The Ultimate Origami Book Review

All you need to get started! This is The Ultimate Origami Book: 20 Projects and 184 Pages of Super Cool Craft Paper by Larousse. It comes complete with 72 pages of origami instruction followed by 184 sheets of paper. Fold your way through 20 projects rated very easy, easy and intermediate. The instructions (both diagram and text) are excellent - definitely beginner friendly. Scan the projects and choose the model you wish to fold. There's something for everyone. Traditional models include the crane, lotus flower, lily and boat. Flip to the back of the book and browse the paper options. Pick the paper you'd like to use or try one of the suggested patterns. I love the larger size 7.7 inch (19.56 cm) paper squares. There are 92 (x 2) beautiful patterns, each with a coordinating solid color on the reverse. The paper is perforated for easy removal, simply crease and tear. So far I've folded the Message Heart, Majestic Horse and Cherry Blossom. I'm infatuated with the horses whimsical quality! The models and paper shown on the front and back book covers are among those inside. See excerpts and the full table of contents below. Fox Chapel Publishing released this 256 page paperback ‏on August 11, 2020. Get your copy below!

Contents

Symbols and Folds

Delicate Crane

Mount Fuji

Life Boat

Cherry Blossom

Lotus Flower

Colorful Fish

Raccoon Dog

Kimono Crowd

Sumo Wrestlers

Artistic Boat

Sly Fox

Fanciful Butterfly

Elegant Lily

Wise Owl

Tranquil Swan

Serene Bird

Message Heart

Cuddly Dog

Majestic Horse

Feisty Fish

Origami Paper

The Lotus Flower model from page 22. I like using a square paper napkin for this design.

Back cover of book.

The Majestic Horse (rated intermediate) from page 66. He stands up on his own. 

The Ultimate Origami Book ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1497101258 is available worldwide on Amazon. It is published by the Fox Chapel Publishing and distributed by Thomas Allen & Son, Canada’s leading independent distributor of books, stationery and calendars.

Origami Animals Super Paper Pack Review

Here's a fun little kit! The Origami Animals Super Paper Pack: Folding Instructions and Paper for Hundreds of Beasts and Birds from the Editors of CPi. It comes complete with a 32-page instruction booklet and a whopping 232 sheets of 6 inch (15 cm) square paper! There are 10 animal designs to fold - from the classic crane to a prehistoric dinosaur. All models begin with the same base and then diverge. The instructions (both text and diagram) are clear and if you take your time you will have no difficulty. There is a fabulous selection of brightly-colored paper. One side has a vibrant pattern, the other a solid color. I like the paper's matte finish. I counted 22 different patterns and about 10 copies of each - making it great for sharing and/or modular folding. The paper comes easily and cleanly off the handy tear-off style pad. The cover below shows some of the origami models and paper designs. So far I've folded the Old Crow and the Sitting Crane enjoyably. It's folding satisfaction for kids and adults! The table of contents is listed below. Creative Publishing international released the 32 page paperback on October 3, 2017. Get your copy below!

C O N T E N T S

Folding the Basic Form

The Flying Crane

The Sitting Crane

The Old Crow

The Sea Lion

The Rooster

 

The Flamingo

The Hummingbird

The Sea Gull

The Flying Dragon

The T-Rex

Symbols Index

The Old Crow I folded from page 8.

The Origami Animals Super Paper Pack ISBN-13 : 978-1589239531 is available worldwide at Creative Publishing international (CPi), a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books. 

Origami Safari Review & GIVEAWAY

Origami is a fun, family-friendly activity. Kids love it! Delight the children in your life with Origami Safari: For Beginners by Anne Passchier. Beginners (age 6+) will enjoy making this menagerie of paper animals. Fold, decorate (add eyes, whiskers etc.) and play with 21 origami animals including a narwhal, beetle, Arctic hare and fox. All models are rated with a level of difficulty from 1 to 3 stars - easy, medium and hard. Some children may require a little support. Brightly colored, step-by-step instructions (both text and diagram) printed on large durable pages show where to fold and crease. A paper pack containing 24 sheets of solid color 6" (15 cm) square folding paper is attached to the inside front cover. This lively and jam-packed origami activity book will engage novice paper folders for hours. A reminder about perseverance - origami takes patience. The reward is worth the effort you put in. The complete table of contents is listed below. Dover Publications released this 96 page paperback on October 14, 2020. Get your copy below!

Contents

Introduction

Safari Animals

Elephant*

Giraffe*

Lion

Rhino

Zebra

Rain Forest Animals

Monkey*

Crocodile

Gorilla

Tiger

Parrot*

Desert Animals

Camel

Snake

Fennec Fox

Desert Tortoise*

Beetle

Vulture

Polar Animals

Arctic Hare*

Penguin

Polar Bear

Narwhal

Reindeer*

*Require cutting (7).

  

Fennec Fox from page 62-63.

An Arctic Hare I folded. Instructions found on page 76.

Origami Safari ISBN-13 : 978-0486843629 is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until January 6, 2021. Canada & USA only. Good luck!

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Origami Farm Review & GIVEAWAY

Origami is a fun, family-friendly activity. Kids love it! Delight the children in your life with Origami Farm: For Beginners by Anne Passchier. Beginners (age 6+) will enjoy making this menagerie of paper animals. Fold, decorate (add eyes, whiskers etc.) and play with 22 origami animals including a pig, horse, duck and fox. All models are rated with a level of difficulty from 1 to 3 stars - easy, medium and hard. Some children may require a little support. Brightly colored, step-by-step instructions (both text and diagram) printed on large durable pages show where to fold and crease. A paper pack containing 24 sheets of solid color 6" (15 cm) square folding paper is attached to the inside front cover. This lively and jam-packed origami activity book will engage novice paper folders for hours. A reminder about perseverance - origami takes patience. The reward is worth the effort you put in. The complete table of contents is listed below. Dover Publications released this 96 page paperback on October 14, 2020. Get your copy below!

Contents

Introduction

Farm Animals

Rooster

Pig

Horse*

Hen*

Cow

In the Barnyard

Duck

Duckling

Frog

Fish

Puppy

Cat

In the Field

Caterpillar

Water Lily

Spider* 

Flower

Bird

Rabbit

The Farm at Night

Fox

Bat 

Owl

Mouse

Moth

*Require cutting (3).

Fun making giant origami piggies! Instructions found on page 12.

Origami Farm ISBN-13 : 978-0486843612 is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until December 30, 2020. Canada & USA only. Good luck!

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Origami Animals Review & GIVEAWAY

Fold paper into fun animals with Origami Animals by Mila Bertinetti Montevecchi, Rita Foelker, Nick Robinson and Marc Kirschenbaum. All are well-known origami artists. They begin with the usual origami folds and symbols reference pages. There are 8 beginner friendly folding projects - bird, caterpillar, butterfly, crab, dog, cat, turtle and owl. The dog and butterfly, shown folded below, are two of my favorite models because of their superb design. Easy to follow step-by-step text and diagram instructions accompany each model. Two hundred sheets of 6.75 x 6.75 inches (17.15 x 17.15 cm) paper are included - a variety of colorful patterns and solids, all with a matte finish. These sheets tear cleanly off the paper pad. The complete table of contents is listed below. Dover Publications released the 256 page paperback on September 16, 2020. Get your copy below!

Contents

Instructions

Techniques

Little Bird

Rita Foelker

Caterpillar

Rita Foelker

9-Fold Butterfly

Lee Armstrong

Crab

Mila Bertinetti Montevecchi

Scottie Dog

Robert Neale

Cat 

Traditional

Turtle

Marc Kirschenbaum

Owl

Marc Kirschenbaum

The Scottie Dog model I folded. 

The 9-Fold Butterfly model I folded.

Origami Animals ISBN-10 : 0486841995 is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until October 25, 2020. Canada & USA only. Good luck!

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Origami Fold-By-Fold Review & GIVEAWAY

Next level challenge! Learn to fold beginner to advanced with Origami Fold-By-Fold by John Montroll. It features 35 animal and polyhedra (3-D geometric figures) origami models. Animal subjects include a selection of fish, insect, bird and mammal folds. Polyhedron models include the 5 Platonic solids - tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, icosahedron and dodecahedron. Crease patterns are also included for these models. Begin with the easy folding in the first chapter and work your way through the book at your own pace - from simple through intermediate, complex and very complex. All of the designs are folded from one square sheet of paper, and adhere to a no cutting, no glue approach. A reference section shows origami symbols (lines and arrows) and basic folds (pleat, squash, petal, rabbit ear, double-rabbit ear, inside and outside reverse, crimp, sink, spread squash, blintz frog base and a double unwrap fold). All folding sequences have step-by-step instructions with large, clear, full-color illustrations. Ideal for dedicated folders who want to build and reinforce their folding skills. See the complete table of contents below. Dover Publications released the 128 page paperback on July 15, 2020. It is also available in e-book format. Get your copy below!

Contents

Symbols

Basic Folds

Appreciating Origami Fold-by-Fold

Simple Origami

Simple Fish

Tropical Fish

Angelfish

Skate

Scallop

Boat

Sailboat

Lady Bug

Stink Bug

Tetrahedron

Intermediate

Wasp

Fly

Butterfly

Dragon Fly

Australian Pelican

Black-Necked Crane

Orca

Panda

Cube

Octahedron

Complex Origami

Elasmotherium

Rhinoceros

Peacock

Koala Bear

Lion

Elephant

Icosahedron

Cuboctahedron

Very Complex

Fly

Grasshopper

Smilodon

Woolly Mammoth

Crab

Sunken Dodecahedron

Dodecahedron

The tetrahedron I folded from page 30/31.

Origami Fold-By-Fold is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until August 18, 2020. Canada & USA only. Good luck! 

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Dogs in Origami Review & GIVEAWAY

Discover a variety of canine folds inside the pages of Dogs in Origami by Nick Robinson. With a little help from his friends, the British origami master demos 20 origami projects with instructions and diagrams. He begins with the easiest models and slowly progresses to the more challenging ones. Each project has a difficulty rating of 1 through 5, with 5 being the hardest. All designs require square paper. Add a pack of 7 x 7" paper and you'll be all set. Though for practicing the more difficult designs larger squares are better. Clear diagram and text instructions are printed on large pages along with photos of the finished model. See the complete table of contents below. The 144 page paperback was released May 15, 2019 from Dover Publications. It's a companion volume to "Cats in Origami". Get your copy below!

Contents

Introduction

How to fold - Choosing paper

Techniques

Basic Dog

Traditional

Minimal Dog

Nick Robinson

Yoshizawa's Dog

Akira Yoshizawa

Alison's Dog

Nick Robinson

Scotty Dog

Robert Neale

Gay's Dog

Gay Merrill Gross

Nodding Dog

Nick Robinson

Alsatian

Edwin Corrie

Kirschenbaum's Dog

Marc Kirschenbaum

Bone

Nick Robinson

Dog

 Shoko Aoyagi

Puppy

Shoko Aoyagi 

Dawg

Tony O'Hare

Dog in Kennel

 Nick Robinson

Woof! Woof! Puppy

Gay Merrill Gross

Bodo's Dog

Bodo Haag

Patch the Dog

Roman Diaz

You Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog

Nick Robinson

Perro Liberando

Luis Fernandez Perez

Bulldog

Jacky Chan

Biographies

This is the Scotty Dog I folded from page 40. I used a 4" square of origami paper. It has a difficulty rating of 2 out of 5, making it fairly easy to fold. The models creator is Robert Neale. No scissors, tape or glue used.

Dogs in Origami is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until July 4, 2019. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!

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Cats in Origami Review & GIVEAWAY

Discover a variety of feline folds inside the pages of Cats in Origami by Nick Robinson. With a little help from his friends, the British origami master demos 20 origami projects with instructions and diagrams. He begins with the easiest models and slowly progresses to the more challenging ones. Each project has a difficulty rating of 1 through 5, with 5 being the hardest. All designs require square paper. Add a pack of 7 x 7" paper and you'll be all set. Though for practicing the more difficult designs larger squares are better. Clear diagram and text instructions are printed on large pages along with photos of the finished model. See the complete table of contents below. So far I've folded the Rear View Cat and the Halloween Cat and am delighted with the results. The 144 page paperback was released April 17, 2019 from Dover Publications. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

Introduction

How to fold - Choosing paper

Techniques

Simple Cat 

Traditional 

Rear View Cat 

Wayne Brown

Cheshire Cat 

Nick Robinson

Kitty 

Gay Merrill Gross

Cat Envelope 

Michel Grand

3D Cat Head 

Nick Robinson

Cat In A Box 

Nick Robinson

Halloween Cat 

David Petty

Sleepy Cat 

Hiroaki Takai

Cat Box 

Gay Merrill Gross

Neko Bookmark 

Jo Nakashima

Cat Card 

Nick Robinson

Cat That Got The Cream 

Nick Robinson

Seated Cat 

Gilad Aharoni

Walking Cat 

Lee Armstrong

Le Chat De Nicolas 

Nicolas Terry

Gigi 

Robin Glynn

Adorable Cat 

Stéphane Gigandet

White Socks 

Jun Maekawa

Nosy Cat 

Oriol Esteve

Credits and Biographies

Cats in Origami is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until May 5, 2019. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!

I folded the Rear View Cat created by Wayne Brown from page 22 of Cats in Origami.

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Origami of the Sea Review & GIVEAWAY

Origami of the Sea comes with everything you need to start folding right away! As shown on the cover below there are 8 aquatic origami projects. Step-by-step text and diagram instructions accompany each model. There are 200 sheets of colorful origami paper measuring 17.8 x 17.8 cm (7 x 7") . This paper comes in a variety of solid colors and patterns, all with a matte finish. You also get a link to video instructions clearly demonstrating how to fold each design. A variety of noted paper folders created these models - Vanda Battaglia, Pasquale D'Auria, Francesco Decio, Marc Kirschenbaum, and Nick Robinson. This 256 page paperback will be released on March 20, 2019 by Dover Publications. You can pre-order now. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

Instructions

Techniques

Blue Whale
Marc Kirschenbaum

Penguin 
Pasquale D'Auria

Shark
Pasquale D'Auria

Common Eagle Ray
Pasquale D'Auria

Deep Sea Fish 
Pasquale D'Auria

Simple Fish
Nick Robinson

Squid 
Nick Robinson

Small Boat
Francesco Decio
Vanda Battaglia

Origami of the Sea is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until March 31, 2019. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!

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Origami 101 Review & GIVEAWAY

This origami book is for beginners! Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily Through Step-by-Step Instruction by Benjamin Coleman. It's an updated version of the same title that was first published in 2011. The author uses the innovative Glow-Fold method of paper folding. It's a diagramming technique he developed to simplify origami instructions. As you can see from the table of contents below, all of the origami designs stem from one of four basic shapes - the kite, square, basic and triangle. There are over 40 designs. I explored the folds under "The Kite Shape" heading because they appealed to me the most - the Loon, Roosting Robin, Tropical Fish and Peacock. I like their simplicity and clean lines. I found the instructions very clear. They include large diagrams, symbols, text and photos. If you get hopelessly stuck there is a DVD. This 224 page paperback was released August 21, 2018 from Publisher: Quarry Books. A Kindle version is also available. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

The Kite Shape

Folding the Kite Shape

Folding the Penguin

Folding the Broad Leaf

Folding the Loon

Folding the Roosting Robin

Folding the Tropical Fish

Folding the Parakeet

Folding the Peacock

Folding the Baby Seal

Folding the Chick

Folding the Simple Swan

Folding the Sitting Dragon

Folding the Snail

Folding the Graceful Swan

The Collapsed Square

Folding the Collapsed Square

Folding the Crocus

Folding the Rambunctious Dog

Folding the Eight-Pointed Star

Folding the Ornamental Box

Folding the Tree Ornament

Folding the Flowering Branch

Folding the Fractal Geometric 1

Folding the Pigeon

Folding the Scary Bat

Folding the Lilly

The Basic Form

Folding the Basic Form

Folding the Flying Crane

Folding the Sitting Crane

Folding the Old Crow

Folding the Sea Lion

Folding the Silly Goose

Folding the Rooster

Folding the Flying Dragon

Folding the Tyrannosaurus Rex

The Collapsed Triangle

Folding the Collapsed Triangle

Folding the Frog

Folding the Rock Lobster

Folding the Hermit Crab

Folding the Three-legged Gecko

Folding the Sea Turtle

Folding the Brown Bear

Folding the Hungry Fawn

Folding the Fractional Geometric 2

Folding the Human Being

Symbol Index Bookmark

The Tropical Fish. Made from the Kite Shape. Page 39.

The Peacock. Made from the Kite Shape. Page 47.

Origami 101 is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until December 21, 2018. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!

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Amazing Origami Boxes Review & GIVEAWAY

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this just released title from Dover Publications. It's Amazing Origami Boxes by bestselling author Tomoko Fuse. She's my favorite origami author. Her 128 page softcover presents 20 useful and decorative origami models. Learn how to make an assortment of striking boxes, bowls and baskets perfect for gifting. There are a few traditional favorites and some exciting new models! The folding skill level ranges from easy to difficult. Clear, step-by-step diagram instruction and text accompany each project. Most require regular size origami paper 6'' (15 cm) square. Photographer Dario Canova showcases the completed models in full color from a variety of angles. This book is an excellent resource. I will return to it over and over again because of all of the interesting projects. Get your copy below.

SUMMARY

Biography

Symbols

Interlock box

Party dish 1

Party dish 2

Bird box

Incense holder 

Offering box

Paintbrush rinsing pot

Cat-head box

Basket

Flower box A and B

Flower bowl

Box (traditional)

Diagonal box divider

Masu box

Square bowl

Cube box

Double cube box

Tortoiseshell bowl

Tulip cup

Flower box

Rose box

My new favorite is this adorable and easy to make origami cat box. I folded it out of a single 6'' square. 

Amazing Origami Boxes is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until June 10, 2018. Canada & USA. Good luck!

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