Making origami as a gift

Origami is the art of folding various figures out of paper. Typically no glue is used in these crafts. If you develop the ability to handle paper, you can make a gift for any occasion. Where to start and how to make more complex modular origami?

Before creating a simple or more complex masterpiece, you need to purchase some items.

1. White and multi-colored paper. To make an origami card or figurine, you'd better use different sheets of paper. The product itself can be monochromatic, but on top it can be decorated with applications: circles, stripes, squares cut from paper of a different color.
2. Sharp scissors. For different types of origami, paper of different shapes is used. Both the square and the rectangle can serve as raw materials for your surprise. Therefore, it is better to immediately acquire high-quality scissors in order to cut out the necessary shapes with them.
3. Ruler and pencil. With these tools, you just measure the lengths you need to get a rectangle or square.

To make a paper box that you can put a little surprise in, you need a square. You have to choose its size yourself: the larger the side of the square, the larger the box will come out. Now we will tell you how to make such origami step by step.

1. Fold the square in half and then in half again.
2. Unfold the square back and lay it with the inside facing up. This is true if you are using paper that is colored on only one side. Fold the corners of the square towards the center. It is clearly visible thanks to the previous folds. It turned out to be a small square.
3. Bend the edges of the square to its center and unfold it back. You will need to do this to create fold lines that you will need later. Do the same on the perpendicular sides.
4. Bend two opposite corners from the center. It turned out to be a kind of "candy" in appearance.
5. Now bend the side edges of this candy to the middle too.
6. Now take a close look at the diagram: you need to perform two actions at the same time. Turn the box inside out and bend its edges towards the center. It's quite difficult for a beginner, but you can handle it.
7. Bend the other side edge to the center of the already half-formed box.
8. Repeat on the opposite side. The box is ready!
9. You can make the second box a little larger and it will serve as a lid. Then you will have the opportunity to hide a cute surprise in it.

Flowers are one of the most popular origami figures. Lilies, roses and tulips can be folded from paper. They can be used to decorate a bag, postcard or gift box. It is better to comprehend this art from simple to complex, so we will show and tell you how to make a cute decoration in the form of a paper bell. It is not at all difficult to make it. Just stick to the following algorithm.

1. Take a blue square piece of paper and fold it diagonally.
2. Roll the edges of the resulting triangle to the middle. You will get a rhombus visually. Flip the diamond over with the back facing you.
3. Roll the protruding corners as shown in the figure.
4. Turn the shape back - you get a bell.
5. Now let's get to the leaves. Take another green square.
6. Bend it diagonally. Expand and press the edges to the resulting fold line.
7. Bend the lower, shorter edges to the centerline as well.
8. Expand the shape - on the reverse side, you get an even, beautiful rhombus, the future leaf.

Modular origami has exploded in popularity lately. And this is not surprising, since it is not at all difficult to fold small elements. And large figures are also quite easy to get, collecting them from small modules, like a constructor. Modules come in different shapes, but triangular modules are most often used. They can be folded in several ways. Let's analyze the triangular module circuit.

1. Take a rectangular piece of paper and fold it in half 2 times.
2. Expand the rectangles once and bend its edges towards the center, as shown in the figure.
3. Turn the figurine over.
4. Fold the two protruding edges to the edge of the upper triangle, and then fold them completely.
5. Fold the resulting module in half - it's ready!

The modules are used to make real works of art: different types of animals and birds, dragons, as well as various boxes and candy bowls. Even without a diagram, you can make triangular colorful fish, such as in the figure.

Even without a diagram, you can make triangular colorful fish, such as in the figure.

To make smooth curves, for example, for constructing birds, you can use the so-called wet modular origami method. To do this, paper modules are sprayed with water and bent at the desired angles.

Finally, I would like to give a few recommendations for those who are just starting their journey into the world of origami.

1. For any origami, be it classic or modular, it is better to use double-sided thick paper. It folds better, holds its shape well and will not tear if you accidentally pull it in the wrong direction.
2. Follow the directions carefully and try to fold the paper as evenly as possible at each step. The curvature will first pull the subsequent asymmetry.
3. Start with simple models, as you need to get your hands on and learn to read the diagrams. Leave too complicated origami for later.

For information on how to make a lily using the origami technique, see the video below.