Folding Trees

I’m so excited to announce that my first papercraft book and kit, Paper Chains & Garlands, is now here! It’s available to purchase exclusively through Barnes and Noble.

Front of box

I was hoping that I’d be able to sell signed copies through my website, but it turns out that the shipping costs for me to receive author copies from the US make that an impossible dream. So, instead, if you’d like to buy my book, I’d be very grateful if you’d click through from the links on my site, so I can make a tiny commission from your purchase!

Back of box with pictures of all the projects down the left hand side

For those of you without a magnifying glass, the back of the box reads:

Paper chains and garlands make everything more festive! Turn your next celebration into a creatively crafted occation to remember. Create delightful decorations on themes that range from the seasonal (snowflakes, autumn leaves, cherry blossoms) to the decorative (pleated flowers, pinwheels, elephants). The illustrated instruction book by expert crafter June Gilbank shows you how to fold, cut, unfurl, and string chains and garlands like a pro. With tips on how to cut simple paper dolls as well as elegant Chinese lanterns, Paper Chains and Garlands is the perfect craft kit for expert crafters as well as beginners.

Inside the box: the book, 4 rolls of paper chain paper and 10 sheets of double-sided garland paper

The book has full illustrated instructions for all 14 projects and includes full-size templates.

Inside the book: pretty colours, and full instructions & illustrations by me!

I hope you’ll enjoy Paper Chains & Garlands. It’s a sweet little book and kit, and would make a perfect Christmas gift, if you’re thinking that far ahead!

If you’d like to buy it, please click through to Barnes & Noble now. It’s a total bargain at only $9.95, so don’t miss out! Thank you for your support

Today we have a very interesting tutorial for you, by Elizabeth Moad. Paper plaiting or weaving is a traditional technique with a lot of potential for making modern decorations and accessories, as well as Elizabeth’s traditional wheat sheaf designs.

Elizabeth says:

In the olden days it was the custom for a country lad to take an evening walk with his lass in the fields at harvest time. The lad would weave and plait straw to make a buttonhole. If the couple were courting, the lass would wear it over her heart as a token of her love. With this in mind, and by adapting techniques used by straw weavers and corn dolly makers, wonderful harvest designs can be made, but entirely from paper. Combined with quilled wheat ears they can make wonderful and unique cards and gifts.

Find out how to make this project with our tutorial:
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Today we’re happy to be able to share a new exclusive printable from Jinjerup, who previously brought us the Say Yes To Trees notecard set.

(If you would like to write for Folding Trees, see our Submissions page for details.)

A Maneki Neko is a beckoning cat, which in Japanese culture is meant to help you attract money – very timely in the current economic situation! (The meaning actually depends on which of its paws are raised: the right paw signifies money while the raised left paw is for good luck.)

This cute artwork prints at 8 x 10 inches and would look really pretty in a frame.

Download the full-size printable artwork: Jinjerup_Manekineko.pdf

Author Bio:
Jinjerup is your source for cute prints and inspirations. Featuring new patterns based on fresh themes so very often, Jinjerup also features
NEW FREEBIES weekly! Swing by anytime!

Thank you, Lynn, for sharing your artwork with us!

Would you like to write for Folding Trees? See our Submissions page for details!

We’re delighted to present a quilling tutorial today contributed by Ann Martin. (If you would like to write for Folding Trees, see our Submissions page for details.)

Discover the art of paper filigree and make an elegant gold-gilded seashell or starfish pendant:

Find out how to make these projects with our tutorial:
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Today’s Folding Trees contributed tutorial comes to us all the way from Brazil! (If you would like to write for Folding Trees, see our Submissions page for details.)

Find out how to make Irene’s pop-up origami star with our tutorial:
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Today we’re happy to present another Folding Trees tutorial from a contributor! (If you would like to write for Folding Trees, see our Submissions page for details.)

Jinjerup has created a new freebie for us: a cute notecard and matching envelope that unfolds into a tree shape!  Her inspiration for this design was Earth Day, and Prof Nalini Nadkarni’s message of how we should help maintain or even increase our ‘61 trees per person’ ratio.

Left: the closed envelope; Right: the opened tree envelope

Not only is it perfect for writing notes & greetings for your loved ones, it comes with a little message of encouragement to say Yes to trees. You’ll be sending out these messages of love in no time at all!

Find out how to make this project with our tutorial:

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Today we’re happy to present the first Folding Trees tutorial from a contributor! (If you would like to write for Folding Trees, see our Submissions page for details.)

Find out how to make SiSi’s beautiful crepe paper roses with our tutorial:

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Here’s a seasonal twist on my origami lucky wishing stars tutorial! Make a pile of stars using strips cut from festive coloured papers (try using offcuts of Christmas gift wrap, or recycle pages from holiday magazines), then string the stars into a garland to decorate your tree.

To make the garland pictured above, I used gold scrapbook paper to make the stars, nylon bead thread to string them onto, and seed beads as spacers. Total cost: under 50c per metre of garland – and it would be even cheaper if you used recycled paper for the stars!

Today I am showing you part 2 of how to make a kusudama ball. You can find the first part here. 

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The Japanese kusudama is a paper ball made out of multiple identical origami shapes glued together. They were traditionally used as a  ball for incense or potpourri but now we see them more for decoration or as a gift.

Today I am showing you part 1 on how to make the Japanese traditional shape. There are many different patterns to make a kusudama ball but I find this the easiest pattern to get started. This is also the pattern I used to make the pink flowers on the tree in the banner.

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