Origami Page:
Origami House and Variations

Mary Ellen Palmeri

Welcome to our monthly "Origami Page". Origami is folding paper and ending up with delightful figures and models, such as flowers, boxes and animals. This feature will showcase a different origami model in each monthly issue, with diagrams and photos to help readers learn how to fold them. Most models use one square of paper, some use a rectangle, and others use more than one piece of paper.

Click for printable file.

Fold this simple and fun origami house and see how many ways you can use it! For starters, small houses can be used for unique place-cards on a festive table. I like having a stack of houses ready & let each guest decorate their own. Or they can be decorated ahead of time so you can arrange the seating. Alternately have pre-decorated models for guests to select & add their own names.

This model can also become a greeting card by adding a message inside or out or all over! It is especially suited to announce a new address and/or a house-warming party!

Smaller versions can be used as ornaments on a holiday tree or arranged in clusters for a small origami display. With a stack of paper and a little imagination, an entire village can be created. After drawing on details adorn with glitter or faux snow! Folding a large paper square results in a doll-house model that can accommodate small toys.

Happy Folding!

Origami originated in ancient Asian cultures and has been adapted by contemporary artists worldwide to reflect their own cultures. Local artist Mary Ellen Palmeri has incorporated paper folding into many of her mixed media art paintings, and teaches origami classes locally and nationally. Some of her work can be seen in a Tucson Happenings feature here: Artist_Profile

All of her Paper Dream Paintings can be seen in her Etsy shop where custom matted art prints of her original work can be purchased. Go to: www.etsy.com/shop/LyricFineArts

Ms. Palmeri's original origami models have been published in books and magazines, she has been featured on broadcast media, and her mixed-media fine art works often include various original origami models. Origami LAFF (Lyric Arts Folding Fest) is a Tucson based club founded by Ms. Palmeri to provide a venue for sharing this art. The group meets monthly at a local library; for more details please contact the artist at info@lyric-arts.com