Cameron Highlands Tea Plantation, Malaysia

Monday, May 4, 2009

Kids' Crafts: Origami Project

My thirteen year old daughter enjoys doing origamis. She can create all sorts of fanciful things using this ancient Japanese art of paper folding such as balls, cranes, hearts, deers, swans, dragonflies, frogs, and flowers. She's in the midst of making one hundred origami designs for her school project next week. And that's why she has spent the entire weekend folding and tucking all these little structures. The wonder of being able to turn a piece of paper into a fascinating, life-like design is an extremely cool and rewarding craft project for kids and adults of all ages.

I came across a wonderful website, Origami Tutorial that would be useful for anyone who wants to learn to make origamis. This site provides you with a fair amount of really cool strategies, step by step photos with detailed directions, and best of all, you can create different models with the basic module. My daughter has already made a lot of the projects, and the result was amazing indeed!

Suffice to say, this is one hobby that everyone can pursue and enjoy. I may actually learn to how to make them one day. :) Look, I'm showcasing some of my favourite origamis that my daughter made.

Origami hearts with the stand

This is perhaps the most classic of all origami, the Origami Cranes. This is the one unique origami everyone tries to learn to fold. According to Japanese legend, these cranes promise good health, long life, and happiness to anyone who folds a thousand of them.

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First Commenter - Mei Teng

37 comments:

  1. So beautiful! I find making origami complicated though :)

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  2. I love origami but never attempt to fold it. Wait till I have one free day to do it!

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  3. Beautiful and fantastic. I love your daughter's artwork and thanks for sharing them to us. :)

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  4. Hi Mei Teng,
    For those who are interested in origami like my daughter, they don't find it complicated but challenging.

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  5. Foong,
    speaking of FC, when can i have the opportunity to CHOP on your blog? :(

    I'll pursue this interest when I have the time. It's a fun hobby. :)

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  6. thanks for the compliments, JL.
    i'm glad you liked them.

    I always admire my daughter's artwork, spirit, patience and determination.The art of folding such precise lines and sharp corners eludes me. I am far too impatient for such order.

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  7. wow this is a great classroom project and I love her artwork! ;-)

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  8. Such beautiful artwork.

    For me, I have a kayu hand - no good in making crafts at all. :(

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  9. thanks Monica. it was a great learning opportunity. The art of origami teaches them to be aware and to pay attention.

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  10. thanks, lina.

    i know it's time consuming and detail driven, but if you have the patience, it's beautiful.

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  11. Those are lovely origamis, your daughter is very good at it. It's really good that you made her use colorful papers, some use plain but it doesn't have that much of a character sometimes...it just depends on the subject.

    I love origami too!

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  12. I don't know lah! I myself have trouble chopping at other blogs! : )

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  13. Lovely origami, I know how to fold a simple airplane only :)

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  14. Hi Life Ramblings, your kid has picked up a very interesting hobby.
    Its a beautiful hobby too, not many can do it.
    Maybe next day get her interested in those bonzai or flower arrangement, Japanese style?

    Have fun, Lee.

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  15. But I guess everyone including 3 year olds also can fold an airplane better than me... lol.

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  16. I love those colors and shapes. Now I have to wait until my kids are a little bit older to do them. I think I would have little crumpled messes at their age right now.

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  17. I only know how to make Birdie! Haha :D It's aeroplane considered?

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  18. Ayie,
    those are actually high-quality origami sheets specially manufactured to resist tears and produce clean lines and crisp folds. Each paper is colored one side only though. they are widely available at bookstores and art supply shops.

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  19. Hi Irene,
    i'm not too good too. folding a basic airplane was my 1st tutorial. i guess patience is something that we all need to learn. that's what my daughter said. hehe

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  20. Lee,
    that can be a very wonderful hobby to pursue and expensive too.

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  21. Julia,
    Origami is good for kids and their self-esteem. In many parts of Asian countries, this realization has been taken to the classroom and used by many teachers to broaden the student’s way of thinking.

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  22. tekkaus,
    hehe what kind of birdie can u make?

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  23. I remember seeing the same papers in a big art supply shop here, couldn't take my eyes off it. I almost bought an origami set. =D

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  24. Wow!! Your kid is talented in origami!!
    I'll be just if my kids stop making paper airplanes and throwing them everywhere :P

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  25. i never had enough patience to remember every fold. the cranes used to represent a "wish" for us. a beautiful art it is. :)

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  26. Ayie,
    once u got started, you'll be hooked. :) anyway, hope u can share your work with us if u can.

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  27. Elaine,
    One of the true simple fun crafts that any kids can do is to make a paper airplane and it is getting very popular in every household. haha

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  28. levian,
    same boat. i don't have the kind of steady hand, or the ability to practice and get good at this incredible level of paper-folding prowess. but who knows, i might pursue this fun interest someday. hehe

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  29. thanks a million for the award, Mariuca.

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  30. I made lots of origami when I first learnt the art. They are all thrown away now and I have forgotten how to make most of them. :)

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  31. I like the choice of paper used for your daughter's origami.

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  32. That's the very reason why I resisted to buy the origami set! lol

    Sure, I'll share my works if ever I get to start on it. Thanks!

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  33. ECL,
    My own origami abilities are currently very limited, but it is something I would like to improve on when i have extra time. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

    those papers used are actually high quality origami sheets. :)

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  34. Ayie,
    i'll look forward to seeing your artwork.

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  35. Origami is a wonderful form of meditation. These came out great.

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