My name is Jannie van Schuylenburg, from the Netherlands. I love many types of handicraft, but origami is my first love. My aunt folded with me when I was six years old, and so began my love for paper and origami. Thirty years ago, I became an origami teacher. I like teaching origami, and just now, with all the online possibilities, it is especially great to do so.
I love to design my own models and to see what I can do with paper. Playing with paper is so nice, and several of my models were discovered that way. But I also like to design based on what I see in my mind, figuring out how I can get there. Over the years, there have been several books published with my name on them in The Netherlands, Germany and England. A few are no longer available.
In April 2015, I wanted to make a box with a flower, and the Hydrangea Box was the result. In this model, both the folding and locking are easy. The box is nice for holding a little sweet or a chocolate bonbon.
If you twist the top further, you can make a pyramid box, and if you use paper that’s colored on one side and white on the other, it looks like Mount Fuji. With both sides green, you can make a Christmas tree. Attach a star to the top with a thin sewing pin or a toothpick, and it looks great. The Christmas tree variation was discovered by Leyla Torres.
I recommend double-sided origami paper or paper 80 gms in weight and 15x15 cm in size. Thicker paper is also good to use (especially for larger boxes) but a little bit harder to fold. I’ve also used braille paper for these boxes. They looks lovely with the relief in the paper.
Enjoy folding, and warm origami greetings from Jannie!
