Whether you are decorating for the festive season, party or an event, or just want to add a touch of sophistication to your everyday environment, making your own geometric paper ornaments is a great way to create an exciting, trendy and highly customisable look without breaking the bank! And you don’t have to be an origami master to be able to turn paper into fun three-dimensional shapes!

My name is Evgeniya Righini-Brand, and I am a graphic designer in love with beautiful paper and everything geometric. I’ve always been fascinated by the fantastic sculptural forms often seen in decorative objects, architectural models, haute couture fashion garments and accessories and in packaging design, and learning how to turn a simple sheet of paper into exciting 3D geometric paper objects has been a very satisfying and eye-opening experience for me as a designer, which has provided me with another creative playground and plenty of beautiful objects to use as decor items!

In this class, I am excited to guide you through the process and share with you detailed step-by-step instructions for creating 3 types of my favourite versatile paper ornaments, which make fantastic holiday, party and everyday decorations! Being based on foundational folding techniques, these ornaments are a perfect starting point for anyone new to structural paper folding. And they don’t require a lot of tools and materials, beyond standard size paper and a few common tools!

In this class you will learn:

how to choose the right paper to have a smooth folding experience and create beautiful, neat and sturdy ornaments;
how to prepare your paper for folding;
step-by-step instructions and tips for folding 3 types of ornaments;
how to best construct your ornaments;
tips for preparing your ornaments for hanging;
ideas for using your ornaments;
ideas for customising your ornaments.

To make it easier for you to create your ornaments in different sizes and using your preferred units, whether metric or imperial, I have created a few diagrams and instructions for you to use as you work through the class.

This class is designed for:

anyone looking for a fun & rewarding craft project;
DIY & craft enthusiasts;
papercraft artists;
interior & graphic designers creating decorations, shop window displays or party decor;
event & wedding designers;
party planners.

Structural paper folding is one of those skills you didn’t know you needed until you’ve learnt it! And whilst we’ll be specifically creating ornaments, getting into paper folding will make you think differently about any personal or professional projects which involves working with paper or any other foldable sheet material. So whether you are DIY decor or papercraft enthusiast, or a graphic, interior, fashion, architecture or packaging designer or a student of these disciplines — this class is for your!

Once you have cracked the basics of this kind of paper folding, creating geometric paper ornaments can become a fun, addictive and therapeutic process, with plenty of room for experimentation with different papers, colours, sizes, shapes and customising your ornaments. And I cannot wait to see your ornaments and how you decorate with them!

TOOLS & MATERIALS:

Ruler: 30 cm / 12 inches or longer;
Pencil: sharp graphite pencil or a thin (0.3 or 0.5 mm) mechanical pencil & white pencil or pen if working with dark paper;
Craft knife or scalpel;
Cutting mat or something else to protect your table, e.g. mount board, card board or cover board;
Awl or an alternative tool:
— for making holes: a large needle, a tiny nail and a hammer;
— for creating crease lines: a blunt side of a dinner knife or scalpel, tiny flathead screwdriver, manicure scissors, tweezers, a large needle stuck into a bottle cork;
Double-sided tape or strong paper glue;
Scissors;
Needle;
Strong sewing polyester or plastic thread;
Bone folder (not essential, but if you have one, it will make the process easier).

To easily & cheaply get an awl, bone folder, thread clippers and a set of large needles, consider purchasing a bookbinding kit (widely available on Amazon, e.g. like this).

PAPER:

Required Paper Sizes:

A4, Letter or 9x12.

Recommended Paper Weight:

100–135 gsm (~68–90 lb) — foldable heavy paper or lightweight card.

Recommended Paper:

Any 100–135 gsm drawing or cartridge paper — widely available safe choice, cheap option for practising & creating mock-ups, can be used in final ornaments in white colour or customised by painting, drawing or printing;
Coloured 100–135 gsm paper (e.g. 120 gsm Clairefontaine's Maya range).

Check out your local art supply shops for drawing and cartridge paper pads, and to purchase designer or craft paper in smaller packs or as single sheets.

Recommended (Tried & Tested) Designer Papers:

Colorplan by G . F Smith (135 gsm, 55 colours in the range);
Extract by G . F Smith (130 gsm, 10 colours in the range);

Both are available in any quantity in the UK from the G . F Smith website. Check out G . F Smith International Stockists to find if and where you can purchase G . F Smith paper in your country.

Other Designer Papers to Try:

Arjowiggins Curious & Keaykolour ranges (distributed in North America by Mohawk, you can find distributors in other countries here);
Neenah (USA): Astrobrights (can be purchased on Amazon in multicolour packs).
Takeo (Japan): NT Rasha.

Сannot wait to see all your ornaments!

Anna Brewster

set designer + scenic artist

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