Beyond Paper Cranes: The Craft of Origami
Introduction
Ever since the first paper sculpture was created, from perhaps as early as the 15th century,
origami has fascinated people. While Japan seems to have had the most extensive paper-folding
tradition (origami literally means “folding paper”), China, Germany, and Spain all have their
own independent paper-folding. With such a far-reaching history, it is no surprise that there are
now so many different subsets of origami, with action origami, modular origami, and kirigami,
among others.
When asked for an example of origami, it is almost guaranteed that a person’s first
thought is of a paper crane. It is, put simply, the iconic image of origami and paper-folding. But
when asked what else there is, there’s an almost inevitable pause, where he or she scrambles
madly to find something else they define as origami. Many times, a feeble, “paper football?”
ends the questioning. However, surprisingly, even a paper football can count as origami. While it
is said that origami has to start as a square piece of paper, many of the newer subsets of origami
no longer follow that rule. As will be shown in class, some pieces of modular origami simply use
large numbers of rectangular paper folded into a complex triangles. I will show that many times,
even the simplest of paper creations can count as origami, including the phase in elementary
school when everyone (at least, the girls) made fortune-tellers to use on their friends.
My goals in teaching this course are primarily to impart knowledge. I have made many
origami creations over the years and given them to people, just to see the look of wonder and
amazement on their faces. Origami isn’t hard to learn, and I want to show that anyone who is
willing to spend a few hours on the skill will be well-rewarded. In the process of learning
origami, we will also discuss the history of origami, the subsets within the field, and the various
stereotypes surrounding the art.
Cap: 15 people
Times I could work: Tuesday or Thursday evenings, anytime from 7 to 9 PM.
Syllabus:
Grading:
Attendance at Japan Festival Origami Demonstration (10%): On the weekend of April 9-10,
2011. Will include an origami demonstration, at a time TBD. Students will only be expected to
go to the demonstration, though they are certainly free to visit the rest of the festival as well.
Bringing supplies(15%): One class, students will be expected to bring their own paper that they
want to work with for the day. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but that would make it more fun and
meaningful. Paper plays a larger part in the presentation of origami than one would originally
think. They can also bring unusual media, instead of paper, such as dollar bills or towels.
Student’s choice (15%): One class, students have to bring their own ideas, in written form, of
what they would like to make. I will then look over these suggestions and reserve one class day
to create one or more of these pieces.
Attendance and Participation (30%): The whole point of the class is to make origami, and that’s
hard to do when people aren’t there. Also, when learning how to do various pieces of origami,
students will benefit from personal help from the instructor, as well as each other, when
confused.
End-of-Year-Project (30%): Students have to come to class with a piece of origami from outside
of class, and set things up demonstration-style. Food and drinks will be provided.
Week 1: Learn how to make paper shuriken, discuss an overview of the history of origami, and
the various ways it has evolved and changed.
Week 2: Create star box, to learn some of the more common folds. These include, most
prominently, the squash fold, but also the common valley and mountain folds. For more practice,
make butterfly.
Week 3: Make some simple animals, such as the crane and turtle, since they use similar folds,
and are about the same difficulty level. Discuss the stereotype of cranes as the only interesting
thing in origami.
Week 4: Introduction to modular origami – create cube with 6 pieces of paper. Show the
amazing pieces of origami that can be made with enough pieces of paper – owl, rabbits. If have
time, create another 6, to be combined with original 6 to create spiky ball.
Week 5: Introduction to other media, namely dollar origami. Make dollar heart and elephant.
Week 6: Everyone brings their own media, whether that’s pretty paper, notebook paper, dollar
bills, or towels. They should have emailed me before class began, so I can try to help everyone
make something out of their chosen media.
Week 7: Start with more complicated origami – maybe lily and duck-billed platypus.
Week 8: Watch documentary about origami – Between the Folds.
Week 9: Make complicated origami – cat and caribou.
Week 10: Student’s choice day. We’ll make two or three pieces of origami that I’ve chosen from
the suggestions given to me the previous week.
Week 11: Introduction to action origami – create hummingbird, frog, fortune teller – shuriken is
also an example. Use fortune tellers as example of origami that people didn’t realize they had
made in the past.
Week 12: No class, since that weekend will be the Japan Festival at Hermann Park.
Week 13: Discussion of students’ impressions of both the Japan Festival as well as the origami
demonstration.
Week 14: Last class, exhibition of final projects.
Applicable Course Readings:
I currently the first book listed below. I plan on scanning or photographing these materials and
making some or all of them available on ESTHER, or handing out materials in class.
3D Origami: Step-by-Step Illustrations - Boutique-sha Staff, Yasuyuki Okada, and Yoko
Ishiguro
Beginner’s Book of Modular Origami Polyhedra: The Platonic Solids – Rona Gurkewitz and
Bennett Arnstein
The Great Origami Book – Zülal Aytüre-Scheele
Additionally, we will be watching a documentary on origami – Between the Folds.
Course Expenses:
Materials
Origami paper for class
DVD – Between the Folds
Book - Beginner’s Book of Modular Origami
Polyhedra
Cost
20
20
8
I will also request projectors, but no other outside materials.
Two-Sentence Course Description:
This course will focus predominantly on the making of origami, form basic folds to more
complex 3-dimensional structures. In addition, it will discuss the history of origami, as well as
the various ways it has since evolved.
Contact Information:
Catherine (Cathy) Chen
Brown College, Rm 449
Cell: (713)834-4838
E-mail: cathychen20@yahoo.com
Mentor: Carrie McNeil, PhD – Lecturer of Chemistry