Origami Connect

Gay Merrill Gross is known for her practical designs and clear instructions, including the Gift Bag with Lock Top, Tree Fairy Gift Box and Convertible Bag. Today, Deb Pun will teach several practical containers that are quick to fold and a decorative ribbon and bow. Each model is folded from one-sheet and can be used for any gift-giving occasion. These containers can be flattened for storage. We will be folding five models in the order listed below:

1. Hooray! Bag designed by Paula Versnick. She taught it informally at the 2017 British Origami Convention. The bag has an open top and is a secret action model. Gay describes Paula’s Hooray! Bag "has two “arms” at the top. When you pull them outward the Bag magically pops open!" I'll teach the folding sequence from Paula's diagrams.

2. Gift Bag with Lock Top is an arrangement created by Gay Merrill Gross based on Paula Versnick's Hooray! Bag. I'll teach the Gift Bag using Gay's text-only instructions and share her design notes. She incorporated an ingenious folding sequence to create the side gussets. With a simple adjustment to a single fold, this gift bag becomes a wide variation.

3. Ribbon and Bow is created by Rosa Hye-kyung LEE (South Korea). She is the creator of this clever 1-sheet 3D ribbon and bow. She writes, "I am the original developer of this origami ribbon bow. This origami ribbon bow was first introduced in the book titled "Origami Nara: Volume 3", published in South Korea back in 2003." The ribbon and bow require cuts. Use a double-sided tape or roll of tape to attach it to the Gift Bag with Lock Top.

4. Tree Fairy Gift Box, great for gift giving because the content is completely enclosed. Gay originally designed the box folded from U.S. letter paper (8.5”x11”) to hold David Brill's Christmas Tree Fairy folded from 5-inch square. The top flaps overlap each other and are held closed by tension between the flaps. In the photo, a piece of fabric ribbon decorates the box. Two Simple Hearts (designed by Gay Merrill Gross) are attached to the ribbon by double-sided tape.

5. Convertible Bag is folded from a preliminary base and has an open top with a handle. Great when folded from duo paper because the bag's interior shows one side of the paper and the base shows the opposite side of the paper. Deb Pun will share a folding sequence to securely lock the handles that is not published in the Extraordinary Origami book.