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Looking for a paper project to try today? Here are a few of the projects that I have taught as a bonus in my classes over the years. We will be updating this page from time to time so do check back on a regular basis.

  • Almost Origami Box
  • Iris Crane
  • Kumihimo Cord for Beginners
  • Origami Chrismas Tree
  • Paper Beads
  • Woven Bookmark

The perfect little box for truffles, books and delicate jewelry. You can make this box in a hurry, in stacking sets, with wedding inscriptions and with an intricate piece of quilling on top. Once you have mastered the basics you will be making these boxes every time you turn around. You will find a PDF of the pattern by clicking here.
I designed this paper crane iris folding pattern when I needed a special 'good luck' card for a friend. You will find a PDF of the pattern by clicking here. This is not a pattern for beginners. If you have some experience with iris folding it will be easy to see what order to lay your strips down in. If you make a spectacular card with this pattern, send me a JPEG and I will put up your card with your name so that you can inspire others.
  My good friend Susan Mentis came up to visit me in Muskoka one sunny weekend. She was working on this cording on the dock and I asked her to show me how to make it. Kumihimo is an intricate braiding art that was developed in Japan. This simple modification is not as complex or delicate as the real thing but it will get you started, it is really portable and it makes wonderful cording for books, paper art projects and jewelry. You will find the PDF instructions by clicking here.
  One of my favourite places to teach is the Japanese Paper Place. Last year I taught a card making class there just before Christmas and I wanted to incorporate some simple origami into the day's lessons. This is one of the fastest little origami Christmas trees that I have ever made. It works singly as the centerpiece of a card and looks wonderful when it is made with a seasonal colour of chiyogami paper. Tiny Christmas trees can be arranged in a circle to make a Christmas wreath for the front of a card. The PDF instructions can be found here.
Paper beads! I first made these when I was teaching Grade Two. With some refining and much better paper I have been making my own beads for jewelry and for bookbinding for the last few years. My favourite papers? Chiyogami is my all time favourite for these beads but comic books are a close second. Try them with the glossy paper from a Martha Stewart Living or Oprah magazine or with your own decorated papers. You will find the PDF instructions here.
  The woven bookmark makes the perfect addition to the gift of a book. When I was first starting out in paper crafting, I made lots of these to sell at craft shows and bazaars. I had forgotten all about them until recently and I am happy to share the pattern with you. Perhaps one of the reasons I find cutting with a knife so easy today is because I made so many of these and lots of practice. The PDF instructions can be found here.