What is Origami?
Origami is the ancient art of paper folding. Origami artists, using no more than a square sheet of paper and a lot of skill, produce wonderfully intricate items ranging from traditional designs such as the classic crane through to contemporary designs. Origami paper is traditionally a square which has a different color or pattern on either side to help emphasize the folds in a design.
Traditional origami relies totally on the clever folds of the paper to create the designs, however some paper folding projects use scissors or a dab of glue to help in the creation of a design. While this isn't strictly origami, this is a good way for beginners to learn the skills.
How Can Rubber Stamping be Used in Origami Projects?
Rubber stamping and origami can be used together to great effect. Rubber stamping is ideal for creating unique origami papers or adding specific decoration to a project, for instance to add the markings on an animal or some well placed decorations on a bag or box.
There are many ways that rubber stamping and origami can be used together to great effect. These include:
- Color Co-ordinated projects - Origami items can be used as wedding favors, Christmas decorations or for a whole range of other uses. Customize to coordinate with other items using rubber stamps and a complementary colored ink.
- Create Unique Papers - Unusual and customized papers can be created with rubber stamps and a range of stamping techniques. This is a great way to add something different to origami projects. A wide variety of papers can be stamped including handmade papers and translucent vellum.
- Card Decorations - Small origami designs can be used to decorate handmade cards or as gift tags. This can be a great way to create unique cards.
Free Origami Projects
There are many free origami projects, tutorials and instructions available. These include decorative items as well as more functional projects such as gift bags or small boxes.
- Origami Videos at About.com Family Crafts - a range of videos explaining how to make some simple origami items - these are ideal for decorating with stamps
- About.com GoJapan - offers a step by step guide to making an origami crane and more information about the art of origami
- Origami Gift Bag - this project includes printable pdf instructions and is ideal for decorating with rubber stamps, resulting in a lovely way to present a gift
- Origami Shoes - printable pdf instructions to make folded paper shoes
- Origami Bird Mobile - decorate these birds with rubber stamped images to create a unique mobile
- Selection of Designs - range of different designs broken down into experience levels
Tips For Rubber Stamping Origami
Here are some tips to help make great rubber stamped origami items:
- Practice folding an origami design on scratch paper and mark on it where stamped images are to be placed. This is particularly important if stamped images are required to face in the same direction.
- Use a paper folder (folding bone) to get sharp, well creased lines.
- Leave pigment inks to thoroughly dry or heat set them before using to avoid smudging.
