Origami is one of my favourite art forms because you can take a single piece of paper and transform it into something unexpected. Such simple tools and technology can create wonder in those around you. Origami is also a great project for students because it can enhance listening and attention skills, and the students get the chance to learn a fun new skill that they can use as a party trick of sorts with their friends. I have added a few of my go-to easy origami projects below as well as when and why I first learned them.
I have always found origami interesting, but the main hook that started me making it and growing my confidence was when I learned the paper crane. Funny enough I learned how to make paper cranes from my grade 12 Calculus teacher in high school. One day, when I was in his classroom catching up on some work, he was reminiscing about when he used to know how to make paper cranes. I was interested and asked if he could teach me how, and although he was rusty, we figured it out right then. It was such a fun moment and it spurred me on to continue making them throughout the year until his classroom was filled with them.
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The second origami piece I wanted to include is a simple 5-point star. This one admittedly needs one more tool than just paper, and that is a pair of scissors to cut off some excess paper. I learned this one when I was in my first year of Uni. At the time, I was overwhelmed by being away from home for the first time and all the new coursework, so I googled simple origami, and this one popped up. I found it to be fun and easy, as well as a distraction from all the first-year stress. I made many of these stars that year and would stick them to the front of my door colour-coded for whichever holiday was near.
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This specific paper heart is currently one of my top two favourite origami. I have been making a lot of these lately and stringing them on yarn to turn them into a garland. The first time I ever made one of these hearts was actually not from a video, but rather, I learned it during class from my ASL professor last year. During the class we were learning and working on following directions visually by hand movements and gestures rather than signing specific words and this was one of the activities that our prof brought in to teach us. It was a little bit tricky at times, but it was also the most fun lesson/class that I have ever had at university.
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Finally, the lucky stars. I have always been interested in these, and I remember when I was younger, trying to make them and never quite getting them right. I only recently just picked up on these again, and now, as an adult, I find them significantly easier. I started making these a few weeks ago when I was with my L2P class. There was one student who was not feeling well and was having a pretty bad day, so I tried to distract her by offering to teach her some origami. She asked if I knew how to make these stars, and at the time, I did not remember, but I decided to look it up and figure it out so I could teach her. She was so happy when I was able to show her and make them with her, even though she occasionally needed help finishing them off. Since then, I have been making them pretty frequently and randomly giving them to friends and coworkers so I don’t have so many.
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I also know how to make a pretty cool dragon that is quite a bit trickier. A friend taught it to me last year, and I couldn’t find a good video to add but it is included in the picture below of examples of some of my origami creations.
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I hope you give one of these a try if you are interested,
-Kristen