Remember this from Scissor Variations?
I have always wanted to try origami, and this little project of mine was the perfect excuse. Unlike last week's tea cup arrangement, this time I didn't wait until Sunday. Oh no. This time, I went to Pearl (a local discount art store) on Saturday with Mr. Foxy in tow, iPhone in hand so he could monitor soccer scores.
Choosing the paper:
Kinda slim pickings for a beginner like me. Made me wish I a) ordered some online or b) was back in LA so I could go to Sawtelle or Little Tokyo and find some I really liked.
There were some fancy-pants choices, but I am so not interested in trying to cut my own squares.
I made my selection and skedaddled. Please note that New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" was playing and there was this artwork on the way in. Took me back to high school art class.
It begins:
Origami paper? Check. Directions? Came with my origami paper, which is why I chose that particular brand. There were no directions to be found on Scissor Variations or anywhere else on how to actually make an origami crane. After a cursory glance at the instructions, I was ready to get to folding.
It started out simply enough. All about innocent folding and the creation of creases in the paper.
Then it went horribly, horribly wrong. Let it be known that I spent half an hour on that wretched piece of gold paper. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to make the paper transform into a diamond. I had my first casualty.
An epiphany. The smaller two images in the first set of gold attempts were wrong. In fact, just like a contestant on the Amazing Race, I had not followed the little diagrams as closely as possible, skimming over the information instead.
The second attempt:
Well, I tore this one. It was white and I was so furious I didn't even take a picture.
The third go:
I got so, so close. The crane-like looking shape is wrong, btw. The bottom image is near to what it should be, but not right enough, grasshopper!
The crane! The crane!
Please excuse my Fantasy Island reference, for those in the know. I was deliriously proud of my misshapen crane, parading around our apartment and demanding praise from Mr. Foxy and the dogs.
On a roll:
Suddenly, I was virtually an origami savant, churning out cranes like I was born to do it. Below are images of the shapes that I had the most difficulty divining. I hope to help you (if you decide to try) and save you the anguish I experienced.
The progression:
My cranes became more and more recognizable.
Until I had a flock:
My little birds don't look as crisp and as nice as the ones on Scissor Variations; I couldn't figure out how to make their backs look "puffy" (like in the picture) and their wings look as nice as in the example. All in all, though, still not bad for my first try!
Creating the garland:
I needed a needle. Then I remembered I had one in my suitcase from my mom's wedding last January. Excellent. I had some thread Mr. Foxy picked up for me at the CVS when we shopped on Saturday, and next I needed sequins. Definitely didn't pick those up. Totally missed that. Do you see a developing pattern? I seem to always forget something! Lucky for me, I remembered I had a huge piece of trim (left over from my former life as a bridal shop owner) stashed under my bed. I snatched that and cut some sequins off. (If anyone wants the rest of it - there's a good two feet - comment below and I will send it to you!)
I needed a needle. Then I remembered I had one in my suitcase from my mom's wedding last January. Excellent. I had some thread Mr. Foxy picked up for me at the CVS when we shopped on Saturday, and next I needed sequins. Definitely didn't pick those up. Totally missed that. Do you see a developing pattern? I seem to always forget something! Lucky for me, I remembered I had a huge piece of trim (left over from my former life as a bridal shop owner) stashed under my bed. I snatched that and cut some sequins off. (If anyone wants the rest of it - there's a good two feet - comment below and I will send it to you!)
Sewing:
The instructions suggested to sew a sequin into the knot on the thread to create a seat for the crane to rest on. They also mentioned that the creases made during the creation of the crane provided the proverbial "x marks the spot" for where to thread the crane. Right on. I sewed a sequin onto a knot. Whatever that means. I forged on, improvising.
But not without some drama. Lucky for me, those got hidden inside of the crane!
An hour later I had...
Crane Garland!!!
Challenge #2 Complete!
Origami was tough to figure out but, once I got it, I was ok...although they still don't look exactly like the picture. The paper cost $4.00 and the thread cost $2.50, so it was super cheap. Time, though, was definitely a factor. All in all, it took me about 3-4 hours to get everything done, and directions on how to make origami would have been helpful. Other than that, I say, if you have the time and the patience (something I lack), an origami garland is not so bad. I also am super proud for teaching myself.
Up next...I haven't decided. Check back later today and comment below to help me figure out what my next DI-Why Not should be! Your choices are:
Pumpkin bread, Martha Stewart's Nut Wreath, or Martha's infamous tissue paper pom-poms. Whatever I make will be subject to giveaway!
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