Where the paper is curved, gently bend it with your fingers to “train” it before gluing. This will preserve its spring and prevent buckling and creasing.
Rolling Paper Up with a Toothpick
Use a toothpick to roll up paper ballasts and bearings. Roll the paper tightly around the toothpick, fasten the end with a drop of glue, and pull out the toothpick. For bearings, loosen the roll slightly before gluing, just enough that it turns freely.
Push Out the Paper Pieces Carefully
You can push out the larger parts with your fingers, but be very careful not to crease or tear the paper!
Patching a Tear
Don’t worry if you accidentally cut the wrong thing or tear the paper. In most cases you can patch up the paper from the inside using another small scrap of paper.
Butt the two edges together, and glue the patch behind it, or between two parts. If the patch is small, it won’t affect the toy’s balance.
Trimming Away the Flash
Use scissors to carefully trim the flash from around the edges of parts you have pushed out. This will make them look cleaner and fit together better.
Gluing Paper Parts
Use a toothpick to spread a drop of glue evenly over the whole surface to be glued. Very little is needed; in fact, a transparent film sticks much better than a thick layer. A little glue will make strong, clean joints. Too much glue will warp the paper and ooze out at the edges, and make your toy look messy and grimy. I recommend that you practice with scraps of paper before gluing actual parts.
Clipping the Toothpicks
Nail clippers are great for cutting toothpicks to the right length. Snip the ends off after putting the toothpicks in place, and then seal them in place with a dab of glue.
How the Origami Diagrams Work
Here’s what the arrows in the directions mean:
Fold this way
Fold and unfold
Fold around behind
Flip the whole piece over
Most pieces start with the paper facing color side down. The drawings show the front in color, and the back in white.
This is a mountain fold; it looks a bit like a mountain.
And this is a valley fold.
Some shapes are made with reverse folds. Start by creasing the paper along the fold lines. Open out the paper slightly, reverse each of the folds, and recrease them to make a neat corner. Above is an outside reverse fold followed by an inside one.
The directions tell you to fold on such-and-such a line, but if you use your own paper you won’t have the lines. No worry! Just remember that in origami folds are usually made so that corners and edges meet, or folds start at half-way points. The diagrams show you which edges and corners to use. And where corners and edges aren’t indicated, the placement of the fold isn’t that critical.
Playing with Your Toys
Toys teach kids about the world and how it works. The toys in this kit will help them (and you) learn all sorts of things, without even realizing it. When you play, just be careful not to hurt each other with flying toys, don’t squabble or squash them, and put everything in a safe, dry place when you’re done for the day.
These toys look great on desks, on bookshelves, on mantlepieces and in cubicles. (I enjoy playing with them to relax before a big meeting.) Japanese paper toys bring out the child in everyone. Have fun!
Dueling dinosaurs.
Lola the Ladybug.
Tell my fortune!
Down the straightaway.
This time I'll win!
Hey, watch this!
Sumo Wrestlers
Sumo is a favorite sport in Japan. It’s very easy to do—you just have to knock down your opponent or push him out of the ring. And “Ton-tonzumo” is a favorite origami toy. Tap your way to championship!
1 Start with the color side up. Fold on the 1 lines.
2 Flip the paper over.
3 Fold the top layer only on the 2 lines, pulling the bottom layer up and over as you go.
4 Fold and unfold line 3.