Origami !!! A PowerPoint introduction to phone folding

What is Phone Folding? The art of verbal instructions, sometimes known as "over the phone" folding, makes you realize (in my case anyway) what poor grasp of your native language you have! Some years ago I taught a group of blind students who encouraged me (none too gently!) to explain myself clearly. -Robert Harbin, British Origami Society Phrases like "fold to here" or "this way up" have no meaning. Terms like Valley Folds and Mountain Folds are suddenly much more important.

From Diagram to Text A simple shape like this may take 3 min. to fold, but the text directions are 15 steps long! Because the orientation changes between steps five and six, the text description of the two steps is two paragraphs long.

Throwing star instructions The two-piece shuriken (throwing star) is a simple model that takes 2-5 minutes to make. Two 3" x 6" (8 cm x 16 cm) rectangles make a 3 1/2 " x 3 1/2 " (9 cm x 9 cm) flat model. The instructions are quite detailed. If they give you any difficulty, please let me know. An outline of the diagrams:  Steps 1- 3: Cut a square in half (Evil!)  Step 4: Fold each piece in half length-wise.  Steps 5-11: Make mirror image esses.  Steps 12-21: Interleave the pieces.  Step 22: The finished throwing star is thick, sturdy, and modest in size, with good aerodynamics. The key to the model is to fold both halves as mirror images of each other. 1. Start with a square (4x4). Valley fold in half, and unfold. 2. Cut the square in half, to get two 2x4 sheets. (Evil!) 3. Optionally, turn over one sheet. 4. Valley fold each half lengthwise, to get two 1x4 sheets. 5. Valley fold each half the other way, to get two 1x2 rectangles. 6. Unfold to step 4, to return to two 1x4 sheets. 7. On one sheet, valley fold the bottom half to the right, creating a 45 degree crease that ends at the intersection of the crease and the edge of the paper. 8. Valley fold the top half to the left, creating a 45 degree crease that ends at the intersection of the crease and the edge of the paper. The paper should now be in an "S" shape. 9. Repeat steps 7-8 on the other sheet, BUT IN MIRROR IMAGE: valley fold the bottom to the left, and the top to the right. 10. Turn both sheets over. 11. Valley fold the outermost squares in half along 45 degree angles. 10. Yes, there are two diagonals to choose from. Pick the diagonals that bring corners closer to the centers of the sheets. This will make the sheets look even more like mirror image "S"es. 11. Fold the two triangles created in step 10 across the centers of the sheets. 13. You should now have two mirror image parallelograms, each with proportions of 1 x Turn one parallelogram over, so that the halves are not mirror images anymore. One half will have a slit in the middle, and the other half will have two flaps showing. 14. On one piece of paper, open out the flaps, so they stand up. On the other piece of paper, open out the flaps, so they point down. 15. (3-D View.) Rotate one sheet 90 degrees. 16. Place one half on top of the other, so that the slits face outward. 17. Make sure that:  Two flaps point up, and two flaps point down.  Both slits face outward.  The flaps are rotated so that the crossed parallelograms are the shape of the finished star. Tuck the tip of one upward-pointing flap into one half of the upward-facing slit. 18. Tuck the tip of the other upward-pointing flap into the other half of the upward-facing slit. 19. Turn the model over. 20. Tuck another flap into the upward-facing slit. 21. Tuck the last flap into the slit. 22. The finished 2-piece shuriken (throwing star) is thick, sturdy, and modest in size, with good aerodynamics. For purists (like myself), I have designed a one-piece shuriken. The complete folding diagrams are available here at FOLDS.NET

So, what are we doing today? 1. Each group will be given a different origami diagram. 2. Each group will use that diagram to fold their assigned shape. 3. Then (now this is the tricky part) each group will work together to write out the steps necessary to fold their assigned shape 4. We will then exchange the texts you have written with the other groups and they will try to fold the shape using your directions.

First lets try our own Phone Folding Was that easy? 1. Start with a square, fold in half both ways & open out. 2. Fold all four corners to the middle, open two adjacent ones out. 3. Turn the paper so it resembles a house. Fold one wall to the other. 4. You have half a house with a crease marking the bottom of the roof. Fold the roof down using that crease, leaving a square/two triangles. 5. Using the creases made in step 2, tuck the thin triangle inside the thick one. It should go all the way inside.

What did we learn? Instructions need to be precise, otherwise it is confusing. Describing what each stage should look like is very helpful. Using the right vocabulary is very important.

Origami 10 Commandments 1. Choose suitable paper and cut to required form and size. 2. Fold paper cleanly and carefully, especially at the small points of corners. 3. Work on a hard surface, so that all folds and creases can be executed with exactness. 4. Exactness is achieved by moving thumbnail sharply along all folds and creases. All subsequent steps are then made easier. 5. The greater the exactness of a fold, the more beautiful the finished work. 6. Follow each step carefully in the sequence given. 7. Do not eliminate or skip a step. While folding, it is useful to remember the last completed step and think ahead to the one that follows. 8. Pay attention to all instructions, i.e. direction of folding, how a form is to be folded together, if it is a fold or crease to be opened up again, etc. 9. If Origami is new to you, get experience by practicing the basic forms. It is fun to discover how so many different figures are created out of a specific basic form. 10. To gain the most enjoyment from your effort follow all instructions and hints exactly and do your folds and creases carefully and cleanly.

Examples Good example Start with a square. Fold in half diagonally (corner to opposite corner & open out. Bad example Start with a square. Fold in half and open out again.

Origami Vocabulary  Turn over.  Rotate. (what direction and how much) A pleat = parallel mountain and valley folds.