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Origami
Napkin origami : 25 creative and fun ideas for napkin folding
edited by Brian Sawyer.
New York, NY : Sterling/Hollan, c2008.
Includes index.
Beginning origami
Vicente Palacios.
Mineola, N.Y. : Dover Publications, 2008.
From the author of Dover's Origami for Beginners and Origami from Around the World comes this new introduction to paperfolding. Each of its 84 models features detailed, easy-to-follow diagrams. All ages will find it a simple guide to making swans, houses, vases, boats, hats, and other charming figures.
Mastering the art of origami : how to make fantastic folded flowers, birds and other figures, plus practical containers, abstract sculptures and ornaments to enhance your home
Rick Beech.
London : Southwater, c2007.
An illustrated practical guide to Japanese creative paperfolding, with over 40 classic designs shown in more than 580 colour photographs.
Fun with folded fabric boxes : all no-sew projects, fat-quarter friendly, elegance in minutes
Crystal Mills and Arnold Tubis.
Lafayette, CA : C&T Pub., c2007.
Inspired by traditional Japanese maku, the elegant wooden boxes used for measuring rice or beans, the boxes featured in "Fun with Folded Fabric Boxes" are simple and appealing. But "these" boxes are made using origami techniques and real fabric and paper, and they're perfect for storing small items, for holding gifts, for giving as party favors, for serving as decorative accents, and for so many more uses. Funky or functional, lavish or spare, these folded fabric boxes can be made with fat quarters or special papers and embellished for a wide range of effects.
Origami from the heart
by Florence Temko.
North Clarendon, VT : Tuttle Pub., 2007.
Use the art of origami to create unique, personalized cards that recipients will treasure!Perfect for those tired of sending dull, commercially produced cards, Origami from the Heart will wow that special someone .The clear, easy-to-follow directions in this beautiful kit will allow readers of any level of knowledge to create not only fun and flirty origami love notes, but also envelopes just right for mailing.
Paper in three dimensions : origami, pop-ups, sculpture, baskets, boxes, and more
Diane Maurer-Mathison.
New York : Watson-Guptill, 2006.
From richly textured handmade paper to elegant paper sculpture, Paper in Three Dimensions brings papercrafting to new heights. Lavishly illustrated step-by-step instructions make it easy to create dozens of the hottest papercrafts. Short courses in papermaking and dimensional paper techniques give readers the basic skills they need to successfully complete all the projects in the five exciting chapters: Creating Dimensional Handmade Paper: Embossed or Low-Relief Cast Paper, Dimensional Cast Paper, Manipulating Paper for Sculptural Effects, Pulp Painting, Mastering Folded Paper Designs: Accordion-Fold Designs, Tunnel Books, Diamond-Fold Designs, Folded Exploding Cards, Traditional Origami, Constructing Paper Pop-Ups: Pop-Up Basics, Pop-Up Flag Books, Origamic Architecture, Slice-Form Pop-Ups, Wearable Pop-Ups, Exploring Traditional Paper Sculpture: An Introduction to Paper Sculpture, Paper Sculptors' Tips and Tricks, A Paper-Sculpted Bird in Flight, A Pop-Up Sculpture Garden, Building 3-D Paper Structures: Dimensional Paper Weaving, Papier-Mache, Screens, Lamps, and Luminaries, Decorative Boxes.
Origami quilts : 20 folded fabric projects
Louise Mabbs and Wendy Lowes.
Woodinville, WA : Martingale & Co., c2006.
Create 20 beautiful quilts, wall hangings, and pillows! This collection of unique projects introduces a range of trouble-free fabric-folding methods that are quick, easy, and result in stunning, texture-filled designs. Step-by-step photos make construction a breeze.
Jewish holiday origami
Joel Stern ; photographs by David Greenfield.
Mineola, N.Y. : Dover Publications, 2006.
Clearly detailed diagrams and captions explain all the steps for an entire year's worth of holiday projects -- from Chanukah dreidels and a menorah with candles, to Passover pyramids and an image of the Red Sea parting. Great for synagogues, schools, and homes, this easy-to-follow guide offers beginning paperfolders a unique, fun-filled way to celebrate Jewish culture. 24 models.
The word origami comes from the Japanese oru (to fold) and kami (paper).
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Sadako and the peace cranes
Perhaps the most famous origami design is the Japanese crane. It is considered an international symbol for peace because of its connection with Sadako Saski, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
Learning that she was dying of leukemia at age twelve, Sadako set out to fold 100 paper cranes. A Japanese legend says anyone doing so will be granted a wish. |
| (Sadako's story) |
The tradition of folding paper in Japan can be traced almost as far back as the introduction of paper itself -- around the the sixth century A.D. It may have developed for both religious and official purposes.
Paper itself was considered sacred, perhaps because the Japanese word kami can mean both "paper" and "god" (although they are spelled differently). Folded paper continues to have symbolic significance in Shinto shrines.
Official documents and certificates were often folded in such a way that they could not be copied. Folded documents also accompanied valuable gifts. Such gifts were referred to as origami tsuki, indicating that the gift was authenticated. In Japan, gifts for special occasions, such as weddings, are still decorated with folded paper (noshi).
The basic technique of origami is folding. Combinations of folds form models. The simplest fold is the valley fold, which results in a valley-shaped crease. Increasingly complex folds have been developed, including techniques for folding paper into curved shapes.
Purists resist using more than one sheet of paper, or even cutting the paper, to achieve the final result. However, some artists have folded cardboard, cloth, wire mesh, sheet metal, and even sheets of pasta.
Origami is not only for artists and craftspeople. Scientists, architects and mathematicians have utilized principles of origami for practical applications such as airbags and telescopes.
From a simple fold to complex science and mathematical computations, the ancient art of paperfolding continues to keep pace with new technology today.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.
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