Easy Oragami Crafts for Kids
Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, is an ideal craft for children. In the process of making origami, kids express themselves, learn to follow directions and create something beautiful to keep or give away as gifts. The mastery of origami sculpture develops patience, manual dexterity and imagination. Children love making origami animals like monkeys and wolves or boxes, cones and packets that can be left as is, or decorated with paint, decoupage, rubber stamps and ribbon.
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Origami Packet
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Birthday party favors or the perfect little gift, an origami packet holds two or three chocolates or candies. Quick and simple to fold, packets can be decorated with paint, decoupage, ribbons and a name tag. Fold an 8-inch square of paper in half vertically like a book with the open edges on the right side. Fold the bottom left corner up to meet the top right corner. Fold the corner down and over the last fold. Lift up the flap on the right hand side and fold down to the left. Decorate and fill the packet.
Origami Cone
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The functional and pretty origami cone is perfect for holding popcorn or a few treats for a gift. Fold an eight-inch piece of paper vertically so the open edges are on the right hand side. Fold the bottom left corner up to meet the top right hand corner. Fold the corner down and over the last fold. Lift the flap on the right hand side and fold down towards the left side. Flip the paper over and repeat on the opposite side. Open the cone and fill with goodies.
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Origami Animals
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Origami is the perfect art for creating animals. Every member of the animal kingdom can be modeled with paper; insects and pets are favorite subjects for origami for both kids and adults alike. Graceful cranes are perhaps one of the most popular origami sculptures ever, seen in malls and office buildings in all shapes and sizes, it symbolizes freedom. Although the crane, doves and other birds are fairly basic designs, a far easier origami sculpture is a dog or cat head. Quick and fun, it makes a nice 3D embellishment for a handmade greeting card, especially if you add googly eyes.
How to Make an Origami Dog
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Fold a 4 inch or larger piece of paper in half diagonally to create a triangle shape. Fold the triangle in half once more to form a crease and open it back out. Turn the triangle so the long side is at the top. Fold the right hand corner down; this forms an ear. Repeat on the left side. Fold the bottom, center point of the face up to form the nose. Add a pair of googly eyes and glue the dog head to the front of your card.
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