D.I.Y Corner: Oragami Butterflies

By ABBY MULUGETA

With break right around the corner, it may be time to begin thinking about spring-cleaning all aspects of your life. Small steps like recycling the scrap paper in your desk drawers, dusting your bookshelves and cleaning out your email inbox can lead to rejuvenation. Once all the cleaning is done and you’re left twiddling your thumbs over spring break, consider your next step: redecorating.

Changing the looks of a place where you spend most of your time is a great way to make an old space feel new again. By making small adjustments and additions here and there, you’re able to rid your room of the winter blues, and make it a sanctuary for happiness and productivity.

Well now you make be thinking, “I can’t afford to go buy decorations. Hello, I’m a penny-counting college student.” Fair enough. This article suggests an embellishment for your room that not only keeps your wallet happy, but also keeps your creative juices flowing.

Now with an open mind, I invite you to consider the following as a room decoration: butterfly origami. It’s a wonderfully sweet little addition can be pinned against your bedroom wall, or dangled from the ceiling of your living room.

And get this: butterfly origami can be tailored to match your own unique style. You can choose both the color and size of the butterfly.

Supplies needed:

-Scissors

-Handful of tacks

-Your choice of paper

-Yarn

Directions:

1. Cut your selected piece of paper into an even square. Place the color side downwards. Fold the paper in half to create a crease, and then unfold.
2. Fold the paper in half the other way to create a perpendicular crease, and unfold again.
3. Additionally, fold the paper in half diagonally both ways without unfolding.
4. Place in front of you so that it is square-shaped (not diamond-shaped). Fold each side to meet the middle crease.
5. Have the model facing you length-wise. Notice the diagonal creases in the top left and right corners. Pinch these (just on the top layer) and use the back of your hand to hold the other end of the model down.
6. Notice the fold in the middle of the model. With the flaps that you pinched in the last step, pull them apart and down until the top of the model meets the center crease.
7. Turn the model over and repeat steps 5 and 6 on the other side.
8. Fold the top half backwards.
9. Hold the model in your hand so the long edge is at the top. Fold the top right flap down.
10. Repeat this on the left flap.
11. Examine the flaps you just folded down. Fold the edge of each towards the inside. There are no creases to go by, so just make sure that they are about the same length on each side.