DIY Origami Wall Art

Yesterday was Minimalist’s one year anniversary — hooray! In honor of said anniversary, I offer this super cool post.

When my roommate moved out of our two-bedroom apartment about a year ago, the place felt a bit empty. I didn’t want to go on a big spending spree to fill the gaps, so I got crafty. One of my favorite projects was the origami wall art that I created to replace my roommate’s antique folding chairs in the dining room. Total cost? About $25. Much less expensive than buying art large enough to fit the scale of the space.


BEFORE


AFTER — photos credit Chase Goitia





Below is a step by step on how to create this at home.

1. You’ll need 8” x 8” squares of paper, a flock of birds photo of your choice and Command hooks. I cut tracing paper into squares using an X-Acto knife and cutting mat, but you can buy pre-cut origami paper at your local art store. I also think it would be interesting to use aluminum foil or newsprint. Whatever paper you choose, just make sure it’s about the thickness of newsprint for best folding results.


Photo from Getty Images

2. Next you will need to scale your bird photo to your wall. I did this using Photoshop software because I like to be exact. A projector would work nicely if you have access to one. You can also just estimate the spacing of the birds on the wall from the photo, or use your imagination and skip the picture all together. Either way, use a pencil to lightly mark each crane location on your wall.



3. Attach the Command hooks to the wall, centering each hook on the pencil marks from step two. Be sure that the pull tabs are facing upward so that they will be hidden by the cranes’ wings.

4. Fold the origami cranes. Don’t get frustrated if you’ve never done it before — it may take a few tries before you get it right. Click here for an online folding tutorial. If you don’t want to deal with this step, you can order inexpensive pre-folded cranes from Etsy.

5. Attach the folded cranes to the Command hooks by sliding the hook through the small opening at the bottom of the crane.