The Kirigami Project - Week 47 - Flames

And here we are already - the end of November and the end of our second-to-last month of kirigami. In November I reached for cozy Autumn colours and let my scissors flow in curves. If you compare last week's design with this week's, you'll see that the templates look quite similar (I'll admit to a double take) but the final design is quite different. This fold-cut-unfold-ing never ceases to be a joy - the surprise in the delicate unfolding of each design. I do hope you've enjoyed this series and been inspired to try a little kirigami beyond the snowflakes. (Speaking of which, we'll head straight into snowflake territory next week... but until then...)

This week's design reminds me of tiny dancing candle flames. To create your own Flames kirigami design, use the template below and the 4-point folding pattern.

Want to try all of November's kirigami designs?

This month's free printable is now available!

Click on the image above to access and print the templates.

Do you have a favourite one of November's designs?

We'd love to see your versions on social media - don't forget to tag your paper cuts with #thekirigamiproject. You can find us on Instagram at @omiyage_ca & @thelanguidlion

The Kirigami Project is collaborative creative project from Marisa Edghill of Omiyage and Geri Jewitt of The Languid Lion. Marisa creates the kirigami designs and Geri turns them into printable templates. Each week in 2014, we will bring you a new kirigami design to fold and cut. Find the treasury of designs here.

The Kirigami Project - Week 38 - Starburst

While I've shared a star kirigami design before, I couldn't resist trying one which was a bit more complicated. A super star, if you will!

To create your own starburst kirigami design, use the template below and the 5-point folding pattern.

Want to try all of September's designs? This month's free printable template is now available!

Click on the image above to access and print the templates.

Happy crafting! Don't forget to share your designs on social media with the tag #thekirigamiproject You can find us on instagram here ---> @omiyage_ca & @thelanguidlion

The Kirigami Project is collaborative creative project from Marisa Edghill of Omiyage and Geri Jewitt of The Languid Lion. Marisa creates the kirigami designs and Geri turns them into printable templates. Each week in 2014, we will bring you a new kirigami design to fold and cut. Find the treasury of designs here.

The Kirigami Project - Week 34 - Foliage

Anyone else wondering where summer slipped away to? We're already seeing a hint of Fall in the leaves (and feeling it in the air) but before Summer fades entirely, let's celebrate the lush greenery this season brings.

Full of leaf shapes, this design is a bit intricate but the cuts themselves are fairly simple.

To create your own leafy kirigami design, use the template below and the 4-point folding pattern.

Want to try all of August's designs?

This month's free printable templates are now available!


Click on the image above to access and print the templates.

Happy crafting! If you try these paper cuts, make sure to share your versions with the tag #thekirigamiproject so we can see them too.

The Kirigami Project is collaborative creative project from Marisa Edghill of Omiyage and Geri Jewitt of The Languid Lion. Marisa creates the kirigami designs and Geri turns them into printable templates. Each week in 2014, we will bring you a new kirigami design to fold and cut. Find the treasury of designs here.

The Kirigami Project - Week 30 - Peacock Flower

Sometimes I like to take an idea and see what it looks like in flower form. Here I've taken the idea of a peacock feather with its eye and loops of colour. I think it's quite lovely, don't you?

To create your own kirigami Peacock Flower, use the template below and the 6-point folding pattern.

Want to try all of July's designs? It's a fun summer boredom buster! This month's free printable template is now available.

Click on the image above to access and print the templates.

If you do try these or any of our Kirigami Designs, we'd love to see your versions on social media. Use #thekirigamiproject so we can all see!

The Kirigami Project is a collaborative creative project from Marisa Edghill of Omiyage and Geri Jewitt of The Languid Lion. Marisa creates the kirigami designs and Geri whips them into template shape! Each week In 2014, we will bring you a new kirigami design to fold and cut.

The Kirigami Project - Week 21 - Leaves

I'm really excited to share this one with you... it's definitely one of my favourite so far. Inspired by leaves, the graphic symmetrical design is quite dynamic. I hope you agree!

The actual construction is quite simple - just a leaf shape filled in with slashes of negative space - but the final look is almost hypnotic.

To create your own kirigami leaves design, use the template below and the 4-point folding pattern.

Ready to try all of May's unique paper cut designs?

This month's free printable template is now available! Four fun designs on one convenient sheet:

Click on the image above to access and print May's free printable template. Then fold, trace and cut this month's kirigami designs!

Which of May's designs is your favourite? We'd love to see your versions on social media - use the tag #thekirigamiproject to share in the kirigami fun!

The Kirigami Project is a collaborative creative project from Marisa Edghill of Omiyage and Geri Jewitt of The Languid Lion. Marisa creates the kirigami designs and Geri whips them into template shape! Each week In 2014, we will bring you a new kirigami design to fold and cut.

The Kirigami Project - Week Eight - Tribal Sun

Have you noticed the days getting longer where you are? There's nothing like a long winter to make you worship the Sun just a little bit more when Spring rolls around. As I was cutting this month's designs, sunshine and colour were foremost on my mind - which must be why my scissors led me to this tribal-esque Sun design. It's a bit different from the soft loops and swoops I usually cut, but I must admit, I rather like it!

To create your own Tribal Sun kirigami design, use the template below and the 4-Point Folding Pattern.

Want to make all of February's designs?

The monthly free printable is now available!

Click on the image above to access and print the free templates. Then fold, trace & cut as many lovely kirigami pieces as you please.

We would love to see your kirigami creations! Use the hashtag #thekirigamiproject on Twitter and Instagram so we can see your versions of February's designs.

Happy crafting!

The Kirigami Project is a collaborative creative project from Marisa Edghill of Omiyage and Geri Jewitt of The Languid Lion. Marisa creates the kirigami designs and Geri whips them into template shape! Each week In 2014, we will bring you a new kirigami design to fold and cut.

Cut + Fold - Kirigami Snowflakes

Here's a little holiday crafting fun for you - the prettiest kirigami snowflakes!

While I prefer to cut kirigami designs from origami paper, I can understand that not everyone has it lying around the house. So, for these snowflakes, I worked with Geri to craft up a series of printable snowflake templates that you can fold & cut right from standard printer paper! (But seriously - origami paper is so much easier to fold + cut - next year I'm stocking up on piles of plain white!)

There are 3 sets of kirigami snowflakes to fold + cut.  Each set includes one large and two small snowflake templates on one standard printout. Here's where to find them:

Set One - Click right here for printable template!

Set Two - template here (this is the easiest of the 3 sets - I'd recommend starting with set 2!)

Set Three - Oh My! Handmade Goodness

Here's the scoop on how to use these free printable kirigami templates:

1. Print out your kirigami template(s).2. Cut the three squares out of the printable. On the right of the page, you will notice folding instructions.

3. Fold the square in half as per the image above. The printed segment will be in the bottom right corner, facing away from you (down). Ensure each fold you make is sharp to make cutting easier.4. Fold the square in half again. The printed segment will now be on the left third of your triangle, facing towards you (up).

5. Fold the right third of the triangle over the middle third as per the left image above. The edge should line up with the edge of the printed segment.6. Flip over.

7. Fold the right side over the middle. Finished folded piece should look like the image on the left.8. Cut off excess paper points.

9. Begin cutting. Cut on the inside of the grey lines to ensure they don't appear on your final snowflake. Try cutting in one motion, turning the paper as you go rather than making sharp cuts. Make sure to hold firmly to the folded paper so that it doesn't shift.

10. For areas marked with a very small cut, don't be afraid to make them bigger. We've tried to make markings towards the bottom point very small to give you space to cut around the lines.

11. Continue cutting until entire pattern is cut. You'll notice that the more negative space you create when cutting kirigami, the more beautiful/intricate the final product is.12. Unfold to reveal your kirigami snowflake. Press flat under a pile of heavy books.Happy crafting! Hope you love making these as much as we loved creating them!

Guest Post: Easter Gift Tag Printable

We're thrilled that Geri of The Languid Lion is visiting us today to share the sweetest DIY and Free Printable for Easter Tags. Hope you love this project as much as we do!

It seems that Spring might just be taking its time getting here, but these adorable tags will certainly getting you smiling!  It all started with the idea of creating some Easter tags featuring an bunny illustration by me and, of course, some washi tape... well, here they are.  Aren't they cute?  I had soooo much fun playing around with them and creating the template (yep, I'm a bit of a nerd), which is made especially for the large tags that Omiyage carries.  You can also get all of the washi tape & Baker's Twine shown in the tutorial there, too!

Ready?  Ok... here we go!

THE SUPPLIES:

• Large shipping tags (either white or cream)

• a printer

• PVA or craft glue (or glue gun)

• scissors (and/or craft knife, not shown)

• washi tape and clear tape

• Baker's Twine - I used the Fresh Colour Collection

• cotton balls 

Print out the first page of the template & line up your tags within the outlines given.  

TOP TIP: **It's always a good idea to try printing Page 2 onto the outline page WITHOUT the tags while you make sure how to load your printer; plain paper is a LOT cheaper than wasting tags!

I tried two techniques to print these tags; using clear tape or washi tape to secure the tags to the template & print them out.  

When using the clear tape, the benefit is that you simply run two strips of tape across all of the tags and you're done; the downside is that printer heated up the glue of the tape and tore the tags slightly when I removed them from the template, which is easily covered by the washi tape later.

When using the washi tape, the benefit is that you only have to tape once; the downside is that you have to figure out your decoration placement first and tape each tag individually.

I used both techniques and found them to be about equally pleasing!  Print Page 2 of the template onto the tags, being sure to figure out to place the tags in the appropriate tray & alignment of your printer (for example, mine is face up, bottom first).

As a cute little addition, I added a cotton ball tail to the bunny. Editor's note - you could also use a small pom pom as a tail!

I also made a little bow with some Baker's Twine for the bunny's neck, attaching it with the same glue as the tail and finished off the tag by threading some more Baker's Twine through the tag hole (the craft knife or a hole punch works great)!

Download your free Easter Tags & happy handmaking!

Geri Jewitt is a designer gone rogue from Corporate who now owns The Languid Lion, creating handmade & eco-friendly stationery, decorations & illustrated art prints for those of us who celebrates love & the art of handmade.  She is also the editor of The Lion's Den, a blog where she writes about love, life & handmade.

Connect with Geri via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and see what lovely things she's been pinning over on Pinterest!