Origami Ornaments

Ornaments inspired by Origami, the traditional Japanese paper-folding craft, are colorful, inexpensive, and easy to make. You only need a few materials - a box of slightly shiny, lightweight origami paper, string, white glue, and scraps of colored tag board or paper.

To make the Santa, we used an 8 inch square of paper and folded it as shown in the drawing below. Complete the Santa by adding a beard, trim, and hanger. You can secure the arms with glue, if necessary.

For the tree, use a 5 inch square and fold as for the Santa; stop when you have the triangle in the fourth step. Take two horizontal tucks to give a tiered effect. Glue on a tag board star, a hanger, and tiny ornaments made of contrasting origami paper.

To make the reindeer, start with a 6 inch square of paper and follow the folding instructions. Cut antlers from tag board and glue on.

Make the bell by folding a 7 inch square according to the drawing. Finish the bell by separating the points at the top and fold them down each side of the bell; secure with glue. Invert the figure and glue a clapper into the opening and a handle on top.

Fig 1

Cheerful origami ornaments are cleverly folded, then decorated with your individual touches.

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