Book Review: Friendship Origami

Today is paper craft day. No, I'm not making pretty things out of paper, I am diligently transferring previously published articles (sigh) from that soon to be defunct publishing web site, you know, the one that used to be a good source of passive income for free-lance writers? Alas, it was a good run while it lasted.

I've been slacking off the past couple months, but a recent RT on Twitter reminded me that I have a little over a month left to get all my articles transferred from the site to my blog. Today's session started with the migration of my (former) Helium article on where to find scherenschnitte patterns, a tedious process in that I had to edit each hyperlink and check to be sure all the examples I'd listed in the original article were still viewable on active web pages.

Once that was (finally) over (it may have taken longer because the Saints game was on...) my sojourn into Scherenschnitte was  followed by the relocation of my book review of of Ramona Jablonski's Paper Cut-Out Design Book. The next subject at hand is one of my personal favorites - origami.

This cute little book came to me one day via my aunt; I've used it in the past in my enrichment classes, both for crafting and for sessions in how to follow directions. My students loved making origami items, and when we did them as part of an exercise in following directions I never told them what they were making. If they listened carefully, they'd end up with a paper cup (one of the simplest things to make).

I've even had the kids make their own origami paper by coloring abstract designs onto plain old copy paper. Copy paper is cheap and letting the kids decorate their own (without necessarily knowing why) lets them do something they love to do - color, and it provides them with unique papers later for use in their origami projects.

And so...

Review: Friendship Origami

Filled with sixty-four colorfully illustrated pages, Jill Smolinski’s Friendship Origami promises hours of paper folding fun with over two dozen great projects from jewelry to animals to paper dolls.  Even though the book’s cover says “Girls wanna have fun,” it’s a sure bet that boys will find almost all of the included projects equally as enjoyable.

Recommended for kids aged nine through twelve, Friendship Origami begins by explaining the basic folds and forms essential to creating origami on the first two pages and then moves straight into making stuff with the “Best Buddy Bracelet.”  This accordion folded project can be completed by any child capable of making a folded paper fan.  Children between the ages of six and seven may need a little help from an adult, especially with the last few steps, but even they can make this bracelet.  (This project is a great manipulative to use in the classroom, especially as an exercise in following directions.)  Recycled magazine pages with colorful pictures on both sides produce very interesting bracelets as does gift wrap.

The only difficult fold in the entire book is the Peace Crane. Everything else in Friendship Origami is easy enough that even younger kids (aged seven or eight) could accomplish many of the folds with the help of a fold-savvy adult to clarify some of the step by step instructions.  While the jewelry and purse projects are geared specifically toward girls there are many that are not.

Both girls and boys will enjoy folding the wallet, hat, dice, dog and turtle origami projects outlined in Friendship Origami.  The folded gift box is a great way to reuse stiff paper like the perfume inserts and advertising cards in magazines as well as old greeting cards.  The “Heart of Lace” makes a great Valentine project and the pinwheel, catchall and basket make great party favors.

Many kids learn to fold paper fortune tellers (also known as cootie catchers) at some point in their school careers and Friendship Origami presents yet another option for this project in using them to create puppets.  (Note: In the book they are used as a candy dish and can be found in the table of contents under Sweets for the Sweetie.)

Origami is a great activity that both kids and adults enjoy that yields hours and hours of entertainment and Friendship Origami is a great introduction for young people to the ancient paper folding activity.  All instructions are fully illustrated in simple, plain language.

Review: The Paper Cut-Out Design Book

As mentioned here previously, I have a great love for paper. Playing with paper is one of my favorite pastimes -- Paper clothes, paper beads, paper greetings, paper figures (origami)... Few things are more satisfying than taking a simple, ordinary piece of paper and turning it into something completely new.

In my previous post on Finding Scherenschnitte Patterns Online, I noted that shortly after falling in love with the traditional German paper cutting craft and writing the aforementioned article, I also did a book review that I published at Helium for Ramona Jablonski's The Paper Cut-Out Design Book. This coffee table book sized paperback volume is a paper lover's dream.

Looking at Ramona Jablonski's other books listed on Amazon, I can see I have some shopping to do in the not too distant future. Right after I go through all those boxes I took out of storage last year that are still stacked in the corner. Ah, where does the time go?

At any rate...

The Paper Cut-Out Design Book by Ramona Jablonski

The beauty and history of folk art paper cutting traditions is thoroughly and adeptly explored through four cultures in Ramona Jablonski’s The Paper Cut-Out Design Book from Stemmer House Publishers.

The book begins with a look into the history of paper cutting in China, which Jablonski notes dates back at least fifteen centuries (as of the book’s publication in 1976). She gives no official name for the Chinese craft, unlike the included traditions of Mon-Kiri (which later evolved to Kirigami), Scherenschnitte, and Wycinanki, which are Japanese, German and Polish traditions, respectively. (She briefly mentions Scherenschnitte being practiced in Switzerland as well.)

Examples of incredibly beautiful and delicate designs, intricately cut and resembling heavy line drawings, illustrate the pages throughout the book along with silhouettes, cut outs embellished by hand painting and carefully cut stencils used to embellish textiles.

Once readers have marveled over the illustrations and gleaned some of the history of this elegant folk art they can move on to learning the tools and techniques of the craft itself with the information given for working with both flat and folded papers.

Paper cutting enthusiasts can begin by trying their hand at a Chinese style flat paper design of a flower cut-out and then move on to German fold and cut techniques. Instructions for the German techniques (Scherenschnitte) begin with simple symmetrical designs that are achieved by folding a piece of paper in half. The book then moves on to show repeats in multiples of two from a fairly simple design where the motif is repeated four times to a more intricate one with the motif repeated sixty-four times for cuts resembling snowflakes and doilies.

Scrapbook enthusiasts and other paper craft hobbyists will find the border design and paper doll tutorials useful in creating embellishments for their layouts, while hard core admirers of paper cut design will appreciate the section on how to break down an existing design and find the repeat to copy the motif.

Jablonski shows readers step by step how to reproduce some of the classic designs displayed in the book and prepare them for mounting and framing. She also gives readers examples of how to use paper cuts for other crafting including needlework projects and includes a section on paper cutting with children.

The Paper Cut-Out Design Book is an excellent reference for historical information as well as design and cutting how-to, containing a wealth of information to enthrall, entice and inspire.