Easy Butterfly Origami

My new book, Easy Butterfly Origami features 30 bold full-color patterns designed to accurately portray the dorsal and ventral sides of some of the most beautiful butterflies from around the world!

Origami Folding Tips

Origami, from the Japanese ori (to fold) and kami (paper), began in the 6th century when Buddhist monks introduced paper to Japan. The print-and-fold crafts and easy diagrams are designed to help children with fine motor skills, directions and hand eye coordination. Some basic origami folding tips:
  • Print and cut out patterns carefully.
  • Fold with clean, dry hands.
  • Follow the instructions. Study the diagrams and be patient.
  • Be precise: fold each crease well, flattening the creases by running your fingertip over the fold.
  • Folding the paper away from you is easier than folding towards you.
  • Be creative...use your origami on greeting cards, holiday decorations, table place cards and bookmarks.
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts

Cat Origami

Crazy for cats? Choose your favorite feline and print and fold a cat origami.

Difficulty: Easy (suitable for young children)


Click on a cat to print your origami and follow directions.

Orange Tabby Cat Origami

Directions:

1. Cut out origami cat pattern along outer solid lines.

2. Fold back along diagonal line.

3. Turn your origami cat over, so that the printed side faces DOWN.

4. Fold ear down along diagonal line as shown.
Repeat on other side.

5. Fold cat's ear up as shown.
Repeat on other side.


6. Turn origami over with printed side facing UP.
Fold back top (white section) of cat's head.
Fold back bottom of cat's chin.

Now your origami cat is done!

Copyright©2013 Tammy Yee. All rights reserved.

Hawaiian 'Opihi Origami

'Opihi are limpets that live on the shores of Hawaii. With their cone-shaped, squat shells, they can withstand the mightiest waves as they cling tightly to the rocks.

'Opihi have long been considered an essential part of a Hawaiian luau—'opihi pickers risk their lives to collect these prized delicacies and are sometimes swept out to sea. However, overharvesting has made this native shellfish harder and harder to find. To better understand how we can conserve our 'opihi populations for future generations, scientists have been working hard at learning about the 'opihi's life cycle, and enlisting the vital help of local communities to develop plans that will ensure that our coastlines are preserved for future generations.

There are three species of 'opihi. 'Opihi Makaiauli (blackfoot 'opihi) is found in clinging tightly to rocks in the splash zone, and can tolerate being exposed to the sun during low tides. 'Opihi 'ālinalina (yellowfoot ʻopihi) have shells with jagged edges that were used by Hawaiians as scrapers for shredding coconut meat. These need moisture, and are found in the most dangerous tidal zones where there is constant wave action. ʻOpihi kōʻele (giant or kneecap ʻopihi) is found submerged in water, and can grow up to four inches across.

PRINT AND FOLD IKI, THE LITTLEST ʻOPIHI ORIGAMI



DIRECTIONS:

1. Print Iki, the Littlest ʻOpihi origami. Cut out image along outer solid lines.

2. With printed side facing up, fold down on solid line. UNFOLD.
 


3. Turn over, so that the printed side is facing DOWN.
4. Fold along diagonal line as shown. UNFOLD.

5. Repeat diagonal fold on the other side. UNFOLD.

6. Your 'Opihi Origami should be creased as illustrated.

7. With printed side down, fold down, forming a "tent" along the creases.

8. Fold body up along solid line.

9. Tuck tapered end of body into shell.


Origami based on:
Iki, The Littlest 'Opihi
2nd Edition
Written and Illustrated by Tammy Yee
Windword Books 2013
ISBN: 978-1493657971

'Opihi are shellfish that live clinging to the rocky shores in Hawaii. But Iki, the littlest 'opihi, seeks adventure in the open ocean. Will he ever join the other 'opihi and learn to "stick to it"?


©2013 Tammy Yee


Bald Eagle Origami

Found throughout the continent from Alaska and Canada and south to Mexico, the bald eagle is the only eagle found only in North America. Once endangered, the American bald eagle is still protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act which makes it illegal to import or export eagles and eagle parts, nests or eggs without a permit.

Revered by Native Americans, this majestic bird with its distinctive white head was adopted as the National Emblem of the United States of America on July 20, 1872. Eagles soaring high above the battlefields during the Revolutionary war were said by patriots to be "shrieking for freedom." Since then, the eagle has come to symbolize freedom.


Directions:

1a. Print your eagle origami:

1b. To fold your eagle origami, follow the same directions as the owl origami: Cut out image along outer solid lines.






2a. Fold in half along diagonal line. Unfold.
2b. Repeat the diagonal fold on other side. Unfold.
2c. Fold down along horizontal line. Unfold.


2d. Your origami should be creased as shown.







3. Carefully fold along creases, forming a "tent" as illustrated.







4a. Turn origami over.
4b. & c. Fold diagonally on both sides, as illustrated.






5a. & b. Form tail by folding diagonally on both sides, as illustrated.




Turn over. You can leave your eagle's wings open or you may fold the wings forward.Your origami eagle is ready to fly!



©2010 Tammy Yee
All rights reserved.

Origami: Boy's Day Carp, Koi Nobori

Celebrate Boy's Day (May 5) by folding a koi origami for every male in the household!

Difficulty: Medium


Koi-nobori Origami
Print a blue Koi-nobori

Koi-nobori Origami
Print a red Koi-nobori

Koi-nobori Origami
Print a green Koi-nobori


Directions:

1a. Print and cut out origami along outer solid lines.
1b. Snip end of tale, as illustrated, to black dot.

Koi-nobori Origami



2a. Turn paper over. With printed side facing down, fold along line A as shown.
2b. Repeat fold along line B.
2c. Fold up along line C.
2d. Fold up along line D.

Koi-nobori Origami



3a. Fold in half, along diagonal line, as shown.
3b. Your origami should look like this, with a "tail" flap and a "head" flap.

Koi-nobori Origami



4a. Unfold "tail" flap. Take note of the diagonal line, highlighted here in red, on the carp's fin.
4b. Folding "tail" flap first, crease carp's fin along the highlighted line as you fold "head" flap over.
4c. Your origami should now look like this, with the fin folded as shown.

Koi-nobori Origami



5a. "Valley" fold origami tip inward along line E as shown.
5b. Fold fin up along slit. Your Koi Nobori is done!

Koi-nobori Origami


©2009 Tammy Yee. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without author's consent.

Crafts: Boy's Day Kite, Koi Nobori

Make a Koi Nobori, a Boy's Day carp kite on May 5th. Traditionally, a koi is flown for every male in the household, with the largest carp on the top representing the father.










Directions
1. Select your koi, print, and cut along outline.

2. Fold your koi in half along the vertical line, and glue along top, leaving the "mouth" open.

3. Use a hole puncher to punch holes to either side of the mouth, and attach strings.


©2009 Tammy Yee. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce or alter without author's consent.

Paper Planes: Independence Eagle

Print and fold an easy Origami Paper Plane Eagle for Independence Day, Memorial Day or Veterans Day!



The Bald Eagle, with majestic wings spread in flight, stars and stripes across his breast, an olive branch in his right talon and a bundle of thirteen arrows in his left,graces the Great Seal of the United States of America. E pluribus unum, Latin for "Out of Many, One," is inscribed on a scroll carried within his beak.



Chosen as our National Emblem on June 20, 1782, the bald eagle's grace, strength, majesty and freedom as it soars above mountains and sweeping valleys has come to symbolize the ideals of our founding fathers.



Difficulty: Easy


Directions:

1. Print and cut out origami Independence Day Eagle. Fold back along A.




2. With printed side down, fold along C and D.




3. Fold tip along E.




4. Fold in half along B.




5. Note that there are two vertical lines along the body, to either side of the center fold. Fold these down to open up the eagle's wings, as shown in the final sample.




6. Tape or staple body as shown. Fold wing flaps up as shown...these can be adjusted as you test your paper airplane Independence Day Eagle.







©2009 Tammy Yee
All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written consent.



Copyright ©2009 Tammy Yee
All rights reserved. No portion of this web site may be reproduced without prior written consent.