an outcome. This book has a lot of interesting models to choose from and with the right kind of paper will make a great result.

'Vixen' from the book - Origami Essence

This model is categorized as Level 3 in the book, with Level 1 being the least complicated and Level 5, highly complex. The suggested paper to use for this model is Tant paper, painted red on a side and white on the other to take advantage of the color changing involved. You can also use Kami paper of as in my case, tissue foil for this model. As per the book, the size of the final model is around 0.4 of the size of the paper you have started with.

This model makes used of the duo-colored paper to form the color changing face, chest and tail.

Paper to use:
I made use of a 20 cm square sheet of tissue foil paper which I bought from the Origami-Shop.com site. The book suggests a paper size of 25 cm to start off with.

How to fold this model:
Sara Adams has recorded a great instructional video on folding this particular model. For your easy reference, I am also embedding the video below:

If you do like this model and enjoy Román Díaz’s work, please do buy the book – Origami Essence – I am sure you will like it a lot and will enjoy folding the models in it. This has certainly become one of my favorite books now and am looking forward to folding more models from it.

Squirrel (Design by Michael LaFosse)

This weekend, I went back to browsing through designs in Michael LaFosse’s book – Advanced Origami: An Artist’s Guide to Performances in Paper – and thought I’d give this squirrel a try. I loved the final shaping given to this design in the book and wondered if I could get mine to look half as good.

I’d suggest a larger sized paper measuring 9 inches to 12 inches, really, I did my first fold with a 6 inch square sheet of paper, and it turned out miniature. I couldn’t get to finish most of the shaping and finer folds required at the end, too.

Paper to Use:
I used traditional Kami or the common origami paper to fold this model. I started out with a square sheet of paper measuring 6 inches in size and hence the miniature size of my completed model. My next fold will proably be in tissue foil, duo colored, that is; in order to take advantage of the color change technique in this design.

How to fold the Squirrel:
Tadashimori as recorded a great 2 part video on folding this model. If you do not have the book, you can attempt folding this model by following the instructions in these videos.

Pig (Quentin Trollip)

Today I decided to fold another one of Quentin Trollip’s designs. I selected tissue foil as my paper choice and spent my morning making duo colored tissue foil. I didn’t want to spend a lot of time wet folding this model even though it is suggested in the diagram that wet folding will give you the best results. Somehow, I could never do that right without my patience giving way towards the end! Tissue foil turned out to be my next best option as it provides the flexibility to shape the paper at will.

Paper to Use:
I have made tissue foil paper duo colored white at home this morning and used it to fold this pig. I daresay I had problems with the placement of the tissue paper hence the air bubbles you see on the texture of the tissue foil. The size of the paper I used was around 30 cms or 12 inches, square shaped. My end result was a pig measuring 5.5 inches in length and 3 inches in height, approx.

How to fold this Pig:
You will be able to find the diagram to folding this pig on Quentin Trollip’s website. It is pretty well explained and even has details on the type of paper to use and final size to paper ratio.

In addition to the diagram, I have also found an instructional video on Youtube.com which I am sure will aid your understanding of the diagram. I am embedding it below for your easy reference.

Spiral Star (Design by Tomoko Fuse)

Spiral Star (Design by Tomoko Fuse)

This is a design from Tomoko Fuse’s book – Shells and Spirals 3 – which is available in Japanese language. The technique used in this model is same as that of Tomoko Fuse’s Spiral design and is pretty easy to fold, too.

What you need:

3 square sheets of origami paper, wrapping paper or any other paper of your choice. It does not matter what kind of paper you use to fold this model, because the folds are pretty simple and repetitive. However, it would be beneficial not to use card paper or very thick paper for this as it would become difficult to fold the repetitive folds towards the end.

You would also need a paper cutter or a craft scissor for this model. Don’t worry, there is no ‘cutting’ involved during the folding process. However, each of the sheets you have selected to fold this model, requires that they be cut into half diagonally.

How to fold this model:

I have recorded an instructional video on this model and am hoping that you will find it easy to follow. 5 pre-creased units are required to fold this model; and it requires that the placement of the units are done carefully when starting to fold them together to form the star.

Have a good week ahead!

The most popular design is that of the peace crane, which is the most recognizable symbol in origami. However, there are other variations of this which have been created over the years and look just as pretty and are simple to fold too. The crane is considered a symbol of honor, peace and loyalty in Japan. This is one of the most basic, simple and most popular origami designs of all time.

I have included excerpts of the most requested stories behind the origami crane and I am sure you will like to read them. There is a lot of meaning to why a thousand origami cranes are folded and why a crane is such a symbolic image in Japan.

One of the most popular stories is that of a 1000 cranes… the story of a little girl – Sadako Sasaki, who was a victim of the atomic bomb. This is the story as narrated in Wikipedia:

Sadako Sasaki (佐々木 禎子 Sasaki Sadako?, January 7, 1943 – October 25, 1955) was a Japanese girl who lived near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Sadako was only two years old on August 6, 1945 when she became a victim of the atomic bomb.

At the time of the explosion Sadako was at home, about 1 mile from ground zero. By November 1954, chicken pox had developed on her neck and behind her ears. Then in January 1955, purple spots had started to form on her legs. Subsequently, she was diagnosed with leukemia, which her mother referred to as “an atom bomb disease.”[1] She was hospitalized on February 21, 1955 and given, at the most, a year to live.

On August 3, 1955, Chizuko Hamamoto — Sadako’s best friend — came to the hospital to visit and cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn’t understand why Chizuko was doing this but then Chizuko retold the story about the paper cranes. Inspired by the crane, she started folding them herself, spurred on by the Japanese saying that one who folded 1,000 cranes was granted a wish. A popular version of the story is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. This comes from the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An exhibit which appeared in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of August, 1955, Sadako had achieved her goal and continued to fold more cranes.

Though she had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital to fold the cranes, she lacked paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she could scrounge up. This included going to other patients’ rooms to ask to use the paper from their get-well presents. Chizuko would bring paper from school for Sadako to use.

During her time in hospital her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October her left leg became swollen and turned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sadako requested tea on rice and remarked “It’s good.” Those were her last words. With her family around her, Sadako died on the morning of October 25, 1955.

After her death, Sadako’s friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.

There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of nuclear war. Sadako is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to her, people all over Japan celebrate August 6 as the annual peace day.

1000 Cranes in popular culture…Wikipedia also has an entry for how 1000 cranes are still popular in the world today and their cultural significance:

Thousand Origami Cranes (千羽鶴 Senbazuru or Zenbazuru?) is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes held together by strings.
An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures (others include the dragon and the tortoise), and is said to live for a thousand years. In Asia, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person’s wish come true. This makes them popular gifts for special friends and family.

A thousand paper cranes is also traditionally given as a wedding gift by the folder, who is wishing a thousand years of happiness and prosperity upon the couple. It can also be gifted to a new baby for long life and good luck. Hanging a Senbazuru in one’s home is thought to be a powerfully lucky and benevolent charm. It is also used as a matchmaking charm for a Japanese girl when she turns 13 years old. She would make 1000 paper cranes and give it to an admired boy.

Sets of origami paper are sold widely in Japan, with Senbazuru sets including 1000 (or more, in case of mistakes) sheets of paper, string, and beads to place at the end of each string to prevent the cranes slipping off[1]. Commonly the cranes are assembled as 25 strings of 40 cranes each[1]. The size of the origami paper does not matter when assembling a thousand paper cranes, but smaller sheets consequently yield smaller and lighter strings of cranes. The most popular size for Senbazuru cranes is 75 by 75 millimetres (3.0 in × 3.0 in). Some people cut their own squares of paper from anything available, such as magazines.

Origami paper used for Senbazuru is usually of a solid color, though printed designs are also available. Larger size origami paper, usually 6×6 inches, often has traditional Japanese or flower designs, reminiscent of kimono patterns.

The Thousand Origami Cranes has become a symbol of world peace[citation needed] through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who contracted leukemia as a result of radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Her story is told in the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Several temples, including some in Tokyo and Hiroshima, have eternal flames for World Peace. At these temples, school groups or individuals often donate Senbazuru to add to the prayer for peace. The cranes are left exposed to the elements, slowly dissolving and becoming tattered as the wish is released. In this way they are related to the prayer flags of India and Tibet.

Some Popular Origami Designs…

How to fold a traditional origami crane (Tsuru): Instructional video

How to fold an origami crane box: Instructional video

How to fold an origami Hiroshima crane: Diagram and Image courtesy – Origami Weekly

How to fold a double origami crane (Japanese style)!: Instructional video

How to fold an origami crane (Eric Joisel’s variation): Instructional video and post.

How to fold an origami crane box: Instructional video