Craft: Paper Doll Dress Origami

December 16, 2013

I just think these are adorable and I started playing around with note cards yesterday to get a feel to do it and I find the more I do the more I want to as they are cute.  Sure, I may need a lot more practice, and you can add little touches of lace and little florets but as a plain little origami project it does help pass the time. I used some scrapbooking papers and some cardstock.

 

I started by folding the paper in half.  I used a four inch square but you can use any size you wish.  Just make sure it's square. Pick a print on one side and a blank side when first starting to help you know which end should face up.   Paper is cheap, so practice a lot before using your prettiest of papers.

 

The next step is to open your paper from the half fold and now take one edge, left side and fold it to the center....then do the same with the right side.

You can see the lightly scored lines on the white side easier.

 

 

Now flip it over, colored side up and take the middle folds and bring them to the center....on both sides.

 

 

 

 

This is what it should look like on the back.

 

 

The next step is to make the waist band and you are to fold the bottom edge almost to the top leaving a small gap of white showing.

 

 

 

Then you turn it over and with your fingers, make a fold part of the way up so the dress looks like this.

 

 

 I know its hard to figure this out just looking at pictures and there are videos on YouTube to guide you as well.  The next step is to gently add the pleat in the front by holding the middle with your left hand and angling up the corner with your right...gently guiding the paper under to a soft crease.

 

 

 

You are to add two small folds down to make the neck line and it is to help the paper flow when you do the next step.  After you crease these gently, push them back up.

 

 

 

This part takes practice...because you are gently manipulating the paper towards you to make the folds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we need to fold the top part of the paper, as it is going to make the sleeve. 

 

 Carefully smoothing down the lower part of the skirt to hem the edge a bit..

 

 

 

Then angle the top to make the sleeves peep out a bit to the front. 

 

 

Like I said, its fun to just keep practicing on all different sizes of papers...really small and a bit larger.  You can add a piece of fishing line thru the top to make it hang on a tree or package or add a paperclip hanger to it....  I need to get my wire cutters but it's late so that can wait until tomorrow....