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March 2020 Origami Page: Traditional Jumping Frog
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
There are several versions of the Jumping Frog in origami. This particular model is my favorite frog because it can jump so high! And it is FUN to decorate! The word 'frog' (‘kaeru’) in Japanese means 'return', which is why the frog is considered a lucky animal in Japan, and seen as good fortune to have things returned. It is a common tradition to carry a small frog figurine in the bottom of ones coin purse or wallet to insure that even when money is spent, it will come back to you. This origami frog is easy to tuck into your wallet for good luck!
February 2020 Origami Page: The Haori
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
My origami haori is based on a traditional origami kimono fold, but kimonos are full-length garments and this model is short due to the proportion of dollar bills, so I decided to make a haori instead. I developed the folds for this model using a single dollar bill so when using other bills or colored papers, first fold a dollar bill to use as a template for different models.
January 2020 Origami Page: $ One-Arm Saguaro Cactus
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
New Years means an origami Money Fold! A useful conversation piece at a dinner party, bar or restaurant. This model is also great to leave for a special tip. This money origami model is designed especially for Southern Arizonans… a saguaro $model to impress your friends!
December 2019 Origami Page: Evergreen Tree & Trunk
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami Evergreen Tree is easy to make. Use 3 squares for the tree layers. If you’d like to add a tree trunk use a 4th square, cut a little smaller than the three squares.After attaching the units to each other, this 3-D tree is free-standing. That makes it a wonderful decoration for holiday displays. If more stability is desired, glue the tree trunk into an upside-down lid, which resembles a tree-stand. For a 3-D greeting card, attach a folded tree to card-stock. Glue two layers flat and the other two layers will pop up, but lie flat for mailing.
November 2019 Origami Page: Crane Card Holder
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Crane Card Holder:
Many place card holders are available that can be
purchased from various stores. However, this one can be easily made at home and
is simple, elegant, and doesn’t take long to fold. It is also practical since it
is quite sturdy and holds a card securely. The “origami crane” card-holder is
useful for any festive table setting, be it a dinner party, birthday, shower, or
wedding reception. It can also be used to establish seating for large group
meetings!
October 2019 Origami Page: Origami Village
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Try these easy-to-fold paper units to construct houses and other structures. Great for an individual or group activity! You can create an imaginary house, your own neighborhood, or build a whole village! Start today and continue adding structures for an on-going project. The units will hold together well without glue, but the larger the structure, the less stable it will become. A little glue stick can be used on the ends of the connector pieces to stabilize units, but don’t glue until you are sure your structure is the way you want it!
September 2019 Origami Page: One Sheet Book
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This folded-paper booklet is a great way to create useful little notebooks. Some of the many uses for these are Saving data (phone numbers, addresses, etc.) or for miniature collections of poems, stickers, or stamps. Another way to put them to use is to make miniature sketchbooks or coloring books that are easy to keep in a pocket. They can even be used for making mini pamphlets promoting your favorite causes.
August 2019 Origami Page: Traditional Crane
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This August submission is perhaps the best known origami model. It is the Traditional Crane. There are several variations on this standard model, such as a "nesting crane", a "flapping crane", a "celebration crane", or a "card-holder crane". In Japan, the crane is a mystical creature and is believed to live for a thousand years. As a result, in Asian cultures, the crane represents good fortune and longevity. The Japanese refer to the crane as the “bird of happiness”. Written instructions for paper crane folding first appeared in 1797, with Akisato Rito’s Sembazuru Orikata, or “thousand crane folding.” It has shown up in multitudes of publications since, and now we can add Tucson Happenings to the list!
July 2019 Origami Page: Two-Piece Spinner
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Summertime is here - a great time to explore Origami Toys that are fun to make and fun to share! This month’s model is an interactive spinner. These traditional spinners are made using two pieces of paper and are pretty easy to make… and they really spin! Once you fold and assemble the model you can spin it by flicking a corner with a finger, or it can be pierced and a toothpick added to make it spin like a top.
June 2019 Origami Page: $ Shirt
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Sometimes money is the most practical gift you can give. Especially when you know that the recipient is saving up for something that’s important to them. However, there can be something a bit impersonal about giving a cash gift. The solution: $-Dollar Bill Origami! Or $10 bill origami, $20 bill origami, $100 bill origami, etc.
May 2019 Origami Page: Origami Dress
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This attractive origami model is one I helped develop with a friend in LA. I figured out many possible variations, just by tweaking certain steps with different sized folds and changing proportions. See the red-dress series A thru D in the photo illustrations for 16 different visual ideas.
April 2019 Origami Page: Basket and Handle
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Origami containers are fun to make and use, and this particular basket is one of my favorites! I often use it to hold a small gift to accompany a "Get-Well" card or a "Thinking of You" greeting. Also, it is great to fill with origami flowers to celebrate Springtime. And of course, it makes a great little treat basket for the Easter Holidays, filled with your favorite chocolate treats!
March 2019 Origami Page: Letterfold Envelope
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
I enjoy making and using origami envelopes and letter-folds, of which there are many! This one-piece model is a favorite of mine, and so simple to fold! It's fun to find colorful paper designs for this model, and people enjoy receiving this unique hand-made envelope-letter. The diagram shows how you can adapt this envelope fold to also hold a card, photo or other flat enclosures.
February 2019 Origami Page: Pig Candy Box
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
2019 - The Year of the Pig... "a year of fortune and luck!" This Year of the Pig begins on February 18, 2019, and continues until January 24, 2020. The pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the pig was late to the Emperor's party and last to arrive so he had to take twelfth place. I recently came across a delightful 'Pig Candy Box' designed by origami friend Leyla Torres that I'd like to share for a new model this month - to celebrate the Year of the Pig!
January 2019 Origami Page: Fan Fold Leaf Note
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This dimensional origami model is both attractive and versatile. Use it for a note or card, an invitation, a gift-card, package decoration, name cards on your dinner table, or... what else can you think of? To learn this pleated form it's best to begin with thin paper and larger sizes; once you master the pleating process smaller sizes will become easier. When using paper that is either too small or thick to pleat into 16 folds, stop at 8, which looks just fine as shown by some of the illustrations here.
December 2018 Origami Page: Origami House
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
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.
November 2018 Origami Page: Shirt with Open Front
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
I’ve enjoyed folding and creating origami clothes for quite some time, and this little shirt with an open front is one of my own designs. It is made from a 1:2 rectangle, which is easily made by cutting a square in half. I wanted a variation from the standard origami tops that usually have solid fronts. This model can be modified to become an over-blouse by sliding a piece of colored paper under the flaps to represent perhaps a shell underneath. It is also easy to slide the waist of a skirt or pants under the front flaps.
October 2018 Origami Page: Jack-O'-Lantern
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
October evokes thoughts of Halloween, and Halloween evokes thoughts of pumpkins - along with many other fun visuals! This Origami Jack-O'-Lantern can be used in a variety of creative ways... including one with a Halloween note; feature the model on a hand-made card, or add names to use as place cards on a festive table.
September 2018 Origami Page: Pecking Pterosaur
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami model is fun to make and fun to share with others. I adapted it from a traditional interactive model to fit my 'Prehistoric Origami' workshops. After folding the pterosaur you hold it by the wings and gently pull them apart to activate the 'pecking' action of the beak.
August 2018 Origami Page: Crazy Face Bookmark
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
August is 'Back-to-School' time in Greater Tucson, and here is an origami model to start the school year with some paper folding fun to use with your favorite books! This origami "Crazy Face Bookmark" is easy to fold from a simple square of paper, and it can be decorated in as many ways as you can imagine. Each one can be unique by using different shapes, colors and adding as many interesting elements as you choose.
July 2018 Origami Page: Kissing Lips
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Did you know that July 6th is International Kissing Day? Yup! It began with National Kissing Day in the United Kingdom and is now celebrated worldwide. Kissing can be inspired by many things... affection of course, but also in many cultures it is a sign of respect or friendship, or sometimes as a casual greeting, as in a peck on the cheek. Making this fun and interactive origami model can help you celebrate with your friends and loved ones on Kissing Day, or on any day of the year!
June 2018 Origami Page: The Pen Box
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
My origami Pen Box is simple to make and can be used to hold many items, not just pens and pencils. Handy on a dresser for small change, jewelry, or hair accessories they can also be useful in a bathroom to organize beauty supplies such as Q-tips and cotton balls. How about using them to sort out different sizes or kinds of hardware for those household fix-up jobs?
May 2018 Origami Page: The Tulip
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Bouquets of origami tulips are a wonderful way to send a message of friendship or caring. They are especially appreciated when someone is in a hospital ward where real flowers are banned due to the risk of germs and allergies. Hand-made paper flowers will provide color and cheer in such a situation, and they can last much longer!
April 2018 Origami Page: Container from Rectangle
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Not only are origami boxes and containers fun to fold, but they can be useful as well! This model is folded from a sheet of rectangular paper rather than the usual origami square. Standard 8.5 x 11" computer paper works well, and results in a container about 3" tall and 2.5" wide.
March 2018 Origami Page: Cats, cats, cats!
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Cats, cats, cats! Last month began the Year of the Dog, so this month I'm offering the other side of the spectrum - something for cat lovers! Cats symbolically carry the notion of supposedly having "nine lives". This old belief probably originated because cats are extremely agile, flexible, and react quickly as they stalk prey from high places, and when they fall they often land on their feet.
February 2018 Origami Page: Year of the Dog: Puppy
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
I created this cute little puppy to use as a Valentine because it is easy to attach a heart in its mouth. Sometimes I put a heart on its chest instead. It is fun to decorate this origami in a variety of ways, either by drawing on details or attaching other elements to the finished model, like google eyes and/or a personal message.
January 2018 Origami Page: Origami Place Cards
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Fun-to-make origami place cards will add a new touch to your dinners and parties in 2018! These are easy to make using any kinds of paper. Use them for all occasions to dress up your table, be it formal or just to make it festive. Place Cards are usually thought of as an aid to seating when the host or hostess wants to determine who sits where. But even if you choose not to assign seats, place cards can be fun or playful, especially if guests don't know each other. You can decorate the cards ahead of time or let the guests decorate, adding their own names before sitting down.!
December Origami Page: Pureland Origami Tree
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami tree was developed by a dear friend of mine, Dorothy Engleman (1944-2007). We met at the West Coast Origami Guild when I was living in Los Angeles years ago, and we shared many origami experiences. I participated in her 26 minute origami short called "Folding California" (folding models for her to photograph), and in return she found some paying origami gigs for me, which were pretty rare at the time!
November Origami Page: The Onesie
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami onesie was developed from some of my origami shirt designs. Once folded it can be decorated in many ways, using colored pencils, markers, and decorative stickers. Then it can be added to a card, used as a gift tag, or by itself as a decoration. It can also be used as part of a birth announcement!
October Origami Page: Origami Treat Box
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This month's origami model is a useful item, a traditional box. I call it a "Treat Box" because it is handy for holding yummy treats (think Halloween!). But sometimes I call it a "Utility Box" because it is also handy for holding miscellaneous items, like rubber bands, paper clips, or even loose change. This box will not work with square paper; you need a rectangle. The resulting box will be 1/4 the dimensions of your original paper. A good size to begin with is a standard 8.5 x 11" piece of paper, which makes a box 4.25" x 5.5".
September Origami Page: Origami Flower Pencil-Topper
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This model is good to use to make pencils easy to find and fun to use! Fill your pencil or pen jar with colorful flower toppers to create an attractive desktop bouquet. This pencil-topper is also a good back-to-school project - kids can make a bouquet for a favorite teacher. Another thoughtful use is a bouquet for the receptionist at your dentist or doctor's office - they always seem to need pens or pencils to easily keep track of.
August Origami Page: The Ice Cream Cone
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" This chant was learned in childhood and continues to echo over the years... especially during our oh-so-hot summer daze! I always assumed the chant originated by impatient children, but recently discovered there is actually a song called "I Scream, You Scream"! It was written in 1927 by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll, and Robert King.
July Origami Page: The Watermelon
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami watermelon is from one of my favorite designers, Shoko Ayogi from Japan. She presents a very playful style in the origami models she creates. I love to use this particular model to decorate greeting cards for the summer months. Large models are fun to use to decorate a festive party table as they will stand by themselves, and smaller models can be used as place-cards.
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Neckties have a long history in the world. They date back to the 1600's and became a popular fashion accessory in the 1800's. The custom of gifting neckties on Father's Day in the US and other Western countries began as early as 1920, but I cannot discover WHY they became such a popular gift for the occasion! I decided to create an origami necktie instead of buying ties for the men in my life since they rarely, if ever, even use them! These origami creations signify traditional nostalgic sentiments and are fun to make and personalize for each person. They can be decorated in so many ways: using colored pencils and/or markers; adding colorful stickers; stamping images or text with rubber stamps
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
There are so many ways to make paper flowers - yet I have a hard time finding ones that are flat enough to be used on greeting cards that I want to mail. So I developed my own! This origami rosebud requires only a few folds, and you can make 2 buds from each square of paper.
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Peafowl are in the pheasant family. The males of these large birds are called peacocks. They're well known for brilliantly colored plumage. The females are called Peahens and only have brown feathers. The male's colorful plumage is usually displayed to attract a female mate. Although the males all look the same to us, in reality they have distinct patterns and “eyespots” scattered across their feathers. Females notice these patterns and choose the male that seems suitable to them. These birds are very social and groups of them are called parties! They sleep in tall trees for protection and make a shrieking sound to warn of danger.
March Origami Page: Hina Dolls
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This month’s Origami Hina Dolls represent a male and female figure, and they can be used for any and all of the Hinamatsuri Festival figures! Using a variety of attractive papers makes a colorful array of origami dolls. The faces can be drawn showing various expressions. “Girls Day” is celebrated in Japan on March 3 every year. The festival is called “Hinamatsuri” which literally means Doll Festival and it is a time to wish for the health and future happiness of all young girls. It is often celebrated in homes with displays of special dolls that represent good luck for girls.
February Origami Page: Proud Rooster
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
2017 is the year of the Rooster, starting from January 28th, and ending on February 15, 2018. It is tenth in the Chinese zodiac. Each year is related to an animal sign according to a 12-year cycle. Years of the Rooster include 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 2005, and 2017. Add another 12 years to get the next Rooster year, which will be 2029! Traditionally, people born as a Rooster are active, amusing and popular within a crowd. They are considered to be talkative, frank, open, honest and loyal individuals.
January Origami Page: Prosperity $hirt
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
How about starting 2017 with a Prosperity $hirt? Fold one, keep it in your wallet and you'll never be broke! Carrying this particular money fold is also considered to be good luck. This month's origami model is fun to make and as much fun to give away! The attached diagram shows how to fold the model with a one dollar bill, using the "O N E" as a guide mark. You can use other denominations, but to get the right proportion you first need to fold a one dollar bill (only step #2) to use as a template. Then, using that bill as a guide, you can fold any denomination to the same size in step-2. Continue on to follow steps #3 through 11 as diagrammed.
December Origami Page: Origami Poinsettia
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
December's origami model is a colorful flower that represents the beautiful poinsettia plant. This plant is indigenous to Mexico and named for Joel R. Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the United States. He was a botanist and the first US Ambassador to Mexico. The poinsettia is particularly well known for its red and green foliage, although there are more than 100 varieties, some of which feature pink, burgundy or white foliage. Some even come in speckled or marbled colors. The plant is widely used in floral displays for the winter Holidays. The showy colored parts of the plant that people think of as the flowers are actually modified leaves called bracts.
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami animal, a pig, is simple to fold and a good addition to your origami animal collection - or to start an animal collection! There are many varieties of pigs, the most commonly known are the domestic pig and the smaller pot-bellied pig; the ancestor of both being the wild boar. Despite their reputation, pigs are not dirty animals. They’re actually quite clean. The pig’s reputation comes from its habit of rolling in mud to cool off. Pigs that live in cool, covered environments actually stay very clean.
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This month’s origami model is a variation of a traditional origami “church” which is included with the diagrams, so you get two-for-one!. The folding sequence is the same except for the final step. The main difference is how you decorate the results.For the Haunted House I like to choose a dark paper and for the church version I begin with colored or white paper. For either model add details with colored pencils or markers. Cut-out shapes and stickers are also fun to use to decorated your work. A favorite add-on item is a Q-tip ghost - this is made by cutting off part of a Q-tip and adding dots for eyes and mouth with a fine-tip pen or marker, then attaching to your house.
September Origami Page: The Elephant
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
I chose an elephant for this month's model because of a "Call for Elephants" put out by the Wildlife Conservation Society. The request is two-fold: They are attempting to break the Guinness World Records™ title for the largest display of origami elephants - AND - their goal is to reach 35,000 origami elephants to bring attention to the 35,000 elephants that are killed each year for their ivory. The address to send elephants to is: Wildlife Conservation Society; c/o Rachel Libretti; 2300 Southern Boulevard; Bronx, NY 10460. If you'd like to participate you would have to send your model(s) to them by September 16, 2016 so hopefully you'll see this posting before then! If not, you can still enjoy this fun model.
August Origami Page: Friendship Butterfly
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
August 7 is International Friendship Day, a day designed to foster friendships and bridge the gaps between race, color, religion and other factors so humans can more easily enjoy friendship with one another. The "Friendship Butterfly" was designed by Origami Grandmaster Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005) to help promote friendship worldwide. His hope was that children of all ages would learn to fold this butterfly and give it away in a friendship gesture - or even better, teach others how to fold it. Entire classrooms around the world have learned to fold these butterflies and then exchange them with students from other cities and countries.
July Origami Page: Origami Star
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
To help celebrate Independence Day, this month's model is a traditional origami star. There are several kinds of origami stars - one uses a thin strip of paper that gets folded over and over. Other models use two or more squares that are folded and then put together to make a star. Origami stars also vary by how many points they have; some have only 4 points, and others have 5, 6, or 8 points. This model uses one folded square, and has a single cut before unfolding it to create the 5 points. These stars have been used as ornaments by hanging with string or thread. They can also be added to pictures, leaving them dimensional or pasting flat.
June Origami Page: Message Shirt
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
All greeting cards are NOT the same! Especially when paper is folded into an attractive "Message Shirt"! This origami model is folded from any 8.5" x 11" paper. Begin by writing and / or drawing your message on the center of a piece paper, then fold it following the attached diagrams. Draw on your folded model to add details of a shirt or a blouse, and color additional decorations according to taste. You will then have a unique greeting for someone special.
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
The month of May makes me think of flowers! Here is a simple traditional tulip-fold that can be used to decorate cards or gift tags. Folded flowers make a wonderful theme for Mother's Day, birthdays, congratulations, or a "Thinking of You" message. The tulip blossom can be used by itself or with the accompanying stem/leaf fold. If the blossom is used alone and attached to paper, a full picture can be created by drawing in grass, stems, leaves and other objects.
April Origami Page: Wind Glider
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This month's diagram is my favorite origami boat. It is an interactive model - a wind glider that is propelled by blowing on the sail. All you need is a puff of breath and a smooth surface to see it glide away at surprising speeds! It can be fun to decorate and personalize the sails with images or words, using colored pencils, markers, or your favorite stickers.
March Origami Page: Bunny Heads
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
There are many rabbit models in origami, but this bunny head is one of the easiest to make. If you'd like to see more origami rabbits you can view 22 different models at this site: www.giladorigami.com/origami-rabbits This flat Bunny Head model is good for use on hand-made cards, especially for someone born in the Year of the Rabbit. (This comes from the Chinese Zodiac which has a 12 year cycle with an animal representing each of the 12 years; the last years of the Rabbit were 2011, 1999, and 1987. If you subtract 12 from 1987 you'll find the previous Rabbit year, and can keep calculating that way for earlier years.)
February Origami Page: Origami Hearts
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Make your own "Conversation Heart" for your Valentine. Use this origami heart and add a strip of paper with your special message written on it - then slide it into the center slit of the heart before you enclose it in a card or gift. Candy "Sweethearts" conversation hearts were invented in the 1860s by Daniel Chase, brother of NECCO Candy's founder. Daniel created the machine that both pressed sayings onto the candy dough and cut the shape.
January Origami Page: Origami Penguin
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This origami penguin is a traditional model and is simple to make and enjoy. Some of the ways it can be used: a table decoration / added to a place-card / on a greeting card / hung by adding ribbon or string. Although in reality most penguins are black and white some of them are very colorful. So make your penguins whatever color you enjoy - you can make them with white paper and color them after they are folded!.
December Origami Page: Origami Harvest or Holiday Wreath
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
This month's model is an example of modular origami, which consists of folding several pieces in exactly the same way, then interlocking them together to form a more complex shape. Usually glue is not necessary to hold everything together, but often a few small touches will insure that your model will stay together. Note: Don't add glue until you've put all eight pieces together to be sure they fit together evenly.
November Origami Page: The Folded Turkey
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Celebrating Thanksgiving in November has been an annual tradition in the United States since Abraham Lincoln's presidential proclamation in 1863. Typically a turkey is the staple of Thanksgiving dinner. This custom originated because this bird is native to North America and was abundant for our early settlers. This paper folded turkey was created by transforming the traditional origami swan into a turkey. The major difference comes from adding 'tail feathers' by cutting a slit in the body, and folding a second piece of paper to insert for a tail fan.
October Origami Page: The Flapping Bat!
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
The choice for this month's origami design is an interactive model - the Flapping Bat! It is patterned after a model by one of my mentors, a pioneer in spreading origami in the U.S.: Florence Temko (1921-2009). She was a prolific origami creator and wrote several books teaching traditional origami as well as her own designs. I enjoyed meeting and folding with Florence in 1977 when she lived in San Diego, CA. Interestingly, she didn't begin to explore paper folding until she was a young mother looking for activities to do with her children. It is never too late to learn something new, especially when it's fun!
September Origami Page: A Hopping Cricket
By Mary Ellen Palmeri
Introducing a new feature, a 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.
