What do you do
with all the beautiful greeting cards you receive at this time of the year?
Many people display them, but when the season is over, most of the holiday
greetings are thrown in the trash. But you can give the cards new life and help
save landfill space by recycling them to make origami-style boxes. An
elementary schoolgirl showed us how to make this box many years ago. An
elementary schoolgirl showed us how to make this box many years ago. Now she's
a genetic counselor at Washington University in St. Louis. Thanks for the
art/recycling tip, Rachael!
The ancient art of paperfolding originated in China in the first or second century A.D., and by the sixth century, it had reached Japan. At first, paperfolding was practiced only by the wealthy, because most people couldn't afford to buy paper. The material was scarce in those times, but by the 1300's, it was plentiful. Paper became available to everyone, so more and more people began making what the Japanese called origami (ori means to fold, and gami means paper).
At the same time the Japanese were practicing this art form, it was developed by the Moors, a Muslim people who lived in northern Africa. In the eighth century, they invaded Spain. Besides having a great influence on the country's architecture, the Moors introduced paperfolding to the native people. The Moors, who were able mathematicians and astronomers, emphasized the geometry of paperfolding. Today, origami combines the beauty and simplicity stressed by the Japanese and the mathematical correctness and elegance emphasized by the Moors.
True origami does not make use of scissors or glue. This art form depends solely on paper cut into a square, a variety of folding techniques, patience, craftsmanship, and imagination. Still, the word "origami" seems to best describe this activity, so following are instructions for making an origami-style box.
With a few simple folds, and a cut here and there, you can make just the right box for small gifts or treasures. To begin, separate the front of the card from the back by cutting along the fold. Origami always begins with a square, so measure the shortest side of the front of the card, and make the other side the same length. For example, if your card measures 5"x7", make the square 5"x5". The front will become the top or lid of your box. To make the bottom, again use a square, but make it .25" smaller than the lid. In our example, the paper for the bottom will measure 4.75"x4.75".
To make the
lid, turn the front of the card face down. Place the ruler diagonally on
opposite corners, and lightly draw a pencil line between them. Repeat for the
other two corners. An "x" will result from connecting opposite corners with the
pencil. Fold one corner up to the center of the "x" and unfold. Being careful
to keep the corner on the line, fold the same corner up to the resulting
crease. Keeping the corner in this folded position, fold the card again. Fold
it once more so that it touches the center line. Unfold and repeat this step
for the other three corners.
Using the scissors, make four cuts on the creases as shown.
Fold the pointed tip of one "triangular-shaped" side down. Fold again. Fold the
triangluar tabs in, and stand the card up. Fold the legs in to make the side of
the box. Repeat for the opposite side. To make the box shape, fold one of the
other sides up and over the first two sides. Repeat for the other side. Use a
glue stick to glue the tabs down inside the lid.
To make the bottom of the box, repeat the above steps using the back of the card. Draw the guidelines on the inside of the card or the side with the greeting printed on it. Fold the box bottom as before, and cut in the same way. To assemble the bottom, fold and glue as we did for the box top. To make the inside of the box neater, glue small squares of paper or felt over the inside of the box top and bottom.
Make your box top more colorful with a little planning. Just make sure the most interesting part is in the center of the card before you do any measuring or cutting.
You can make origami boxes out of any paper of cardstock weight, so use the idea to recycle other cards such as birthday greetings and get well cards. Also, this idea may be adapted to any other paper of cardstock weight. You can make much larger boxes, if you have old poster board or other lightweight paperboard available.
When making origami, it's very important to work with squares of paper. If possible, use a paper cutter to make the squares, but have an adult do the cutting. If you don't have a paper cutter available, try using a t-square or a triangle to keep your corners square.
It takes lots of practice to become proficient in origami. As you know, there are many preconsumer and post consumer waste papers with which you can practice. Try squares of newsprint, newspaper, phone book pages, and used copy and computer paper. For finished work, save small scraps of wrapping paper or used gift wrap.
Check your school or public library if you're interested in seeing some of the many excellent books about origami which are available. Also, there are several web sites which are devoted to paperfolding. Joseph Wu's Origami Page is an excellent site, and it has lots of information about origami as well.
© 1996 Marilyn J. Brackney
Volume 4 No. 4
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