Everything has it's place...

I found this pencil holder origami on Pinterest a few months ago, and absolutely loved it!  I use it to hold all those random pens and highlighters that tend to clutter my desk.  The diamonds on each face are actually little pockets that can hold paper clips, pins, or scraps of paper.  Its only flaw is that it tends to tip over if I put too many pens in it, although this could be easily fixed with a weighted bottom.  Here's the link to the instructions:  Modular Pencil Case Instructions

A Flock of Birds

I made this string of origami cranes for my boyfriend 3 years ago.  I tied a picture of us together at the bottom, and each crane represents a memory we've had together.  I love making cranes because the folding instructions are easy, yet the result looks delicate.  There are 60 cranes in total, 20 of each color, and I used normal folding paper.  I would love to try making this piece with more colors, to create more of a rainbow effect.

Crane Wreath

Crane wreath.

The back looks good too.

My friend Dana and I made this crane wreath together two years ago.  We made four sections apiece, and I assembled it.  We used sturdy paper, but it was not necessary -- the locking folds of the design are great at ensuring the piece holds its shape.  I especially like the rainbow coloring, though solid, alternating colors would create a great effect, too.  I appreciate that the back of this piece looks good, also; in my experience, most origami designs only ensure the front looks nice. 

Oh My Stars!

Modular Star.

Notice the star and triangle pattern.

My college Math professor helped us build this modular origami star during the last day of class in 2007.  Each of the ten students folded five origami apiece, and the professor assembled them into the form shown above.  We then played a mathematical game to determine who would be the lucky owner.  Guess who won?

Stiff card paper was used for the individual pieces (50 in total), which is essential for it to hold its form.  The actual assembly is quite easy, simply "swizzle" the flaps into the star and triangle pattern.

Here is a link to the folding instructions:
Curly Star Folding Instructions

This website has plenty of other modular origami folding instructions, ranging from easy to very difficult:
 http://www.origamee.net/diagrams/diagrams.htm

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star...

 

Transforming Star in "star" form.

Transforming Star mid transformation.

Transforming Star fully transformed.  I call this the "frisbee" form.

This simple but impressive modular origami is composed of 8 individual, easy-to-fold pieces.  I recommend sturdy paper, as the sliding action during transformations requires that the paper be able stand up to the friction.  Next time, I would try using solid, alternating colors for the pieces, perhaps in a shiny texture to symbolize the star.  I think red and gold would be especially spectacular!  I have even seen others using green paper to create wreath-like ornaments for the holidays (leave the transforming star partially transformed to create this effect).  Such an easy and versatile piece!

If you would like to try this piece for yourself, here is a link to the step-by-step instructions:
Transforming Origami Star Instructions

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to PaperSky, a blog about everything origami!

Origami is a wonderful pastime for all ages because with just one piece of paper, anything is possible!

Over the next few months, I will share with you some of my origami projects, and include insights into what was tricky, what was easy, what type of paper was best, and much more.

I don't claim to be a great origami artist, so please be kind to my creations, they are works in the making.  But I hope, through sharing my work, I can inspire others to take on larger and more challenging origami projects.  So enjoy, and feel free to leave comments -- all feedback is welcome!