origami birds instructions - hummingbirds

Creative decor is just a fold away

18.05.12

In the hands of a paper artist, a humble sheet can be transformed with a few clever folds or cuts into a creature, a structure, even an elaborate diorama. </p><p>That alchemy is at the heart of papercrafting, and the finished projects make interesting, unusual home decor. </p><p>You can choose a simple-to-assemble kit, print out instructions from a paper artist, or buy a finished piece of custom artwork. </p><p>Dallas-based designers Michael Reilly and Shane Selman are serious about playing with paper. </p><p>&#x201C;It&#x2019;s easily one of our favorite mediums,&#x201D; Selman says. &#x201C;There&#x2019;s just so much variety &#x2014; it&#x2019;s flexible, foldable, delicate and structural. Even the costliest sheets are inexpensive enough to allow for experimentation. There&#x2019;s an almost infinite variation before you ever cut a single line.&#x201D; </p><p>The pair bought a laser cutter in 2008 and began experimenting. In 2010, they turned the hobby into a business, Artifacture Studios. Gustave Eiffel&#x2019;s original design was a great jumping-off point. </p><p>&#x201C;The Eiffel Tower started out as a demo piece, to show investors what we could do,&#x201D; says Selman. &#x201C;It was the perfect way to demonstrate the detail and precision that the laser was capable of, and its unique architecture was perfect for playing with structure.&#x201D; </p><p>Most models at the time were complicated and difficult to assemble. But Reilly began looking for a better way; a simple tab closure tested well. The designers now offer the kit in several color options and two sizes, available through <a href ="http://www.artifacturestudios.com/" target="_blank">ArtifactureStudios.com</a>. </p><p>A less detailed but equally easy to build Eiffel Tower model is available at <a href ="http://pylones-usa.com/" target="_blank">Pylones-usa.com</a>; choose from French magazine, newsprint or blueprint patterns, or buy a plain one and decorate it yourself. </p><p>Another artist, Roman Detyna, commands an impressive array of battleships, destroyers and fighter planes. Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based Detyna specializes in model military vehicles made of paper. </p><p>Mighty vessels that did battle in the theaters of World War II are recreated in scale models the size of a table, a pen or even a matchbox. Assembly takes anywhere from a couple of days to a year or more. </p><p>Detyna, a technical draftsman, says his early models were challenging. </p><p>&#x201C;The complex tower bridge of the Takao was really difficult,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;At the time, I didn&#x2019;t use much 3-D drafting to help me visualize the shapes, so all the necessary unwrapping was kind of happening in my imagination before I drew in 2-D.&#x201D; </p><p>He now drafts on his computer and sells his detailed and historically accurate plans for between $17 and $35. His website, <a href ="http://digitalnavy.com/" target="_blank">DigitalNavy.com</a>, also has many free downloadable designs. The site has advice on tools and techniques, and a gallery of finished projects shared by fellow modelers. </p><p>Less challenging but no less charming are the Glasgow Tenement models created by Scottish designers Franki Finch and Beth Fouracre. The kits come with precut pieces and glue. A grouping of the structures on a mantel would be a conversation starter. </p><p>And if you have a few extra dollars on hand (literally), you could try making the origami designs of Honolulu-based designer Won Park.</p><p>Park likes using dollar bills because of their strong texture, pattern and ability to hold folds well. He coaxes elaborate little wonders out of the bills: a Formula One race car; an articulated koi; even a model of the U.S. Capitol. </p><p>He has a couple of how-to videos online, and a book, &#x201C;Dollar Origami: 10 Origami Projects Including the Amazing Koi Fish&#x201D; (Thunder Bay Press, 2011). </p><p><span class="factbox_head">Resources</span></p><p>&bull;&nbsp; <span class="bold">Artifacture Studios:</span><a href ="http://www.artifacturestudios.com/" target="_blank">artifacturestudios.com</a></p><p>&bull;&nbsp; <span class="bold">Roman Detyna: </span><a href ="http://digitalnavy.com/" target="_blank">digitalnavy.com</a></p><p>&bull;&nbsp; <span class="bold">Franki Finch and Beth Fouracre:</span><a href ="http://www.finchandfouracre.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank">finchandfouracre.co.uk/</a></p><p>&bull;&nbsp; <span class="bold">Won Park: </span><a href ="http://www.orudorumagi11.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">orudorumagi11.deviantart.com </a></p><p>&bull;&nbsp; <span class="bold">Pylones-USA:</span><a href ="http://pylones-usa.com/" target="_blank">pylones-usa.com </a>

Source: Kansas City Star