Today's post is going to be a little on the crafty side. One of the New Years goals (find them here) was to do more DIY projects and get my craft on! So since I'm not the most talented when it comes to creating crafty masterpieces, I thought I'd start off with just making a few types of origami. I've always been fascinated by the Japanese art of paper folding; I think it's fantastic that a simple piece of square paper can be turned into something like a 3D animal! There are lot's of easy-to-follow origami tutorials on Youtube, and you can get hold of the paper really cheap. I bought a pack on Amazon by a seller called Color Tree Limited which contained 100 colourful sheets, half double-sided and half single-sided for just £3.25. With Valentine's Day approaching, why don't you have a go at making your loved ones favourite animal or a cute origami heart? I think origami makes a quirky, fun addition to any gift :)
HOW ADORABLE IS THIS!? I was so happy with how my Pikachu origami turned out! This was my second attempt because it's quite fiddly to make his ears and tail and I'm not the best at doing delicate things with my clumsy hands. Although I've never been seen by a specialist, I had a lot of symptoms of dyspaxia when I was a kid and throughout my teenage years, many of which still affect me now. Being in a relationship with a guy who had dyspaxia and speaking to friends at college and university who know people with dyspaxia, I am even more convinced but I'm not sure where to go to find out if that's in fact what I've been experiencing since I was around 6 years old. If anyone has any advice about that, please let me know in the comments :)
This is the only origami that I've ever memorised how to make without having to watch a tutorial, an inflatable bunny. You make a flat origami shape and then blow into the paper making it puff out. It's really cool and so fun to make! I think it would be adorable to write 'some bunny loves you' on it and give it to a special someone for Valentine's Day ♥
This is another origami that I'm quite proud of. I've tried to make origami cranes several times when I was younger and could never get it right. I had a penpal from Japan at the time and she would sometimes send me cute little cranes with her letters, and I really wanted to send her one in return! I'm glad I've finally got it right...even if it was my second try! My first attempt ended up with the tail popping out by the head and I have no idea how it happened haha :) It's satisfying opening the wings of the crane and it all folding into place. These cranes remind me more of Pterodactyls.
The final origami animal I made was this sweet little fox. I absolutely love foxes. Growing up dreaming of being a zoo keeper, I always wanted to work with foxes and other canids (the 'dog' family that includes wolves, jackals, foxes, etc.), however nowadays I'm a big reptile fan so my dream job would be working in a zoo with a huge reptile collection and developing my skills to eventually become a qualified herpetologist. I hope I can get there someday! This fox origami was one of the easiest to make.
The final type of origami that I made was this box; I thought it would be a lovely idea for Valentine's Day. I used 15cm x 15cm origami paper so you can make a bigger box if you buy some larger paper. I used pink paper for the lid and red paper for the base, and decorated with some cute little heart stickers. Here's a photo of the opened box:
Let me know if you decide to make an origami box of your own for Valentine's Day :) It would be perfect to pop your gifts inside, such as jewellery or maybe you could fill it with adorable soppy love notes :D I hope you all enjoyed this post... I'm looking forward to doing more crafty posts in the future.
Thankyou for reading!
♥
Have you ever made origami before? Could you recommend another (easy one!) for me to have a go at making? Which is your favourite out of the ones I made?
