After making my first Kirigami video, I finished this very large birthday card for my daughter. It's an Easter themed Red Panda Birthday Card. Below is a video where you can see how to the simple techniques I discussed in the first video can be used to create something much more interesting!
Edit: I found this unpublished blog post from a couple of years ago and thought I would finish the zoo mask series.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a Zoo Animal themed exhibition. These masks were made from reference photos taken at our local zoo in Wellington, NZ. I love to see the red panda sleeping in the large pohutukawa trees at the Wellington Zoo. One of the masks is a realistic interpretation of a red panda, the other is a "New Wave" inspired red panda.
Kirigami is the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper, but you may know it better as the art of making pop-up art, seen in greeting cards and children's books. Practicing Kirigami provides hours of fun and fascination ...and sometimes a touch of frustration, but isn't that the case with most new skills?
I created a video demonstrating 4 of the basic Kirigami techniques, the Parallel Fold, the Angle Fold, the Top Edge Pop-up, and the Rotation. Additionally you will find a link where you can download the templates I use in the video. There are additional templates in the PDF you can use as a challenge.
Alternatively, you can create your own templates using the images found below the video.
These mechanics can be used to create everything from straight forward, simple projects, to intricate complex projects.
* When making a card, make sure your folds will fit inside the card when it is closed. Keep the distance of the fold from the center fold of the card no more than half the width of each side of the card.
* Change the shapes of the cut edge.
* Add shapes onto the surfaces that pop-up.
* Use a craft knife and cut shapes into the
surfaces that pop-up.
*Add a different colour of paper underneath.
Tips for Angle Folds:
* Play around with what will fit inside the card, using some scrap paper. This can take some trial and error.
* Shapes can be added to the inside of the cone, again, just play around until the card will fold properly.
* Shapes can be added to the outside of the folded surface. Shapes added here will look like they move at a diagonal when the card opens.
Tips for Top Edge Pop-ups:
* Try changing the angle where your shape meets the top edge of the paper.
* Making sure your shape fits into the card takes, you guessed it....trial and error.
Tips for Rotations:
* Rotations are based on using two circles. The final shapes can be varied as long at the two shapes keep the original alignment.
* The top shape must sit perpendicular to the center fold when the card is open.
* The two shapes must maintain the dimensions of the original circle and align at 22.5 degrees from the center fold of the card, in the sample this is where the tabs are located.
You can see a card that uses all of these kirigami techniques HERE.
