Oragami Paper Bows...

Let me just say Pinterest, as much as I love it, is a double edged sword for me. I can get lost on it for hours and at the end of the time I spend there...I usually feel frustrated that I have wasted that much time and that there aren't enough hours in the day for me to create all the beauty that is there so I don't! OR I become obsessed with something I see and I have to learn how to create it right then!

That happend when I saw these oragami paper bows. They just made me smile and I was intriqued that they were made from just one square of paper so I dove right in and about 45 minutes later had a stack ready for creating with. (The tutorial I used to learn can be found here.)

In experimenting with these I found that thin paper definitely works the best so you can get crisp, clean folds. I had been wanting to try out the Antique papers from Bazzill and  they turned out to be the perfect weight for these bows. For the ones shown above, I started with a 4", 5", 6" and 7" square of patterned paper.

And then I decided I needed to make a quick card with the first bow.

These are just a fun way to dress up a card, package, or use as an embellishment.

Supply List: Bazzill Antique Papers - Micro Dot, Newsprint, Ledger, Letter, Swiss Dot Pepper, My Mind's Eye Twine

And of course a bit of color is always fun too! I pulled out some vintage 7gypsies papers and they turned out super cute as well. That stripe with the yellow dot on the back is one of my all time favorite papers. I think I bought every sheet in every store I saw it in and sadly I am down to my last two sheets....sniff, sniff. It's an oldie but goodie!

I was showing them to the kids when they came home and of course the older two decided to try their hand at it but then the younger two were not going to be left out....I wish I would have taken a picture because we must have been a true site! When my husband walked in and I had four kids, two standing on chairs, around the island all folding paper he said "This whole family is nuts!" and just walked out. Just a normal day at our house. 

Have you been inspired to drop everything and create something you have seen lately?

Comments

[patty]

yes... just now by you! i NEED to make these...lol!
thanks janet for sharing your inspiration!

[Danee]

how fun…I too think I need to make some of these myself. I love the originality of them as well as the shape. So nice to see you back on the blog. I understand that real life-and several people who share your last name- is more important than virtual life but I've missed you. Your unique perspective and clean aesthetic is always inspiring to me.

[Sharon Osborn]

Janet, thank-you!! Two of my sons are getting married this summer and both girls will go crazy over these :)

[Mandy Sullivan]

Love the bows! Thanks for sharing! I hear ya on the Pinterest thing, I spend a LOT of time pinning stuff ;) I have to learn how to not sleep so I can have more time to cReate!!