Mastering the art of bone hand in origami can open up a world of intricate and beautiful paper cranes, butterflies, and elephants. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, from understanding the basics to creating your first bone hand origami. Let's dive right in!
The bone hand technique is a fundamental origami skill that allows you to create sharp, thin parts in your models, giving them a more intricate and realistic appearance. With a little practice, you can transform simple paper into stunning 3D figures.
Understanding Bone Hand: Basics
The bone hand is essentially a Preliminaries Base, a common origami foundation upon which many complex models are built. It enables you to create 'bones' or long, thin parts that can be tucked away or used as the limbs of your designs.
To create a bone hand, you'll need to master the squash fold and learn how to mount paper. These are simple techniques, but they require a bit of practice to get right. We'll cover them in detail below.
Mastering the Squash Fold
The squash fold is the key to creating the thin, rigid parts characteristic of the bone hand. To perform a squash fold, make a valley fold along a line on your paper. Then, collapse the two layers of paper together, flattening them into a single layer. The resulting fold is called a squash fold because the paper is squashed flat.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to squash folds. Start by crumpling a piece of paper to soften it, then try making a squash fold. The more you practice, the easier it will become to make crisp, even squash folds on stiffer paper.
Mounting Paper for Bone Hand
Mounting paper involves folding the edges of your paper inwards to create a square or rectangular base. This technique is crucial for creating bone hands because it allows you to manipulate the edges of your paper without creasing the inside.
To mount your paper, fold the edges inwards so that they meet in the middle. Then, unfold your paper and repeat the process with the other edges. You should now have a square or rectangular base with a diamond-shaped hole in the middle.
Creating Your First Bone Hand
Now that you've mastered the basics, let's create your first bone hand! This simple origami bird uses the bone hand technique to create its wings and tail. Follow these steps to bring your creation to life:
1. Begin with a square piece of paper, colored side facing down. Fold it in half diagonally to form a triangle, then unfold.
2. Fold the paper in half along the other diagonal to form a smaller triangle. Unfold so that the edges of your paper are aligned.
3. Fold the top left corner of your paper to the opposite edge, crease well, and unfold. Repeat on the other side.
4. Fold the top tip of your paper to the bottom edge, crease well, and unfold. You should now have a diamond-shaped hole in the middle of your paper.
5. Flip your paper over to the colored side.
6. Fold the top left corner to the bottom edge, stopping when the edge of the paper meets the crease you just made. Crease well and unfold.
7. Fold the top right corner to the bottom edge in the same way, creasing well.
8. Fold the top tip of your paper to the bottom edge, squashing the sides as you do so. You've now created a bone hand!
From here, you can continue folding to create your origami bird, using the bone hand as the foundation for its wings and tail.
Exploring More Bone Hand Origami
Now that you've created your first bone hand origami, you're ready to explore more complex designs. Pinterest and YouTube are great resources for finding step-by-step bone hand origami tutorials. Some popular models to try include the origami dragon, cranes, and butterflies.
Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right away – origami takes practice, and even the most experienced folders make mistakes. With each fold, you'll improve your skills and gain confidence. Keep practicing, and before you know it, you'll be creating stunning origami masterpieces.
Happy folding! With a little patience and practice, you'll soon be creating intricate bone hand origami designs that will impress friends and family. The world of origami is vast and rewarding, so keep exploring and pushing the boundaries of what's possible with paper.