FYI


Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I Heart Origami Hearts

I don't know about you, but I am totally crap at origami. It is with horror that I remember a one-day Japanese language course where the kind tutor also showed us the traditional origami crane that all school children in Japan can make with their eyes closed. Well, I couldn't even do it with my eyes open!!!


While out on Sunday, a friend of a friend entertained the kids at the restaurant by folding the crane from a piece of scrap paper that was left on our table. I was mightily impressed - and wished that I had a little party piece like that to awe my little audience with. Also, my ambition was piqued, and I looked up origami crane instructions on the net. "If she can do it, so can I!" the Queen of Crafts thought, "thou shallt not be craftier than us!" Well, my attempts at recreating the crane were pathetic - and landed in the waste paper basket!!! But not being one to give up easily, I found another origami piece which I was able to do - yoohoo. Origami hearts!



Do you want to make one, too? I have developed an origami heart fetish and made about 20 yesterday. It's dead easy. Usually origami pieces are made from square paper. This project is so neat because you use a rectangular piece of paper - A4 size is just right. (Or A5, A6, whatever size you want your heart to be!) So no cutting or trimming needed! The other cool thing is that you only need paper that is decorated on one side. The pattern works in such a way that only the decorated side will be visible on the finished heart. That means you can even use scrap paper - recycle it here!


I usually take photos for my tutorials, but with origami I find pictorial instructions useless. I never understand the little arrows and instructions. So I stole borrowed my son's little digital camera to record my first ever clip tutorial. Tadaaaaaaaaaa! Craft-Werk goes 21st century! I proudly present my first attempt at a video tutorial. (Disclaimer: Sorry about the picture quality  - must be the poor pixel settings of the camera - and the typing sounds in the background. I hope it is not too distracting!)



Ugh, was that me? Do you also hate hearing your voice? Anyway, I hope you could see how easy and quick it is to make this little paper heart. I decided to make them into ornaments to hang from a few branches. You are asking me why go through all the fuss of folding when you could simply cut out a heart shape and hang it up like that. Point taken - but these origami hearts are nicely three-dimensional. And it's good to learn something new, isn't it?

My mantlepiece in the drawing room was in need of some colour and happiness. I had some coloured paper in my stash which I used. I also experimented with colourful pages ripped from a magazine (didn't like those so much, though). But the best results were with scrap paper that I had printed chiyogami patterns on. I have recommended the site before - Canon has a whole webpage dedicated to crafting. You can download beautiful paper designs there - for free - and print them on your normal paper. Check it out - Canon Creative Park


No two of my origami hearts are the same. They would look nice just on their own, but I decided to embellish them with bits and pieces that I had lying around - bells, buttons, ribbon, beads, even a little shell. My favourite, though, is what I have dubbed the "You hold the key to my heart"-heart.



I am not a fan of the whole Valentine's Day season, but these ornaments would make a lovely display. You could string them up on a bit of ribbon and hang them on the mantle. They also make an original Valentine's message - remember: only one side of the paper is visible on the finished heart, so you can write a message to your Valentine on the inside and then fold it up. Nifty!!!


Best,




PS: Am linking this to












and





DIY Day @ ASPTL
 

21 January: Have just linked this to



Get your craft on Thurs.


22 January: Also linked to

and monogram





20 comments:

Kim -today's creative blog said...

I think they look pretty cool!

Cristin // Simplified Bee said...

They look adorable!

Queenplinker said...

They are all so awesome! Must resist urge to make hearts all day tomorrow!
Lynea

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

Thanks for your comments, Cristin and Lynea - have you tried making them???

stephanie h said...

Those are adorable! My daughter would love making these! I think we may have to make these this wknd! Thanks for sharing! :)

Lori said...

those are so cute... I don't think i could it...
Thanks for joining my party.. I have a party every thurs., and would love for you to come back..

Lori

Ninotschka said...

They look amazing! I think I'll give it a try straight away. I had some very frustrating experiences with cranes ending up in the bin as well, so thanks for bringing me back to Origami!

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

Hey Stephanie, Lori and Nonotschka - thanks for taking the time to comment. And do, do, do give this a try. It really is easy!!! I failed with the crane, but I soared with the hearts! Just stop and go with the vid tutorial while you fold - if you can make out what I am doing in the vid at all, that is!!!
Oh, and Lori - will definitely come back for "get your crafts on". Thanks for putting it on!!!

Beth@The Stories of A to Z said...

These are adorable! I love them and they look adorable hanging from your sticks. Thanks so much for the tutorial and for linking up again :).

Debbiedoos said...

Those were awesome! My 8 year old loves to make Oragami I may have to have him make me some...because I Stink!!~~ Thanks for the inspiration!

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hi Sonja...

Ohhh my...I love, love, LOVE your origami hearts! They look lovely hanging from your pretty heart tree! I also love the fact that you embellished them with different pretties...such as the key! Ohhh...I'm so excited because I think I will try one of these for my honey for Valentine's Day! Thank you so much for sharing your pretties with us and for the grand tutorial!!! Your mantel is beautiful, my friend! I think that your lovely heart tree just makes for the most beautiful mantelscape!!!

Warmest winter wishes,
Chari @Happy To Design

Blondie's Journal said...

Sonja~~

I love you origami hearts...so pretty. The tutorial is awesome!

xoxo
Jane

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

Hey Beth, Debbie, Chari and Jane - thanks for your kind comments, especially about the tutorial - just the kind of encouragement that I need ;-)!!! It's great to know that others like the ideas and will recreate them! Would love to see what you make of them!
And thanks to Beth for having the mantel party!!!

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

These are fabulous! I love them displayed on your tree - Your mantel is gorgeous - it's gorgeous against your walls! (love)

Grace @ Ruby Moon Designs said...

I really love the hearts on the little "tree" in the white pitcher. I LOVE using natural elements in decorating. Great job!

Blessings, Grace

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

@ Stephanie and Grace, thanks for commenting on the hearts and the mantle... Am quite happy to leave it until February *haha* - but Beth's mantle party will probably make me change the whole arrangement sooner than later...

jengee said...

thank you for a great tutorial. your hearts look so pretty! we used to fold girly notes into hearts like this and slip them into eachother's lockers :)

Em said...

I love it! First time I've seen your blog. I had searched all blogs for "origami hearts" and found yours! So easy. The video DOES make a world of a difference. Thanks!!

Ann Martin said...

This is wonderful! Thanks so much for your email, Sonja. The heart is just great, as is your little video. It really does help to see the folds in action. I want to make some first thing tomorrow when I'm wide awake... not the case at the moment, but awake enough to take some time to peruse your blog - I know I'll enjoy it and will be back too.

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

Hi Em and Ann - thanks for leaving a comment. Hope you had fun making the hearts! Mine are still up be will be taken down shortly. I want to re-style the mantle. The hearts will be turned into a different display... Oh, and thanks supporting me in my view that nothing but video tutorials do when it comes to Origami ;-)