Origami Toys. Florence Temko

over to the left, so that it peeks over the folded edge.

      3a. Unfold Step 2.

      3b. Let the paper open up and valley fold on the creases made in Step 2.

      4. Completed outside reverse fold

      Outside reverse folds are often used for heads, feet, and hats. The instructions for making an outside reverse fold are indicated with a dashed line, the same as for a valley fold, but the text states that you must make an outside reverse fold.

      3. Rabbit's Ear

      A rabbit's ear is always formed on a triangle, whenever it occurs during the folding of a model.

      1. Fold a square from corner to corner.

      2. You now have a triangle. Fold one of the shorter cut edges to the long folded edge. Unfold it.

      3. Fold the other short cut edge to the long folded edge. Unfold it.

      4. Pinch the corner between your thumb and forefinger so that it forms a valley fold that ends where the two creases made in Step 2 and Step 3 meet. The corner will stand up like a rabbit's ear.

      5. Completed Rabbit's Ear

      HOW TO CUT PAPER SQUARES

      Many of the projects in this book begin with a square piece of paper. All its sides are of equal length and all corners are right (90-degree) angles. Paper can be squared on a board paper cutter, if available, but it's quite easy to cut any rectangular sheet into a square:

      1. Fold a short edge to a long edge.

      2. Cut off the extra rectangle.

      3. A square

      Sheets of 8 V" x 11" copy and other printing papers can be cut into two sizes:

       With one cut: into squares with 8½" sides.

       With two cuts: into two squares with 5½" sides.

      Copy shops will usually cut a whole ream for a small fee. A ream will provide five hundred 8½" squares or a thousand 5½" squares.

      HELPFUL TIPS

      If you are having trouble with a step check the following:

      1. Make sure you distinguish carefully between a valley fold (dashed line) and a mountain fold (dash-dot-dash line).

      2. Be sure to observe the curly arrow asking you to turn the paper over.

      3. Compare your paper to the illustrations for:

       The step you are working on

       The previous step

       The next step, which is your goal

      4. Read the directions out loud.

      Drawings

      For the sake of clarity, the illustrations may increase in size from the beginning of the project to the end. But the angles are always consistent, and you can test your own paper against them.

      Measurements

      Measurements are given in inches and centimeters, but the conversion may not always be exact in order to avoid awkward fractions. In some cases specific sizes are recommended, but in most cases you may use smaller or larger pieces of paper.

      ABOUT PAPER

      Most fairly thin, uncoated papers with a crisp surface are suitable for origami. Check out "origami" on the Internet for suppliers of specialty papers. Once you know how to fold an origami, you may want to reproduce it with a paper in a more appropriate color or design, which can make a big difference to the end result.

      The following is an overview of the papers most popular with experienced paperfolders.

      Origami Paper

      Ready-cut squares in varying sizes and colors are available in some art, museum, and gift stores and from catalogs. They are usually colored on one side and white on the other. I recommend 6" (15 cm) as the most versatile all-purpose size. From there you can go on to smaller and larger squares as appropriate for a particular design.

      Computer and Bond Paper; Printing Paper in Bright Colors