Published in a small format paperback in 1971, the Peter Max Paper Airplane Book is beyond cool. Each page features amazing graphics, and a foldable paper airplane so that kids could “get [their] message across with a paper airplane in cosmic colors!” Yes please.
As I have posted paper-related items before, it should come as no shocker that I am into paper stuff. Perhaps it was my childhood spent crafting, or the fact that paper is one of the cheapest, most readily available products ever and you can do so many amazing things with it. Either way, all of these amazing paper creations are proof that I’m not the only paper nerd out there…
We Are Paper Toys is an excellent collection of paper toy designs and design techniques from some of the best contemporary artists and designers around the world. The book includes sketches of the toys, and step-by-step instructions on how to construct each one and make them your own. We Are Paper Toys also includes a DVD featuring the templates for all the toys in the book!
Papertoy Monsters features incredible creations from 25 of the most talented papertoy designers from Indonesia and Japan to Croatia, Australia to Chile. The book includes 50 fiendishly original die-cut designs that are ready to pop out, fold, and glue, and each character comes with their very own back-story (kind of like American Girls, but WAY more cool!). From Zumbie the Zombie, who loves nothing more than a nice plate of brains and yams, to Nom Nom, eater of cities, and Grumpy Gramps, the hairy grandpa monster with his very own moustache collection, I think just about everyone can have fun with this one.
Papercraft is a collection of the best, the brightest, and the most creative of paper artists. From those who make small objects and figures to the others who work on larger scale projects, this book covers them all. And as an excellent bonus, the illustrated book also includes a DVD with printable templates for creating your own paper characters and toys as well as a curated selection of the best stop-motion animations.
Urban Paper presents another collection of 26 of the coolest designer paper toys in existence, ready to be cut out and built. Each papertoy has step-by-step instructions, complete with easy-to-use diagrams, so even a novice will be able to figure each one out with the help of a pair of scissors and a few dabs of glue. The book includes interviews with contributors such as Shin Tanaka, Ben the Illustrator, NiceBunny, Cubotoy and Kenn Munk. Plus, Urban Paper comes with a DVD that includes all sorts of bonus features like all 26 toy templates in PDF format (so you can build cities full of papertoys), plus a ton of extras; basic shapes (so you can learn the building blocks of papertoys); blank templates (so you can create your own).
And coming soon … Paper Punk.
Obviously, these aren’t the only ones out there. Check out this pretty rad forum of paper nerds I stumbled upon when finding all of these amazing books - Nice Paper Toys - if there is anything you want to learn about papertoys, I’ll bet you can find it there!
I know I have done a few posts on origami before, but I am just kind of fascinated by it. What can I say. It is as ephemeral as art gets – delicate paper, with no more than creases and physics to maintain its shape. It is one of the most specific of art forms with its inevitable dependence on the laws of science and geometry. You could argue that the origami medium is math, just as much as it’s paper.
Between the Folds, is an amazing documentary film by Vanessa Gould, about the origami obsessed around the world. These experts are not your typical artists; they are more like mad scientists “working in the shadows between art and math.” People like Eric Joisel, a French artist whose tiny elfin sculptures involve thousands of folds – he admits his dedication to the art form makes him “le masochist”. Or Vincent Floderer, an “avant-garde” origami artist who uses “the crumpling technique;” he sees his form of paper-folding as “abandoning the imposition of order.”
On the other end of the spectrum are origami-ists like Chris Palmer. He spent a good parts of his life living in a cave in Granada, and his creations are rigorous and complex geometric arrays. And there is Erik Demain, MIT’s youngest professor ever, who was homeschooled in math, computer science, and origami.
This movie is beyond interesting, and nothing but fun. So release your inner nerd, and get in the groove of the fold!
Originally titled “oreore-nai,” in Japanese (a playful way to say‚ “I cannot fold properly”), Origami: Strange Faces uses mixed images of faces to fold into some odd looking characters. While instructions are included, you can fold the paper in all sorts of different ways for some very unexpected results. This easy origami kit comes with 15 square sheets of paper printed with photo images of cropped faces. When folded the sheets transform into bizarre kaleidoscopic versions of a face, as if a few people got together and went crazy with Apple’s Photobooth effects.
If you like drawing, building, designing, or just playing with paper you may want to look into origami. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the craft, origami is a traditional japanese art form that involves folding paper into all sorts of amazing designs. The goal of this art form is to transform a flat sheet of paper, cardboard, or cloth into an object or sculpture using nothing but folds. That’s right, no cutting or gluing allowed! I know it is Spring Break, and lots of kids are at home this week looking for fun stuff to do, so why not an origami crafts project? All you need is paper!
If you are ready to start today and don’t feel like leaving the house check out the Origami Club online. They have all sorts of fun things to make with easy to follow diagrams. Otherwise, you can order one of the really cool origami kits below!
Furniture Origami Set
The Furniture Origami set allows you to build dozens of mini pieces with no more than a few sheets of paper! The awesome kit will show you how to use the classic Japanese paper art to create sofas, chairs, tables, shelves and more. 100 sheets of paper are included, along with a how-to guide. $12
Buy it now from Fred Flare
The Most Amazing, Fantastic Book of Origami & Other Fabulously Fun Fold-Ups
Have fun creating incredible and fantastic fold-ups, from Japanese paper cranes to American paper-engineered planes. Learn how to make secret notes, dollar bill rings, cootie catchers, leaping frogs and more! Comes with 90 origami sheets.
Buy it now from Shure Products
Fast Food Origami
This fun, and very Japanese origami kit comes with pre-printed paper so you can make everything you see on the cover. The paper is not only printed with the food textures, it is also printed with faint lines that help you to fold without mistakes. The instructions are in Japanese, but are very clearly illustrated with step by step drawings. A fun set for any origami fan!
Buy it from Amazon.com
Foldschool Origami Furniture
Foldschool Furniture
And once you’ve had a bit of practice, why not make your own origami, full-sized furniture?! Check out Foldschool and see how you can complete this DIY project at home. All you need is a printer, cardboard, origami practice, and a bit of imagination!!
