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INTRODUCTION

Anyone receiving a note folded up in a mysterious way will get an extra lift of anticipation. Origami Note Cards shows how to fold paper into all kinds of different shapes. Instead of searching for a printed greeting card at a store, you may have fun spending a few minutes folding a piece of ordinary paper into a very personal message to a family member or friend. Even in this electronic age, sending a colorful card is still a popular way to communicate and show that you care.

Over the years I have collected hundreds of patterns for folded notes from all over the world and have selected some of my favorite designs for inclusion in Origami Note Cards. You can use them as greetings for birthdays and holidays, invitations, or notes of appreciation. Most patterns can be interchanged to suit any occasion and personalized with colorful papers and added decorations. Many of them are suited for gluing into a scrapbook.

The patterns range from very simple, needing only four or five creases, to more challenging ones. You will also find an unusual way to wrap a few of your handmade note cards, if you decide to give them as presents.

Share the pleasure of making cards with family members of any age, or scouting and other groups. You can even use your cards for fund raising purposes. They can be made ahead of time, ready for future use.

Many school systems now incorporate origami in their curricula, because hands-on activities are beneficial in presenting educational values in reading and math classes and for increasing tactile facility. With creative projects like the ones included in Origami Note Cards, students can learn while having fun. And I hope you will too.

Traditions of Folded Cards

Before envelopes were in common use, messages were written on pieces of paper and folded up. The address was written on the outside. Letter writers aimed to lock the paper in such a way that glue or sealing wax was not required.

Envelopes became popular in the mid-nineteenth century when the English post office began to assess mailings by weight and it became cheaper to send several sheets in one envelope. Previously postage was assessed by the number of sheets sent.

Birthday, Christmas cards, and Valentines were the most popular printed greeting cards until the latter part of the twentieth century, when cards were sent not only to honor special occasions but to keep in touch and as signs of friendship.

In Japan elaborate cards are attached to all gifts and may be shaped into appropriate symbols. For example, cards can be folded to resemble the crane, a long-legged bird with large wings that represents longevity because of its long life span. The elaborateness of a design is a sign of respect afforded to the recipient. Some of the letterfolds in Origami Note Cards are based on these designs.

Many people enjoy the creative fun of folding a note into an unusual shape, knowing that the recipient will have a surprise when it is opened.

The History of Origami

“Origami” is a Japanese word consisting of ori meaning to fold, and gami meaning paper. The word has slipped into the English language because paper-folding has spread from Japan, where it is part of the culture. It is known that since the twelfth century paper has been folded in Japan for ceremonial purposes and that in the sixteenth century paper was folded for decorative use and entertainment.

Records show that paper was folded in Europe in the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it was common practice to fold square baptismal certificates in set patterns and keep them in the family Bible.

The kind of recreational origami now popular in Asia and Western countries began in the late nineteenth century, but received its greatest impetus in the latter half of the twentieth century. Now origami clubs exist in many countries. Members of all ages meet to exchange directions for models and share other information. It’s great fun to meet other paper-folders at these gatherings, which are very welcoming to anyone of any age. In addition annual international conventions take place in many localities. The annual convention in New York City sponsored by OrigamiUSA attracts more than 600 enthusiasts from all over the world.

Many paperfolders like to follow the instructions provided by others, but some like to create their own designs. Today’s most prolific creators seem to have a mathematical, scientific, or artistic inclination of which they may not even be aware. Akira Yoshizawa of Japan is considered the master of artistic origami designs, which are much admired. His animals seem to come alive, poised ready to run or jump. Dr. Robert Lang, an American scientist, is intrigued by the challenge of devising insects that duplicate their natural details. Some creations by these and other masters have become well recognized as works of art. They have been displayed in major art museums and sold in art galleries. Some may require only a few creases while others may be made with hundreds—yes, hundreds—of steps.

Dr. Lang has devised the Treemaker software, which bases folding patterns on proportions of the location and size of points on the surface of the paper. Erik Demaine, a young professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explores the mathematics behind origami. Both he and Robert Lang are deeply involved in adapting origami techniques to scientific purposes in the auto industry, space exploration, and other areas.