PBP: Week 29- Origami

I have been doing origami since I was in grade school.  My dad was army, and we lived Hong Kong for a while, and that is where I remember learning.  Origami satisfies a lot of parts of me.  I love the creation of it, taking a flat piece of paper and creating a three dimensional sculpture.  It also appeals to the past of me that likes things precise, as I can take more time to make each fold exact.

There are a lot of really beautiful papers made for origami.  Proper origami paper is thinner than many other papers, and can make some of the more intricate patterns easier to do.  But, if you don't have any, don't fret!  You can use any kind of paper, just cut into a square.  In fact you can pick your paper to match your purpose.  Magazine pictures make great paper.  You can also draw your own paper.  Don't worry if you don't feel like you are an artist, you can let your inner child out!  Just grab your crayons and let your emotions guide you.

I have used origami in my practice many times.  There are so many different things that you can make, that you can tailor it to almost any purpose.  Many patterns have hidden pockets in it, so you can tuck in tiny charms or herbs.  You can also write on the inside and have your message hidden away.

Most origami is fairly small when finished, which makes it great to use as charms or to tuck away hidden.  I have made Sabbat trees out of origami, then decorated them for each season, with charms for things I was working on.  I really loves working with the trees, and loved having them out and changing throughout the year.

I've also done origami with paper that I was going to burn as another layer of symbolism.  They make good altar items, you can make new ones as needed.

If you have never tried origami, don't be intimidated by some of the complex patterns you see.  There are a small number of basic folds, and once you matter those folds, you can start trying more complicated patterns.  Many times you can find free demonstrations at the library or other places and try out new patterns.