Weekend Origami--More for Fall

Last time we made acorns, so I thought I'd put up a slightly more challenging way to make acorns that, made a little differently, also makes chestnut.  And since my daughter had to make Ginko leaves and Ki no Ko (mushrooms) for the school festival, I'll just put those up, too:))  Let it be noted, however, that 4-year-olds probably can't handle these.  These are for Mom or Dad or Big Brother/Sister to make for little ones to play with--or to decorate with.  The Ginko leaves can be made in different colors of paper (or color-gradated paper) and taped down a length of thin twine and used to make presents pretty.  Or hung down the window:))

First, the acorn/chestnut (drawing faces optional:))  My daughter is making this, so she makes a couple of small mistakes...  when folding up from the bottom, fold up in thirds so that the folded edge is even with the center horizontal guide fold.  Then fold up one more time--the edges should be even.  Turn it over and fold the points in to just a little past the center vertical guide fold (turn it over and eyeball it so it looks right--chestnuts are kind of fat, so don't make it too skinny).  Tuck the right side into the left side and knick the corners back.  Dekiagari!  Done!



Got that?  Good!  Now try a Ginko Leaf--when your fingers get used to making these, you'll be able to fold a dozen of them in five minutes (should you desire to make that many).  Hold tight and pull the back flap down gently but firmly until you can see the split.  Then just mash it down flat. 


Hai, dekiagari!  They're kind of addictive once you get the hang of making them...

One more--Cici wanted to show you the mushroom she can make.  She made over a dozen of these for last weekend's Fall Festival (Furi Ai Hiroba).  The cool thing about learning to make the mushroom is that it's a little mysterious looking 'til just at the end when you flip it over and, ta-da!--suddenly you're looking at a mushroom.  She's using a piece of paper 15x15cm, but we also made some using 5x5cm and 2.5x2.5cm (see photo below video).  You'll also, if you haven't ever done this before, learn a common move in origami--namely, "hiraite, tsubusu", "open up and flatten".  After folding a triangle, then in half and a smaller triangle, slide you finger up inside one of the flaps to open it, then flatten it so it looks like a diamond.  Turn it over and do the same on the other side, so that you're now looking at a diamond shape instead of a triangle.  That's probably confusing, so watch Cici do it:

The big one was made using a 15x15cm piece of paper, the middle size one a 5x5cm piece, and the smallest 2.5x2.5.

 Have your fingers fallen off yet?;-)


Mata asobou, ne!