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Making the Connection

I have always thought of origami as a clever and beautiful art form. It has a rich history that dates back to the first or second century AD in China and gained prominence in the fifteenth century, when high-class Japanese samurai warriors practiced it as a form of gift-giving at banquets. However, I could never understand why origami continued to be such a popular pastime. I thought about it for a long time and came up with my own theory.

When I was ten, I really wanted to wear a pair of high heels because I thought I would look cool, but never found the occasion to get a pair (truth: my mother wouldn’t let me). Now that I am old enough to wear heels, I still have to dream about looking cool in them—because the reality is, I can barely walk in them! There is one consolation, though. If I can’t walk in them, I can at least fold them. This is why I started folding high heels. While folding shoes, I stumbled upon folding different kinds of sweets, which brought back fond memories of first dates, and excursions with girlfriends celebrating life’s joys and sorrows (which of course then made me hungry for real sweets). Each new project brought memories to mind, which in turn inspired other new projects.

Origami has always been an interesting way to engage and connect with our dreams, memories, and desires. As we fold origami creations, we think about what they represent, and the connections to our past and future lives--all with just a simple piece of paper.

Girligami has eighteen origami creations to make with the help of easy-to-follow, illustrated step-by-step instructions. The projects are inspired by the world of delicious sweets, wacky critters, high-tech gadgets, falling in love, and the fashion runway. And have you ever wondered what to do with a cool piece of origami that you have just made? Well, now you can turn them into little gifts for yourself or your friends. There are lots of super fun and easy projects to make from your folded designs—everything from jewelry, to greeting cards, to hanging notepads. All the projects in the book are easy enough for curious beginners and intriguing enough for seasoned enthusiasts. This is the origami book I have always dreamed of having. So get ready: new and old memories are about to unfold at your fingertips.

Some Helpful Tips:

* Origami paper likes a flat, clean surface. Work on an oil-free table or countertop, or even a hardcover book.

* Cut Carefully! Smaller models are presented in multiples on a single sheet, so grab a pair of scissors (or, if you want to be super-precise, buy a craft knife from your local craft store, a cutting mat, and a metal ruler). Take your time, follow the outline, and cut carefully. Always use scissors and craft knives with caution. Children should be supervised or assisted by an adult.

* Begin by orienting your paper exactly as shown in the first step. The first time you try a model you may want to use the same paper pattern as shown in the instruction (some models have a few different patterns to choose from).

* Follow the markings. Dashed lines show where to fold, while arrows show in which direction to fold. When you see a circle with an arrow, the circle indicates where to pinch or hold the paper as you fold in the direction of the arrow.

* First impressions are everything! Your origami paper’s very first fold quickly commits to memory, so it helps to be precise and neat. Keep your origami in shape by running your thumbnail along each fold several times.

* Review all the steps before you start folding a model. As you’re folding, it helps to keep looking ahead to the next illustration to see what should be created once you have completed the step you are working on.

* Don’t take yourself too seriously! If you do, origami is zero ounces of fun. If you’re feeling frustrated, take a break and come back to it later.

* Make something! Go to page 56 and turn your model into jewelry, greeting cards and more.

* Share your origami. Give a pretty origami model or present to someone you like, love or have a crush on. Wink wink.

Why I Love Origami

Origami is a vehicle of creativity and innovation for me. It creates beautiful and satisfying results in minutes, not to mention the fact that a piece of paper is quick and easy to find!

Here are some of the things origami can do for you, too:

Origami …

* fosters your visualization skills

* calms your nerves as you focus on folding (and not on whatever is stressing you out)

* tricks you into learning geometry

* increases your self-confidence as you master increasingly difficult models

* entertains you when you are procrastinating

* gives you thoughtful, pretty, economical gifts for family and friends

I hope you find origami as fun and engaging as I do. Happy folding!

A Guide to

Folding Symbols, Terms and Actions

Action Symbols

- - - - - -

dashed line: A dashed line indicates where you need to fold or crease.

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solid line: A solid line shows where a crease has been made that now serves as the guide to where the edge of your origami paper should align.

This symbol indicates that the paper needs to be flipped over. When the symbol is on the side of the origami paper, it means flip over from side to side. If it is on top, it means flip over from top to bottom.

Flip over from side to side.

Flip over from top to bottom.

Rotate clockwise.

Rotate counterclockwise.

Terms

crease: To fold and unfold the paper, leaving a line or ridge to serve as a guide for a future fold.

fold: To bend your sheet of paper over, under, behind, or on top of itself so that one part covers another. This creates the framework for the origami model.

Common folds:

Fold in.

Fold out.

Fold up.

Fold down.

Fold Behind.

Collapse: For this fold, pinch sides of paper where indicated with circles and carefully bring them in and down to meet the bottom edges, as shown by the arrows. Look at the illustrations to see the collapse in progress.