Waterproof Origami Patio Lantern Project
- Waterproof Origami paper or Mineral Paper cut into 6" squares
- string of lights (either LED or basic incandescent Christmas lights)
- Origami Balloon folding instructions
This project can be done with regular origami paper, however there are distinct advantages to using Mineral Paper. Mineral Paper will not discolour with exposure to sun and the elements, it's completely waterproof and is very heat resistant. The heat resistance of Mineral Paper becomes essential if you choose to use a string of incandescent light bulbs (as they tend to get much hotter than LED lights).
Origami paper manufacturer, Yasutomo, invented/developed Mineral Paper as well as the complimentary Waterproof Origami papers. Waterproof Origami folds very well, is translucent enough for this project, and is available in plain white, solid colours, or patterns.
The Steps
Everyone comprehends origami instructions differently. The Origami Balloon is considered a Level II project (one step up from beginner) but should be do-able by even the most befuddled beginner. In an effort to make the folding instructions as simple as possible, we'll be referencing photos, diagrams, and a video.
helpful tip: Regular origami paper is not cheap, and Mineral Paper even more so! Even if you're experienced in origami, I recommend doing at least the first balloon with a square scrap of printer paper (which you'll feel more free to mangle while you work the steps out).
Steps 1 - 4:
- Take your square of paper and crease it on the diagonal in both directions (like in steps 1 & 2)
- Then crease it in half in both directions and unfold flat-ish (like in steps 3 & 4)
- Manipulate the creases until the sheet rises up in the middle like a pyramid (fig.5)
- Collapse the form into a triangle that lays flat (as in fig.6)
- Fold the left and the right bottom corners up to meet at the apex of the pyramid
- Flip the paper over and repeat the folds so it looks like fig.8 on both sides
- Fold each East/West point inwards toward the center line
- Flip the paper over and repeat folds on the back side so it looks like fig.10 on both sides
Here is photo of a finished left flap tuck for extra clarity (the right flap is not yet folded or tucked)...
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Step 12:
Once all four flaps have been through the fold-crease-open-&-tuck-in process, gently crease back all four sides so the object looks like this..
- Hold the object and blow a puff of air into the hole as you gently pull outwards on two of the flaps (opposite from one another)
- Locate the hole and pop a light through it, Voila!