Happy Valentine's Day! 

Well, this year for Valentine's, I decided to fold a long-pending model that has been on my to-do list for the past 3-4 years. Every year I miss Valentine's Day and decide to fold the model the next year. Finally, this year, I actually remembered to give this model a go. 

This is an origami wreath, designed by the amazing Francesco Guarnieri! I love folding wreaths - they are modular origami and I absolutely adore modular origami and they are quick to fold, given that they usually require 8 modules (as opposed to the usual 30-unit modulars that I fold). So this origami Garland of hearts (Ghirlanda di cuori) fit the bill very nicely. 

I used double-sided, red-pink 60 gsm origami paper, which turned out perfect for this model. 7.5 cms (3 inches) squares resulted in a wreath that measured about 12.5 cms (~ 5 inches) in diameter. 

Folding the individual modules started off easily enough. The last couple of steps, where the 3-D heart is folded, was a little tricky. Loved the way the heart locks into place! The join between the modules is easy and very stable - absolutely no glue required for this one! Overall, a lovely model to fold. 

For this Valentine's Day, why don't you give this a go? 

Model Details:

Model: Origami Garland of Hearts (Ghirlanda di Cuori)

Creator: Francesco Guarnieri

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inch square

Model Size: ~ 5 inches across

Modules: 8

Instructions:  Origami poesie di carta

 

With Christmas in the air, I decided to make a little Christmas wreath for my Christmas tree. This wreath is designed by Francesco Guarnieri and is made from 8 modules. It is pretty easy  and quick to do and makes a great addition for the Christmas Tree.

My first attempt was using white washi paper with red flowers, contrasted with plain red paper. Quite liked the contrast in this. But for a more traditional Christmas look, I guess the usual red-green combination works best. The model works best with double-sided paper. 3.5 inches squares were ideal for my requirements, and resulted in a great about 6 inches in diameter.

Model Details:

Model: Stella Ghirlanda / Star Garland

Creator: Francesco Guarnieri 

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3.5 inches square

Model Size: ~6 inches in diameter

Modules: 8

Instructions: Origami poesie di carta

Tutorial: Youtube

This heart bookmark, designed by the amazing Francesco Guarnieri, is an elegant yet simple bookmark. It would make a great Valentine day's gift I am sure :) 

The design includes a whole lot of pre-creasing followed by collapsing heart into shape. Step 8 in the diagram is the most difficult step I think. But if the mountain and valley folds are followed accurately, this shouldn't be a very difficult task. 

I used 80 gsm paper with little hearts printed on it. Small sized squares work best. The 3-inch square I had used, resulted in a 1.5 inch heart, perfect for a book corner. 

Model Details:

Model: Heart Bookmark 

Creator: Francesco Guarnieri

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inch squares

Model Size: ~1.5 inches across

Diagram: Origami-cdo