Utilitarian folds for the masses!

July 19, 2008 9:53 PM

I'm looking for examples of practical, everyday origami.

I'm looking for low-fold-count, preferably easy origami forms that help people organize or move items more efficiently.

I use a few different box forms with dividers when I need a temporary place to put a lot of small items (putting together furniture, taking apart small electronics). I've used a cup form for seeds and sand (and liquid, although that wasn't really necessary). I've seen a page corner for marking places in a book. I see you can send letters without envelopes using so-called letterfolds.

Any other examples out there? Either specific examples in books (good) or links (much better)? Any variations on the above (simple containers, bookmarks, etc.,) are appreciated to the nth degree.

posted by ostranenie to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

The matchbox by David Brill is not really low-fold-count, but it is easy, and it will last forever. It is designed to look as though it has fake matches in it, but I use the ones I made to store little trinkets, like earrings when I take them traveling. It is in the book Brilliant Origami, but I also found this video of someone folding it.

It really is a nice, solid piece that will last a long time.
posted by waywardgirl at 10:14 PM on July 19, 2008

Pharmaceutical Fold

Pastry bag
posted by peeedro at 10:16 PM on July 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

...umm, that video seems to end inexplicably before the model is finished. I should have watched it through before I posted it. Sorry. But you should check out the book nonethless.
posted by waywardgirl at 10:19 PM on July 19, 2008

there's was a nice cd cover somewhere [searches] The Spiral Data Tato -- A Curiously Complex Origami CD Case
posted by not sure this is a good idea at 10:23 PM on July 19, 2008

chopsticks rest?
posted by yort at 10:42 PM on July 19, 2008

Have you heard of furoshiki? It's a square Japanese wrapping cloth, that's reused and folded to carry objects in different ways. It's not origami, but the idea is the same.
posted by hooray at 6:40 AM on July 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

@waywardgirl: Here is the rest of the video.
posted by singerdj at 9:15 AM on July 20, 2008

I know two pretty useful folded objects

1. A quick envelope that insect-collectors use

2 A little open-topped box that can hold screws when the try to escape, or you can make two of them out of nearly-the-same-size sheets, and assemble them into a craftsy-looking gift box.

Here they are

(Self-link, of course). Scroll down past the panda to find them.
posted by hexatron at 2:44 PM on July 20, 2008

For a square sheet origami box, there's this familiar one on a blintz base. The video is not great, but the fold is simpler than the crane.
posted by hexatron at 2:52 PM on July 20, 2008