Tinker Nest

Origami: an Art Form for All Subjects What do pizza boxes, car airbags, and fancy napkins have in common? Well, you might have guessed it -- Origami. Composed of the Japanese words O R U (to fold) and K A M I (paper), this ancient paper-folding art origami can make an impact in today's education too. This art form engages students and sneakily enhances their skills -- including improved spatial perception and logical and sequential thinking. Science:  Origami is a fun way to explain physics concepts. A thin piece of paper is not very strong, but if you fold it like an accordion it will be. Bridges are based on this concept. Also, origami is a fun way to explain molecules. Many molecules have the shape of tetrahedrons and other polyhedra. Technology:  What if you could swallow a robot that could move about inside your body to perform simple surgical procedures? Researchers at MIT have created an origami-inspired bot that folds small enough to fit in a pill; once inside the body...

A few months ago, I posted "Infinite Supernova". But when I looked at the comments sections, I felt that while it really looks beautiful and is fun to build but it is time taking (we need to make 50 units before assembling) and people who are new to Origami may find it difficult. So its time to get to the basic and in this project, I'll be making a mini and easy version of "Infinite Supernova" which requires only 5 units... Yes, you heard it right... and while we are on it, we'll also learn some basic terms used in origami folding. Things We Need 5 Origami papers, 15 cm x 15 cm Flat surface for folding Paper glue Building Block: Making a Unit (1/3) Place the origami paper on a flat surface and fold the square paper vertically in half. Crease it well by sharpening it with a fingernail (Pic 1). Now, holding the upper layer, fold it vertically in half like a valley (Pic 2). This fold is known as  Valley Fold  because the crease is at the bottom and the paper is...

The covid-19 situation is escalating to a full-blown crisis. (India). Amid extended lockdown/shutdowns and fear of health safety and job security, origami folding is keeping me and the kids in the house busy and distracted. In this project, I'm sharing steps to fold a small tote handbag. Things We Need 2 Origami papers,15 cm x 15 cm Flat surface for folding Paper glue The Valley Fold Place the origami paper on a flat surface and fold the square paper vertically in half like a valley. Crease it well by sharpening it with a fingernail and unfold it. "This fold is known as  Valley Fold  because the crease is at the bottom and the paper is folded forward into itself, so that paper makes a " V shape " when unfolded" Now, Valley Fold the paper vertically and unfold it. The Center Fold Valley fold all the corners to the center. The 3/4th Fold Fold the bottom side horizontally so that the folded part coves the 3/4th part of the square and then unfold. Repeat this for th...

  Everyone Can Learn Origami ! I used to find origami difficult and boring until I was assigned a duty to take my school kids for an origami workshop. As I tried my hands folding papers with students, I found myself amazed at how a simple thing such as paper can be transformed into amazing things. As I started following blogs and websites, trying origami myself, I find it comforting and meditative. In this project, I'm sharing one of the origami that I love. I tried my best to keep it simple and included a lot to picture for easy understanding. Also, I'll be breaking down each fold into steps, so it going to be a long post. Please feel free to comment if you get stuck. Let's start. Things We Need 8 different color origami papers(15x15 cms). 21 papers of each color. Paper Glue Making Units: (1/6) Start with a square sheet of paper. Fold it in half horizontally, crease it well sharpening it with a fingernail. Now, fold the paper in half vertically, crease it well and then unf...

  Once the kids at my school are done with paper circuits and basic 3D modeling, I use this project to gives them the chance to test their understanding of circuits and connections and using measurements and tools while designing on  SketchUp . This also makes origami fun and I feel that this makes kids become more interested in learning origami. Let's learn to fold Pyramid and Pikachu origami. and then use a paper circuit to glow it with LEDs. Things We Need For Pyramid Lamp: Butter paper. A4 size For Pikachu Lamp: Origami paper. 15cms*15cms Ice cream sticks or 3d printer(Optional) LED (Yellow and Red) Copper Tape Coin cell battery Marker/Sketch pen. Red and Black Origami Pyramid 1) Fold the butter paper in half vertically. Sharpen the crease with your fingernail and unfold it. 2) Flip the paper and fold the paper in half horizontally. Sharpen the crease and unfold. At this step, you notice that horizontal crease is folded inside like a valley( Valley Fold ) and Vertical crea...