Floral Design

How to Make an Origami Flower

A persons first experience with origami is usually in grammar school. Once introduced, a person can become addicted. You will find yourself wanting to turn everything you see into an origami creation. This article will be more specific and instruct you on how to make an origami flower.

by Bela Bartfai

What is Origami

Origami is the art of folding paper. It originated in Japan. The artist takes one piece of paper and turns it in to an animal, plant, or any other type of object. The paper is not allowed to be cut or glued. By folding the paper in different ways, an artist can create many different things.

What Paper Should You Use

You can use plain typing paper to begin. You will want to have a paper that is not very expensive to practice on. Once you have successfully made the object you were striving for a few times, you can move on to origami paper.

Origami paper comes in many colors and designs. It also comes in a few different sizes. Each sheet of origami paper is a perfect square. You can purchase it in 2 inch sheets, 3 inch sheets, 4 inch sheets, 5 inch sheets, or 6 inch sheets. You choose the size of your sheet based on how big of an object your are trying to make. You can buy some origami sheets from the origami paper store. The sheets are fairly inexpensive and the origami paper store offers free shipping. Expect to spend between $4-$8 per pack of origami paper.

How to Make a Simple Origami Flower

If you are just beginning to learn origami you will want to take it slow and start with a simple flower. The more simple designs you make, the more you will see how different creases and folds make certain shapes.

1. Get out one sheet of origami paper. Fold each of the four corner in to the center of the paper. Their tips will touch in the center.

2. You will now see that you have four new corners. Fold each of those four new corners in to the center of the paper as you did before. The tips of each will touch in the center.

3. Flip your origami paper over.

4. You should still have a square, but it will be a little smaller. One more time you are going to fold in each of the four corners until they touch each other in the middle.

5. Flip your origami paper over.

6. Carefully take the flap that is underneath each corner and fold it upward. Do this with each of the four flaps.

7. Enjoy your simple flower.

An Origami Flower Any Child Can Make

There are two parts to this origami flower: a stem, and the flower. Choose green or brown origami paper for the stem, and any flower color you want. For example, if you are want to make a red rose, then use red paper. If you want to make a pink carnation, then choose pink paper.

The Stem

1. Place your origami paper in front of you so that it looks like a diamond instead of a square.

2. Fold the left point all the way over to the right point and then make a nice crease. Then unfold the point back to the way it was when you started.

3. Take your left point and fold it until its sides are lined up with the crease in the middle of the paper.

4. Take your right point and fold it until its sides are lined up with the crease in the middle of the paper.

5. Fold the left side of the origami paper over on to the right side. Make sure it matches up and press down on the crease.

6. Take a look at the point on the right. Stick your finger one centimeter above it and imagine a line going straight across to the left. Fold the bottom part up on that imaginary line and you now have your stem.

The Flower

1. Place your origami paper in front of you so that it looks like a diamond instead of a square.

2. Fold the bottom point up to the top point and press down along the middle crease.

3. Take the point on your left and fold it at an upward angle.

4. Take the point on the right and fold it at an upward angle.

5. Fold the bottom point up about half an inch. You are finished making your flower.

Put Them Together

Now slide the stem up in between the bottom of the flower you made. Enjoy.


by mateusz data

Other Origami Techniques

Some people like to create using a foil type of origami paper. A thin piece of tin foil is glued to the back of a thin piece of paper. You can create this yourself at home. You can also make a tissue origami paper. Add a piece of tissue paper to a piece of thin paper with some glue. You can create this at home by yourself as well. Finally, you can combine the two and make tin foil on one side of the paper and tissue paper on the other side. This combination can do two things, it can allow you to give color and texture to your creations, and it can allow you to create more complex things such as robots.

Another technique is to wet your origami paper. Don't soak the paper or you won't be able to do anything with it and it will tear. Use a kitchen sponge to apply the water a little bit at a time. You can then move the paper easier to create new shapes. When the paper dries the new creation will stay in that shape.

Tips:
*As you increase your skill level, you can move on to more complicated flowers.

*Purchase a beginners guide to origami. If you keep an eye out on Amazon you an get them for as little as $.39 plus shipping.

*Consider having an origami party. Try to find someone who is experienced in origami who could lead the party. You supply the paper which is not expensive and ask each guest to bring a dessert. Add some coffee or tea and you have yourself a fun evening.

*Instead of a clown that makes balloon animals, hire an origami artist to make origami figures for your child and their friends at his or her Birthday party.

Warning:
*Origami can sometimes be hard to follow when only in word format. If you find that you are having trouble following step by step directions, buy a book with illustrations.

Resources:
Origami


Written by Alicia Bodine

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