Merry Christmas, happy holidays, season's greetings, happy solstice, lovely day! Take your pick!I tried one final little project for the end of the year, involving folding pretty paper to make little boxes. I tried a variety of origami box structures looking for one that might work for packing up some little books. I had two main requirements for the boxes. Firstly, the miniature books needed to fit in the box, and secondly, I wanted the box to have a lid.
Initially I thought it should be a rectangular box so I attempted several rectangular boxes but couldn't get the dimensions quite right. I also tried a little box with a window (seen at the top of the tower), which I really like, but I wanted more lid.
After quite a lot of trial and error, I settled on the standard origami Masu Box. I've seen a couple different ways to make a Masu Box. There's one method where you start by folding the paper into thirds. Then, there's another method (more common, probably) where you start by folding the paper in half diagonally like these simple instructions here. I used this version, since it was easier to tweak it and make a well-fitting lid. These are the final boxes that were the best sizes and had the best lids:
Only eleven posts on my blog this year, sheesh. As usual, I'll sign off 2023 by saying that I'll try to post more often in the new year!
Last year, I met an origami artist who was looking for marbled paper to use for her origami cranes. The paper that I normally marble is meant for bookbinding, and would be too thick. So I marbled a special batch of lighter-weight papers for Jeanne, of Blue Ridge Origami.
Jeanne started making origami cranes as an inexpensive giveaway for a trade show event, but afterwards took the extra cranes to the hospice where she works. There, the cranes were given to patients and families where they became very popular and much appreciated. Jeanne also told me that several years ago, her hospice "adopted" the country of Zambia. She said, "we have been working hard since then, fundraising, educating, etc. The first trip to Zambia was made by my boss, our Chief Medical Officer, and our VP of Clinical Ops, an RN. With them went over 50 cranes, which flatten nicely and don't take up much room or weight in a suitcase. Today many of those cranes hang in a children's play room at the main hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Many made out of Rhonda's beautiful marbled paper."
She has also refined her skills to make tiny cranes, as small as 1 inch! These tiny cranes are perfect for earrings and she's also started making other tiny origami figures like stars and flutes. Now she makes origami earrings to sell at craft fairs and on Etsy, donating some of the proceeds to the Zambia fund raising efforts.
I am really impressed with these tiny origami figures she's making. I've done some folding, but I know my fingers cannot manipulate paper so small! Also, learning about her efforts to support medical assistance in Zambia makes her peace cranes even more special. I'm glad I was able to contribute a few unique sheets of marbled paper for her to use.
