Uses For Origami

Origami can be used to make more than just a child's toy. Although normally made out of origami paper you can also use cloth, newspaper, tin foil, gift wrapping paper, old calendar sheets or magazine pages.

Plate Decorations: Perk up any meal with quick plate decorations. Cranes, boats, a bird, a house or a flower made from napkins (cloth or paper), paper towels or any other festive paper you have handy. Fold a large cloth napkin into a bread basket to keep your rolls warm through your meal. Patterned napkins or paper towels make attractive shirt or bow tie plate decorations. If you have some cloth napkins with an oriental print you can make mini kimonos to grace the plates. Small paper dragons, pigs, rabbits and tigers become chop stick (or knife) rests, or attach them to your place cards for a decorative touch that your guests can take with them.

Picnics: A large plastic cloth can be folded into a picnic basket then unfolded and used as a tablecloth or picnic blanket when you are ready to dine. A few pages from a magazine and some tin foil will make disposable cups and bowls; add a wastebasket made from some sheets of newspaper and you have much less to clean up and little to carry home.

Parties: Foil bowls, food trays, party coasters, party plates and candy dishes, can all be made from colorful papers, foils, gift wraps and will brighten up any party. Using paper lace doilies you can make small candy dishes or party favor wraps for each of your guests. Children love the brightly colored plates and coasters and they make clean up a breeze.

Table Decorations: Liven up any get together or holiday with table decorations like parasols (larger ones made from doilies, smaller ones made from paper) and coasters made from bright floral designed paper. These light airy touches will make your table a conversation piece.

Just for Fun: Give the kids something to kick start their imaginations. Grab some newspaper and fold up a few paper hats and airplanes for them to play with. It's also a pretty safe bet that some of the adults will join them so better make a couple extra!

Gifts: Colorful paper frames, bandanas or handkerchiefs folded into flowers or birds, lace envelopes to hold your personal note, delicate lace birds to hold your valentine, cranes (a symbol of luck) as a mobile or garland like string, book covers, book marks and dozens of other unusual gifts that you can be sure they won't get two of!

You can recycle newspaper into containers to hold everything from some snacks to munch on, to hobby items, to small game and puzzle pieces in your child's room. You can also recycle paper into a vase or a disposable dust pan. Using a heavy weight gift wrapping you can make your own boxes that will not only fit your gift but eliminates the need to wrap a box.