WELCOME TO BERRY GOODIES

After a long break, dealing with health and other personal issues, "Creative Creasings" is back on active duty again.

 As usual, new models displayed on these pages will be accompanied by a basic crease pattern image for which there is, of course, no charge.  That is my continuing gift to the expert origami community.  Not everyone can make these items from this sparse information, especially when the construction is less than straight forward.  Many of you have asked for detailed instructions but, as you know, these are quite time consuming to prepare, and sometimes fiendishly difficult to illustrate in a flat 2-D format.  I have, however, been working on this task.   I expect it will take a couple of years before I can diagram every model that I have posted here, but I have managed to make some progress, especially on my newer models.

The first batch of fully illustrated and diagrammed instructions are now available.  You will find them at my new ETSY shop (Berry Goodies) where you can download them almost instantly.  Just click on the ETSY button in the side panel to the left of this text box.

This will cost you a token amount that will help cover some of the expenses involved in developing models, photographing them, diagramming them, listing them on ETSY and, of course, the cost of maintaining an active internet connection.   Some of them (like the 48 page booklet on Diamond Lock letter folds) are quite a bargain compared with comparable material sold on Amazon.  When I have more models available I will start to offer pick-and-choose combinations that will let you make your own book with just the designs you prefer for a lot less than it costs to buy the designs individually. 

I began the process by diagramming my Letter Fold Series of which there are 20 distinct types.  All the Instant Downloads available on the Berry Goodies site (except for the Free Gift) are from this series.  So far, just under half of them have been uploaded.  The rest will be arrive on the site as they are completed.   Then I will begin work on other and older models. 

Here is a LIST OF AVAILABLE ORIGAMI INSTRUCTIONS at Berry Goodies right now.  Enjoy!

 
Diagonal Slash Letter Fold - 5 pages

Central Square Letter Fold - 6 pages

Loan Diamond Letter Fold and Variants - 7 pages

Heart Letter Fold - 4 pages

Bow Tie Letter Fold - 5 pages

Pentagonal Letter Fold - 6 pages













Central Cross Letter Folds - 10 pages

Diamond Lock Letter Folds (lots of them) - 48 pages

SIMPLE X LETTERFOLD

This is a plain and simple fold.  It lends itself well to letter head paper with a contrasting border which becomes the focal point of the folding. 

It looks like a standard oblong envelope.  It it were not for the diagonal edges, that could catch on sorting machinery,  you could send this letter fold through the standard mail system. 

If you really want to do this then I suggest that you pack it inside a standard envelope. 

Alternatively you could make a transparent one with Gorilla Glue and clear Grafix Dura-Lar, Dura-Lar is an acetate alternative that holds a crease, unlike many other plastic type materials. Unlike acetate, it does not crack, tear or chip.  It is wonderful stuff for origami enthusiasts. If you live in the United States, you can buy small amounts from Dick Blick stores or larger amounts directly from the Grafix web site.  I imagine there are similar materials available in other countries.

Pre-crease you model before folding.  Then follow the directions for collapsing it.  If you start where indicated you will have a much easier time tucking the last corner under the adjacent folds. 

There are few more tricks which improve accuracy and ease of folding.  These are shared in the full set of diagrammed instructions which is now ready.  If you are a seasoned folder you will most likely discover them for yourself as you try out the model. 

GABLE LETTER FOLD

The front of this letter fold looks a little bit like the end of a gable roof, hence the name.

      Here is the back view.

This is another very easy model.  All it requires are a few cupboard folds, a hem and some corner bending.  Then it gets folded in half and one end gets pushed under the hem of the other. Easy!

The crease that makes the model look like a roof is made by running a nail over the top sheet of paper to accent the outline of the end that has been pushed under it:  a triangle with a flat top.

Usually the paper does not push all the way in so you get a little ridge at the bottom.  Think of it as roof spouting!    


The samples are made with American Letter sized paper but the pattern should work with A4 and probably with slightly different sized rectangles. 


Here is the Crease Pattern for this model.  This will help you create a letter fold with the colored side out and the gable roof end in white.  If you want to reverse this and make one with the colored side accented at the top, then start folding with the colored side up.

If you cannot see the crease marks easily on patterned paper then fold most of the model from the white side and then reverse the creases before you do the final fold and tuck the ends together.

Enjoy.

BROKEN_MENDED HEART

The letter fold in the last posting was shown with a heart poked in the front pocket.

Here are some samples of the version I have been using.

 

I have long been a fan of Edwin Young's Broken-Mended Heart.  http://faculty.purchase.edu/jeanine.meyer/origami/oriheart.htm

The problem with Young's original version is that it cannot be viewed from two sides. Sinking the folds means that the two sides come apart rather too easily.  I have modified Young's model so that these problems are resolved.   


Here is a Crease Pattern incorporating these changes.

Here are some hints on how to fold the relevant modifications. 

The tabs shown in Step 6 are pushed into the corresponding pockets on the opposite side when the model is collapsed. This stops the model from coming apart easily.

The tabs shown in the last steps are tucked into pockets on the top of the heart.   This method shapes the heart so that it appears more natural at both stages of the breaking and mending process.  Young's version looks oddly flattened on one of the two positions.

These diagrams are taken from my full length Instruction PDF which will shortly be on sale at my new ETSI Shop.   I will post a link to that site when it is up and running.  

ETSI does not provide an electronic down load function. Purchased items have to be physically emailed at some point after the seller gets the information from ETSI.  That can take hours to days.   Other options require a Web Page but, as I have already mentioned, our server is crashing and needs replacing with a more reliable model.   We intend to get around the problem by writing (and testing) a script that will email the purchased items instantly.  

It should take about a week to iron out all the problems.  From that point expect to see a LOT of diagrams suddenly become available for items that have been featured on this Blog, and a whole lot of other creations that has not been mentioned.

DIAMOND HEART LETTERFOLD

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This letter fold has two parts.  Part One is the letter fold itself.  Part Two is my variation of Edwin Young's Broken-Mended Heart. 

Here is Part One.

 

This model is quite easy in both its concept and the folding required.

We start by folding the paper in half lengthwise.  We make diagonals starting from the center (you will need to make a marker crease here).  Then we roll the model up from both sides.  The remaining flaps are tucked into each side.  The top flap has a little bit of extra fiddling so that it looks right and so that we get a tab to pull to start the letter unfolding.  It's pretty secure until you do that.

You can slot anything you like in the front pocket.  I choose the Young heart (with a few modifications to make it two sides and secure) because its construction allows it to be slotted over the edge of the pocket for effect.  This will stay put provided you don't turn it upside down or knock it.  Put the heart in the pocket for safe keeping while transporting the letter. 

I have completed diagrams for this model and for my modified Young heart.  I have also completed diagrammed instructions for the Double Wrap model.  I will make them available just as soon as our crashing web page host machine is upgraded.  That might be a month or two.  I'll keep you posted. 

HEXAGON LETTER FOLD

This Letter Fold is based on a hexagonal coaster design that is in the public domain.  There are, however, a few modifications that are required in order to make it work as an interesting letter fold for American Letter and A4 sheets.  (Yes, this model works for international sized paper, too.)


The standard methods that origami enthusiasts use to make a hexagon from a rectangular sheet assume that the folder will cut off the excess paper and just fold up the hexagon.  A letter sheet or some other rectangle is commonly used and the folding it begun from one end of the sheet.  These Letter Fold versions start in the center of the paper.  The means that the excess paper is evenly distributed at the top and the bottom of the rectangular sheet after the basic hexagon shape is derived.  We do not cut it off. 

  

BASIC FULL COLORED VERSION

The basic full color version displays the colored side of the letter head paper and tucks the extra-hexagon parts inside the model.  For this reason, it works best with the thinner versions of letter head paper.

The front shows the tucked in sections.  The back simply shows crease marks.  You can add extra crease marks to make the model completely symmetrical instead of having just one crease joining mid points on opposite sides.

Here is the Crease Pattern for the Basic (Full Colored) Version.












The orange sample shows the front (on the left) and the back (on the right) of a model using the basic method with the addition of extra creases (mid side to opposite mid side) between all sides.  If you make these pronounced it will allow the model to be used as a spinner.  The message inside could be something like "You make my world go around". 


Here is the crease patterns for the Full Colored Spinner Version. The additional creases are marked in orange (mountain) and lime green (valley).  Smart people (= you) can probably figure out how to add them without referring to the Crease Pattern. 

COLOR BLOCK VERSIONS

If the model is folded up from the colored side, instead of from the white side, we get a model that displays the colored edges.  This "waste" paper becomes a decorative feature instead of being hidden inside the model.  This is the recommended model if you want to write on the letter head side of the paper rather than the white (or other colored) side.  

 The first example (mauve and white) uses American Letter sized Letterhead paper (8.5 inches x 11 inches), the second (orange and purple) uses duo-color sided construction paper (9 inches x 12 inches) and the last example (yellow and white) uses construction paper that has been cropped to an A4 ratio (8.5 inches x 12 inches).  The "white" tips get progressively smaller as the length of the paper increases in relation to its width.

 Here is the Crease Pattern.  It's the same as the All Color version in reverse.  If your paper is strongly patterned on the Letter Head side (which is not very usual for such paper) then you will find it easier to do all your preliminary folding on the white side;  the crease lines are easier to see. It is relatively easy to reverse the crease direction prior to folding up the model into the coaster shape with the colored side of the paper up. 

Of course, there is a Spinner Version of this variety also.  We just add some well creased additional creases connecting the mid points of opposite sides.  That's not nearly as difficult as the Crease Pattern makes it look.  We mountain fold between the hexagon's section boundaries and valley fold between the mid points of the opposing sides.  Look at the pictures for clarification.





 



FULLY DIAGRAMMED INSTRUCTIONS.

I have provided the basic crease patterns here but I am in the process of putting the finishing touches to fully diagrammed instructions.  They will be available for purchase when they are completed. The cost will be quite small (so you can all afford it) but it will help provide the essentials that I need to  complete diagrams of other models show-cased on this Blog. As you are probably aware, good diagramming takes quite a bit of time to do properly.

Here is a sample of what you will get.

DOUBLE WRAP LETTERFOLD: A4 Version

I made time to try out the Double Wrap Letter Fold with a sheet of A4.  As I suspected, using this sized paper requires a little modification to make the model work.  After crumpling several sheets I found a set of creases that works.



 Here is the result.  I didn't have any letterhead paper so I used some colored pencils to make it clear where the colored (letterhead) side or the paper shows on the outside of the folded model.

It looks a little different, both front and back, but the general idea is the same.

The down side is that there is less room on the inside to write your letter.  When the paper is in the normal longitudinal orientation, the top and bottom margins are rather wide.


Here is the Crease Pattern.

The last  (optional) crease is no longer required.

The method for finding the long side walls has changed.  To make the model work you need a crease at the 7/32nd mark.  On the right side of the pattern I have shown how this is done.  Follow the numbers.  To get the number 5 crease just match a long side to the "4" line on the other side of the mid-line. 

 Enjoy.