30 Day Origami Challenge Reflections

Random Observation/Comment #664: I’ve found peace — one fold at a time.

What did you Fold?

I started off following this curated list (see 30 Day Origami Challenge post), but then I found there was always one or two steps in the book diagrams that messed me up. I wound up looking up videos (most from Jo Nakashima’s channel) and they turned out much better. Yes, knowing how to do the steps kinda helps.

I avoided models that needed 50x50cm papers (or more than 30 minutes). I didn’t buy any new paper so I used the regular 15x15cm for all models (including 20x20cm ones).

I’ve curated a Youtube list for this challenge and beyond.

Here are the ones that diverged from the original post:

• Day 16 — Squirrel by Oriol Esteve
• Day 17 — Mouse by Akira Yoshizawa
• Day 18 — Rhino from Easy Origami
• Day 19 — Wolf by Jo Nakashima
• Day 20 — Cat by Jo Nakashima
• Day 21 — Hummingbird by Christopher Randall
• Day 22 — Easy dragon
• Day 23 — Terrier dog by Francisco Javier Caboblanco
• Day 24 — Jacky Chan origami mouse
• Day 25 — Bear by John Montroll
• Day 26 — Turtle by Marc Vigo
• Day 27 — Spider crab by Jo Nakashima
• Day 28 — Spiral shell by Toshikazu Kawasaki
• Day 29 — 3D Elephant by Fumiyaki Kawahata (steps followed on YouTube Leyla Torres)
• Day 30 — Classic crane

How did you do?

There were definitely some origami fails, but it was really a great way to stay off the news updates and just listen to an audible book while folding. I’m a big fan of following the videos now. I also really prefer animal origami over flowers.

Lessons Learned

• Accuracy is more important than speed — It’s about the journey and not the final product. Take the time to line everything up before making the fold.
• Watch at 0.5x speed on Youtube — This is the right speed for most videos so you can make a few folds and take your time without going backwards.
• First folds are the most important — Take your time with the cross or else your points will be a little off.
• Use a hard surface where possible — I did a lot of folding in the car, but the side arm rest worked for the most part.
• Flowers are hard to fold — The advanced flowers always have this reconstruction fold that kills me.
• Get involved in the community — Instagram has some great origami fold-ers and they’re super supportive.
• Buy the right paper — If you’re only going to fold 30, then you don’t really need 1000 sheets. The bigger 50x50cm ones are thinner, more durable, and have some beautiful patterns.
• Fold the right model for the time you have — I like folding the model all at once as a 15–20 minute activity.
• Don’t worry if it’s not perfect — Just keep practicing and you’ll get better. I’ve had to watch parts 3 or 4 times to understand how they did the fold.
• Make it your own — Once you get the shape more or less open with the right number of limbs, you can make your own adjustments.
• Don’t overlook the last few steps — It’s easy to start seeing the final product and fade into carelessness. The last folds are the most important to adding extra detail.
• Get your significant other involved — Share the folding love! We did a crane together, which was one of my favorite things.

FAQ

Q: Favorite model to fold?

A: I really enjoyed the Turtle from Day 26 and the Elephant from Day 29. Some really tough folds. Details were intricate, but not too difficult. These are self standing 3d models.

Q: Coolest model?

A: Spiral Snail Shell from Day 28 has so much detail and easy enough to remember how to make without following the video.

Q: What’s next?

A: I’m going to continue folding as a hobby (I do have a whole box of paper). It helps with falling asleep and it’s better than watching TV at night.

Follow me on Instagram (@seelemonsonline) to see my progress:

~See Lemons Love Origami

Originally published at https://seelemons.com on May 26, 2020.