Vintage Fashionistas Love Fashion Origami
by Mary Kincaid
May 15, 2009 8:11 AM PDT
Origami is a world-wide art form that can be traced all the way back to about 500 A.D. Originating in China, the birthplace of paper, it was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks and today refers to the sculptural representation of folding in any medium. In fashion, that medium is fabric, suede, and leather. And while origami has been used in recent collections by many designers, this isn't the first time that designers have been inspired by the ancient craft. That means that there are plenty of fine vintage examples to be found in the marketplace with some devoted searching. Whether it's on a handbag, a skirt, or a knock 'em dead dress, three-dimensional texture inspired by origami makes for some interesting and creative designs. Just click the slideshow to see the selection.
How To Make A Paper "Bloomin' Box" For Spring
by Lisanne Silverman
Apr 16, 2009 2:20 PM PDT
Jeffery Rudell is a contributor at CraftStylish, a web site devoted to inspiring projects and instructions for creating and crafting. Below, he shares a surprisingly easy-to-do design!
This little creation was sitting in the window of a small shop on a side street in New York City, and the moment I saw it I fell in love with it. The shopkeeper, however, was unwilling to sell me the display prop out of his window. He did, however, offer to show me how it was made: "It's simple," he assured me, and then proceeded to demonstrate that fact right at the counter of his shop. I wish that I had the benefit of a tiny video clip to prove to you just how easy this is to make. Instead, I am stuck having to make due with sequential photographs. The resulting tutorial looks much more complicated than it really is, but this is only because I have erred on the side of being thorough in my directions. Don't be scared away from this project by the number of steps. Once you learn it, you'll be making them with your eyes closed (or while watching TV, which is how I do it). Since I first became acquainted with this design, I have put it to use in many ways-- as paper baubles offered as ersatz thank-you notes and as wrapping for small presents; I've even (at a much larger scale and with the addition of a little glue) made pinatas in this manner. They also make wonderful holiday ornaments when built using foil origami papers.
All you need are six equally-sized squares of paper. I'm using 3-inch x 3-inch pieces of origami paper, but nearly anything that will take a crease nicely will suffice. I hope you enjoy this project and please let me know what uses of your own you come up with.
Click over to CraftStylish for a step-by-step guide to making your own origami Bloomin' Box for spring!
