"Letterlocking" is a term coined by MIT Libraries conservator Jana Dambrogio after she discovered a trove of letters while spelunking in the conservation lab of the Vatican Secret Archives; the letters had been ingeniously folded and sealed so that they couldn't be opened and re-closed without revealing that they had been read. Some even contained "booby traps" to catch the unwary. Read the rest
All you need is love, love / Love and paper is all you need
The best part of this marvelous guide is the "draw the rest of the owl" moment halfway in where you must perform an act of origami with a single hand that must simultaneously hold a corner down—and then are told you must next do two corners simultaneously. That said, I'm going to practice it until I get it, because I hate tape. Frankly, I don't know why we've created a world so dependent in so many ways on thin, easily split sticky tape that desperately wants to coil in on itself. Read the rest
Fold N Fly is a website that neatly categorizes and ranks paper airplane designs, with easy-to-follow and crystal-clear instructions for making each one. You'll need US Letter size paper! A4 won't do! [via] Read the rest
YouTuber TriKdanG makes many cool kinds of unusual paper aircraft that really fly, like this Star Wars TIE fighter-inspired beauty. Read the rest
Tokyo grad student Tezuka Sota's "Origami Hand" is a robotic gripping hand whose plastic-coated, water-resistant folded paper is sterile, disposable, and free from moving parts and lubricants, meaning it can be used in difficult environments that are hostile to bearings and oils, like space or underwater. Read the rest
Ben Avlis makes surprising and sometimes slightly disturbing folded cartoons that reveal something surprising when unfolded. Read the rest
A team led by Jean-Yves Rauch at FEMTO-ST demonstrated the μRobotex nanofactory's capabilities by building a tiny origami house from silica membranes. Read the rest
Ross Symons wanted to improve both his photography and origami skills, so he challenged himself to create a fun photo of one of his miniature origami each day, something he started for fun in 2014. Read the rest
The Origami Simulator depicts prefolded paper on screen, all ready to go: to fold it into a beautiful bird, crane or geometric monstrosity, all you have to do is manipulate a slider. There are plenty of preferences to explore, too, including a VR mode and the option of having a young, slightly menacing Edward Olmos come around your house and place the origami knowingly on a table or desk. Read the rest
Artist Yuki Tatsumi created Japanese Tip, an installation of the 8,000 origami "tips" left by customers at restaurants. Read the rest
Origamist Leyla Torres of Origami Spirit interviews paper crane enthusiast Cristian Marianciuc, and their lovely conversation covers a cool project that Marianciuc started over 1,000 days ago: creating a super-fancy paper crane each day. Read the rest
"This rainy season not only play with paper boat but also a paper umbrella. How to fold an origami umbrella."
Here's Priti Sharma using scissors, which technically makes it not origami, I believe.
• Origami Umbrella : That Open and Closes (new) (YouTube / Surprise Toys) Read the rest
YouTuber David Kawai makes impossibly small origami cranes. After watching this timelapse, check out his Instagram:
I start with a square approximately 5 by 5 mm. Each crane takes about 45 minutes to fold if I’m very focused and accurate, but I still occasionally fail and need to start over from the beginning, which can be frustrating. For the most part, I use my fingertips to roll and press the paper into position, which requires sight and touch sensitivity in combination. Then, to make the folds sharper, I use a surface like a table and my fingernails. When folding, at times, I’m holding the paper with just my fingernails. The most important thing is to be very precise when laying the initial folds. Even half a millimetre of inaccuracy can affect the end result dramatically. Also, don’t handle the paper too much, especially with moist or sweaty hands, or the paper will get mushy and the folds won’t react properly. I often let the paper rest and dry for 30 minutes after making the first 16 folds. Though it can be exhausting and time-consuming, I find the process meditative, challenging and super satisfying.
• Tiny Origami Crane Folding Timelapse (YouTube / dkktube via Instagram) Read the rest
The Paper Aviary just completed a successful free exhibition of beautifully-crafted paper birds. Let's hope it travels following its inaugural success! Read the rest
Running materials through a modified 3D printer to create sealed compartments can yield forms that change shape when inflated. MIT's Tangible Media Group demonstrates. Read the rest
I think someone on the BBS mentioned that Manifold was a fun origami puzzle challenge (thank you, whoever you are!). I ordered it on Amazon for $(removed) It's a pad of 100 square sheets of paper, printed with white and black squares on one side, and nothing (except folding guides) on the other side. The object is to fold each sheet so that all the white squares are on one side, and all the black ones are on the other. I just did two of them, and it was so much fun that I'm saving the rest for a long flight I have coming up.
Here's a PDF you can print out to try five puzzles. Read the rest
