The very first banknotes were used by the Chinese in the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty. Before it was used as an actual currency, paper money was part of a deposit system in which merchants would leave large amounts of coins with a trusted associate and receive a paper ...more
Make your mom a special bouquet that she will always remember, using these beautiful origami lilies and her favorite chocolates. This video will show you how to put together this wonderfully thoughtful gift, perfect for your beloved mom this mother's day.
For your next dinner party, impress your guests with some intricate-looking, but actually super-easy, napkin origami when you're setting up the table. The rosette fold is ridiculously easy and would probably work well for a Mother's Day brunch or an outdoor garden party. Simp ...more
Juliet said that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and by the looks of this flower rose adorned cupcake, we're thinking a rose by any other name (or form) would taste as sweet too. Check out this lovely cake decorating tutorial to learn how to create a rose decora ...more
A cookie and lollipop in one? Our wildest sugar-loving dreams are finally coming true. This delectable, sweet treat features a tulip-shaped cookie (decorated with oodles of yummy icing, of course) sitting atop a lollipop stick. The stick helps make the cookie eating experienc ...more
Cake decorators adore gumpaste because it can not only be formed in just about any imaginable shape out there, but also because it hardens to a consistency that can easily hold these shapes. Take this intricate, Cinderella-inspired high heeled slipper, for instance. Perfectly ...more
Fold origami cranes on and before this day (the International Day of Peace) to be part of a world movement to raise awareness for peace education. What better way is there to raise awareness than through origami cranes? Part 1 of 2 - How to Fold origami cranes for peace. Part ...more
We know that Father's Day seems ions away, but spring is approaching swiftly (we see the snow melting outside already) and the occasion will be here sooner than you think! Get ready for Father's Day by folding this simple origami shirt complete with a tie. It's made from a do ...more
To play off Gertrude Stein's famous quote, a rose is a rose is a magic paper cube. And with this paper folder's guide, you'll learn how to make your very own magic rose cube from paper using the Japanese art of origami. This design by Valerie Vann, and folded by YouTuber Germa ...more
Get ready for Teacher's Day or simply show your teacher how much you care by making one of these cute as a button grannysmith apples. Apple-shaped pencil holders and notepads are sweet, but these origami apples show you took a bit of time out of your busy day to really make so ...more
What a lovely present for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. What better way to show your loved one that you can't get enough of him/her than by making this cute origami kissing fish? You pinch its stomach for the very luscious, plump lips to open and close, as if engaged in ...more
Sure, you've probably seen a million YouTube videos that feature the impressive schemes of 2,000-sided modular origami balls that seem to defy gravity as well as patience. But sometimes the simplist origami craft is the most striking. The origami collared shirt and tie-shaped ...more
Flowers actually have a great impact on mood. Some flowers make you happy, like bright white and yellow daisies, while others, like deep crimson roses, make you feel romanced and lovely dovey. So if you're ever feeling down for some reason, cheer yourself up by making this bea ...more
Just as night follows day, the summer and fall baby season follows wedding season in the spring. Lots of cute young ones seem to get popped out by the dozen during the summer, often prompting baby showers and other baby-themed events. If you know a mommy who's having a child ...more
With Valentine's Day looming in our midst, it's high time to start thinking about what you'll be cooking up and crafting for your sweetheart. But instead of spending any money on anything, just keep one thing in mind—everybody loves cold hard cash, even as a valentine gift. So ...more
Despite being bombarded with so many things to do each day, we still somehow find ourselves in a mid-afternoon lull where there's nothing better to do than stare at the adventures of a piece of lint darting across our computer screen. If you need something fun to do for the n ...more
Whisper sweet nothings to your amor by crafting this simple and quick origami message card, which features a heart seal. It's a delightful way to package a loving, amorous sentiment and can also hold tiny trinkets of your affection. Today we make a message card that features ...more
A TIE Fighter might not ever see the light of day outside of the television. Not a real starfighter, anyway. But you can model our very own Star Wars TIE Fighter with some simple paper. It might take a while, but folding this origami Star Wars TIE Fighter will be worth every s ...more
Forget Goldfish Crackers and the actual living, swimming ones. They both, one day, will disappear. The crackers will only last as long as your hunger, and the living goldfish will eventually die (or also last as long as your hunger— or your cat's hunger). But there's one goldf ...more
This beautiful geometric box, which reminds us of midcentury abstract expressionist paintings, is a wonderful handmade way to showcase a Valentine's Day gift for your sweetheart. Check out this video to learn how to build this box from the ground up. It's super easy and quite ...more
What's the only thing better than one heart? Well, it must be 2 hearts. Whether it's for Valentines Day, or any day of the year, this clear and helpful how to will show you the steps to fold up this sweet little creation. You can use any size of paper you want, but you'll want ...more
The art of floral arrangement is a fun and valuable skill. Dana Plazyk of Flowers by Design lends useful tips and tricks on making simple flower arrangements. Dana uses Real Touch Flowers to make a corsage for Mother's Day. Just by adding some seeded eucalyptus, this mini ros ...more
Craft a crazy three dimensional Slinky-esque heart shaped card. Perfect for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.
Curtis Smith, Extension Horticulturist with Southwest Yard and Garden, and Rick Hobson of Rowlands Nursery, demonstrate how to pick out orchids for your home. Dendrobium Phalaenopsis orchids are very graceful with its long spray and is a very popular orchid. They make great st ...more
This adorable "smile frog" greeting card is a wonderful craft because it can be given out to loved ones year round. The cardstock frog has googly eyes and a teeny pink heart inside his stomach. The card is perfect for Valentine's Day as well as Mother's Day. Part 1 of 2 - How ...more
A good cupcake is a good cupcake - there's no reason to add extra stuff like pretty designs or fancy holders when it tastes like Heaven on our tongue. But this tutorial presents a truly ingenious way to package cupcakes that we're really digging. Watch this video to learn a f ...more
Show your amor that his love makes your spirits take flight by crafting this beautiful - and amazingly simple - Valentine's Day origami heart. Teeny white wings grow out from the sides to give it that Cupid charm. Today we make a heart that has wings. This is an easy project ...more
This craft is great for Mother's Day! Turn a recycled glass bottle into a beautiful flower vase to give as a gift! You'll need to find a sizeable glass bottle and then gather some colored tissue paper, glue diluted in water, a plastic container, scissors, polyurethane sealant ...more
One of the most fun activities when you are a kid is making something pretty to bring home to mom. In this tutorial, learn how to make carnations out of toilet paper for a fun kid's craft. Carnations make a great craft for Valentines or Mother's Day and are easy to make with e ...more
This beautiful yellow icing rose looks really difficult to create, but with the right tools it's as simple as practicing (and probably messing up a few times). Whether you want to add a special edible decoration to a Mother's Day cake you're baking or a batch of vanilla cupcak ...more
Sharpen your listening skills and coordination by playing a round of Mother May I. You Will Need * Three or more players * A large room or open space Step 1 Designate one player to be “Mother.” The other players will be the “children.” Step 2 Have Mother stand on one side of ...more
For a Mother's Day meal try this easy-to-make cheese sandwich egg souffle. Our host got her recipe from her grandmother, but now she is passing it on to you. Try cooking up this recipe for cheese sandwich souffle. Ingredients for cheese sandwich souffle: * 8 slices homemade-s ...more
Brighten up someone's day with a colorful origami flower. Check out these tips on how to make one at home.
For those of us on a diet, choosing between brownies and cupcakes for our dessert becomes a nightmare of fiendish proportions. Which is why it's just so much easier to breed the two together and form delicious brownie cupcakes. Composed of brownie mix and topped with a sugary ...more
In China and Japan there exists a special zodiac quite different from that which we have in the states. The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, each animal representing one year in the constant twelve year revolution. Now that Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbi ...more
In China and Japan there exists a special zodiac quite different from that which we have in the states. The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, each animal representing one year in the constant twelve year revolution. Now that Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbi ...more
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it's time for some heart-origami! In the video below, see how to fold a winged origami heart. General Information Demonstrator: Me (Tavin) Level: Low/intermediate Recommended material: 10cm (4in) Kami with red front and white back ...more
So we're going to ask you one question that will change your origami folding life forever: Are you ready to move beyond cranes? So many people get stuck and attached to making origami cranes because they're easy, cute, and pretty. But if you truly want to advance into the big ...more
Now that Valentine's Day is on the horizon, it's time to start thinking about what treats you'll be baking, how you'll be packaging them, and what paper crafts you'll be glueing together for the big day. Check out this paper design tutorial to learn how to build a simple orig ...more
This beautiful geometric box, which reminds us of midcentury abstract expressionist paintings, is a wonderful handmade way to showcase a Valentine's Day gift for your sweetheart. Take a look at this simple origami video (suitable even for origami folding neophytes) to learn h ...more
Now that Valentine's Day is only a month away, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to be surprising your sweetheart. While a bouquet of red roses and a box o' chocolates is always a good call, you can make your gift much more personal by adorning a package or a ...more
Learn how to make an origami heart card. Perfect for valentines day.
Most origami shapes are three dimensional. But what if you want to fold a shape to glue onto a Christmas or Valentine's Day card? Check out this video to learn how to fold two versions of an origami flat heart. These are thin and can be glued in clusters onto cardstock for a ...more
This is a fun demonstration that ends with teaching you how to fold a paper heart using the techniques of 3-D origami. This is a fun and creative gift for Valentine's Day, and anyone who can fold paper can make it!
Are you sitting in class the last day before holiday break, simply dying over how long each minute is before that last bell rings and you get to head to Big Bear? Pass the time (though obviously do so discretely) by crafting these simple origami t-shirts. Each t-shirt is folde ...more
Here's a great cheap gift for Valentine's day! It costs $1, $5, $10, $20 or even more, depending on what bill you use. Origami a cool heart out of a dollar bill. Click through to watch this video on tricklife.com
To decipher my password, you need to know my mother's maiden name, where I was born, and what I had for breakfast on August 12th, 1996 (trick question, I was in a food coma). This was a bit simpler... May God have mercy on his soul. Images by bash.org, icebox500
Drugstore valentines? Pssh, why would you want to get the same cards every other kid is passing around on Valentine's Day when you can make your own? This video shows how to origami a heart-shaped valentine, equipped with an arrow shot through the center of the heart. It's ju ...more
Got a seriously large number of business cards stashed in your basement due to ordering several boxes full only to have the company mess up on your phone number? Make use of these otherwise extraneous and superfluous cards by watching this video. Whip out those nameplates and ...more
This is origami, but it's more of a work of art. A perfect 3D mathematical kusudama, which is created by sewing multiple identical pyramidal units together to form a 3D Japanese paper model. It's really addictive! This is an easy kusudama and you can make it in just one day. ...more
We adore all the cute little valentines, heart-shaped candies, and heart-embellished gift boxes and gift bags that pop up on shelves around Valentine's Day, but (ironically enough) they lack the heart that makes Valentine's Day presents truly special. Wrap your gift in person ...more
If you've mastered the origami jumping frog already, then this is the next step on your journey to paper folding enlightenment. Take a gander at this origami tutorial to learn how to crease and fold an intermediate level origami fighting toad. It's chunky, intimdating, and wo ...more
Whisper sweet nothings to your amor by crafting this simple and quick origami message card, which features a heart seal. It's a delightful way to package a loving, amorous sentiment and can also hold tiny trinkets of your affection. Check out this video to learn how to fold a ...more
As kids, we had dreams of becoming a fighter pilot, menacing enemies and saving the day with our stealth fighter plane. Needless to say, our pipe dreams kind of went bust, but that doesn't mean we still don't dream of piloting one of those things! If you've always had a fasci ...more
Pick a pansy for your love - one that will last longer than a few days, as a real pansy would - by folding this easy origami pansy. It can be made in any color you'd like, and you can even craft a bouquet to give to your sweetheart this Valentine's Day.
Snails are such cool cats. While we humans labor the day away in a whirlwind of errands and obligations, snails take their time wherever they choose to go. As such, we can learn a bit about taking it easy and relaxing from these small wisdom bearers. To create your own zen sn ...more
Summer is quickly coming to an end (oh no!), so bask in your last few glory days of sleeping in and playing all day by, well, sleeping in and playing all day. But you should also consider making this adorable sea crab, a sort of testament, if you will, to the summer months spe ...more
Have you finally completed the 1,000 cranes project, achieved luck, prosperity, and all that goodness, and are finally ready to move on already from folding the same crane day in and day out? Then consider this project a beautiful release. Simple and perfect for beginners (an ...more
Here's a fun rainy day craft, good for especially young children. Make your own porcupine or hedgehog out of construction paper. You'll need yellow and brown origami paper, one black marker, one popsicle stick, two googly eyes, a stapler, glue and a pair of safety scissors.
This video demonstrates how to fold an origami heart. If you are a beginner, this is the video for you! This is a very simple model, and I thought it would be perfect for Valentine's Day! Even though this model is very simple, it has a very nice outcome when complete! For som ...more