Origami: Paper Balloon
Origami is one of the finest, minimalist art available to anyone to pursue. Practiced in the East, it was very difficult to learn because it was limited to being passed on from person to person. However, with the arrival of the digital age, many websites popped up to spread the art worldwide. Pursued as a hobby by both young and old, origami can be simplified or complicated based on where you are getting your instructions from.
My project involved making a paper balloon. Initially, upon doing a google search I came upon the website (http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/origami2/exploring01_04.html ) which had detailed instructions and pictures to make the balloon. Soon, like I aforementioned, origami can be made complicated if the instructions are unclear. I got stuck in step 4 , unable to make the triangles, regardless of how I tried.
Struggling for a while, I ventured forth to find an easier instructions manual. I came across WikiHow, one of the most forefront websites on DIY projects. (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Origami-Balloon) .
Now this website clearly had an audience of both adults and children (mostly children). The words were easy to understand for everyone, and it had tiny video clips which showed each step. It helped they were on loop. Each step had a title on what it hoped to achieve, with detailed instructions underneath the video. It also had alternate instructions on it, such as:
“If you have a hard time tucking the flaps into the folds, use tape to secure them to the folds.
You can also use a pencil to open the folds easily and to avoid damaging the flaps” (wikihow)
I would not suggest any improvements on the instructions except for the addition on just an initial instruction. Because it is catered a lot towards children, it would be best if the instruction on how to form a square paper could be added in the beginning. Perhaps without scissors. It would help out quite a bit and also not require parental guidance. Something as such:
- Fold diagonally along one side to form a rectangle. Fold a crease along excess portion.
- Tear along crease to create a sqaure sized paper.
Following the instructions were easy for me, and I had to look at a certain step video a couple of times to understand the how to proceed. I also learned that Origami can be approached in different ways, as Step 3 and 4 from the initial website, were done in a different way in the very first steps of the WikiHow tutorial. I did not have a struggle with the instructions on this site, it however, because of an adjustment (I started off with an A4 paper which I had to cut into a square) the paper measurements were slightly off. Therefore, I was worried that my final outcome might not be as great as I thought it would be. However, upon blowing it out, the balloon turned out to be good. Attached is a picture below .
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