creative jewish mom

Modular Origami Stars

 

We have been making lots of origami lately, the origami hearts wall hanging, and the origami pull out drawers, for example, and now I'd like to introduce you to another kind or origami altogether, modular origami.Modular or 3D origami is made from lots of little double pointed pieces that fit into one another, and some really truly amazing things have been made with this technique, by people from around the world, with a concentration in Russia, so it appears to me from my research. Here is Israel, I have seen modular origami swans next to the bank teller and in the post office for years, but I never really knew what they were exactly. (Okay, I could see they were constructed from lots and lots of little pieces and I was reminded of the gum wrapper bracelets we used to make, but that was the extent of it, as these swans weren't exactly something I aspired to make.) Fast forward to a moment on pinterest when I spied a similar project, only it was a lovely peacock, and then my daughter told me about a girl in her class who was making a modular origami swan, and thus my investigation began!

How To Fold An Origami Module For Swans, Peacocks And More

Ever seen complicated modular origami swans, peacocks and baskets? If you've ever wondered how these things were made, well, here is the basic module that one needs to fold in order to make such things. I personally don't know if I'm up for folding 1,000 or so modules to make the large birds, but I have begun to explore making smaller decorative items that are more suited to my personal aesthetic, like these origami modular stars. Okay, I'll admit, I've seen a peacock that has caught my attention, but with all the other craft projects on my must-try list, I may just have to leave that up to someone else! And of course, you'll need some extra info to get started, which I've listed for you here below:

Origami Pull Out Drawers Make Sweet Gift Boxes!

As I mentioned in my last post, origami hearts wall hanging, we have been enjoying exploring some simple and fairly simple origami techniques on the cold winter evenings of late, and last week we learned how to make these sweet origami stacking drawers. These origami drawers can be used as little gift boxes, or storage boxes for small precious items. It is true that this project does require precision, and you can see that even those made by me here are not perfect (mainly because I used card stock and not origami paper) so I'd recommend this for kids ages 10 and above. And truthfully regardless of the outcome, just developing the spacial skills needed to understand how to fold the origami step by step is a very worthy exercise. As an added benefit I actually discovered which of my children have greater 3D thinking skills by doing origami with them, which I found to be quite interesting, and helpful as far as which activities to encourage for their development. So you see, crafting with your kids has so many many benefits!

Origami Hearts Wall Hanging Craft

This origami hearts wall hanging which can be an origami craft for kids, was actually a collaboration between myself and my ten year old son, the best kind of partnership I must say! My kids are very busy these days and there really aren't any huge windows of time for crafting, but I'm always trying to sneak little activities in here and there, and origami is truly a winner in this department. Doing origami with kids helps build all kinds of skills, and when you're done you actually have something fun to show for it. Simple origami for kids can be used in so many ways, and this wall hanging is just one sweet example! 

And of course, origami hearts can be perfect for so many occasions when we want to express our love for a friend or family member, and I think this wall hanging would be great for a baby shower, to decorate a baby's room, or for a birthday or DIY wedding. And come to think of it, if done with metallic paper it could be perfect for an anniversary and quite elegant, without the wire hanger that is!

Schlumbergera In Full Bloom

A schlumbergera xmas cactus in full bloom is one of the joys of container gardening that I encourage you to explore. And if you live in a zone where there are no frosts, or only rarely, you can certainly raise schlumbergera outdoors, and as a hanging plant they look their best. I will admit the colors of the schlumbergera in bloom look almost artificial, and most who enter our home surely wouldn't believe that it is actually a real plant in bloom, but it is indeed!