How to Make an Origami Suncatcher
Stained glass suncatchers take lots of time and skill to create, but you can make a similar project using origami techniques in about 15 minutes.
Origami suncatchers make lovely home decor accents when they are displayed in your window. As the sunlight hits the paper, you can see a kaleidoscope of patterns.
The origami suncatcher should be folded from colored tissue paper. Cut four sets of 6 inch x 6 inch paper in half so you have eight 3 inch x 3 inch rectangles. If possible, use a paper trimmer so your cuts are all perfectly even. When you are cutting the tissue paper, be careful not to accidentally wrinkle the sheets. These tiny imperfections aren't noticeable when you're folding the suncatcher, but you will be able to see them when it's being displayed in a window.
Making an origami suncatcher is an excellent craft project for young children who are just learning the basics of origami because there are no complicated folds to master and the resulting project is visually appealing.
Creating origami suncatchers also provides a hands-on way for children to learn about how colors mix together because of the translucent property of the tissue paper. For example, overlapping petals made from red and yellow tissue paper creates an orange center for the suncatcher and overlapping petals made from red and blue tissue paper creates a purple center.
Fold the first rectangle in half vertically. Crease well, then unfold.
Fold the left and right sides in to meet the center crease. Crease well, then unfold. Now, your paper should be divided into four equal sections.
Fold the left and right sides in to meet the creases you just made. Now, your each side of your paper should have a border that is 1/8 the width of the rectangle.
Fold the left and right corners on the top and bottom of the paper in to meet the center crease as indicated in the photo to the left.
Step 2A: Fold the left and right corners on the top of the paper in to meet the center crease once more. This completes your first petal for your origami suncatcher.
Step 2B: Repeat Step 1 through Step 2A until you have a total of eight identically folded petals.
Glue the first two petals together so they are overlapping as shown in the photo to the left. Use a clear drying glue stick and apply the glue sparingly. You don't want any excess adhesive to show when your origami suncatcher is hanging in your window. Using too much glue also increases the risk of accidentally tearing the paper.
Continue adding the rest of the petals to your suncatcher.
To keep the top points from popping open you can either glue them shut or use a strip of washi tape to seal them closed. Washi tape is a type of patterned Japanese masking tape that comes in many different colors and patterns. It is designed to be both functional and decorative.
If you wish, you could also add a center embellishment to the suncatcher, such as a small flower blossom, a rhinestone or a tiny framed photo. See the About Origami How to Make Picture Frames Out of Paper tutorial for a simple frame idea.
To display your suncatcher, you can either tape it directly to your window or punch a small hole in one of the petals to add a ribbon for hanging.
The origami suncatcher project is a useful origami model because it's very easy to customize. If you like, you can try inventing your own origami suncatcher designs by simply varying the number of petals that are joined together or by combining different colors of paper into one completed suncatcher.
If you don't have any tissue paper to use for this project, you can fold the model using very thin origami paper that is a solid color on one side and white on the other side. It will not have the same faux stained glass quality, but it will still be a pretty window decoration.
Origami suncatchers make lovely home decor accents when they are displayed in your window. As the sunlight hits the paper, you can see a kaleidoscope of patterns.
The origami suncatcher should be folded from colored tissue paper. Cut four sets of 6 inch x 6 inch paper in half so you have eight 3 inch x 3 inch rectangles. If possible, use a paper trimmer so your cuts are all perfectly even. When you are cutting the tissue paper, be careful not to accidentally wrinkle the sheets. These tiny imperfections aren't noticeable when you're folding the suncatcher, but you will be able to see them when it's being displayed in a window.
Making an origami suncatcher is an excellent craft project for young children who are just learning the basics of origami because there are no complicated folds to master and the resulting project is visually appealing.
Creating origami suncatchers also provides a hands-on way for children to learn about how colors mix together because of the translucent property of the tissue paper. For example, overlapping petals made from red and yellow tissue paper creates an orange center for the suncatcher and overlapping petals made from red and blue tissue paper creates a purple center.
1. Make the Preliminary Folds
Fold the first rectangle in half vertically. Crease well, then unfold.
Fold the left and right sides in to meet the center crease. Crease well, then unfold. Now, your paper should be divided into four equal sections.
Fold the left and right sides in to meet the creases you just made. Now, your each side of your paper should have a border that is 1/8 the width of the rectangle.
Fold the left and right corners on the top and bottom of the paper in to meet the center crease as indicated in the photo to the left.
2. Complete Your Origami Suncatcher Petal
Step 2A: Fold the left and right corners on the top of the paper in to meet the center crease once more. This completes your first petal for your origami suncatcher.
Step 2B: Repeat Step 1 through Step 2A until you have a total of eight identically folded petals.
3. Assemble the First Two Petals
Glue the first two petals together so they are overlapping as shown in the photo to the left. Use a clear drying glue stick and apply the glue sparingly. You don't want any excess adhesive to show when your origami suncatcher is hanging in your window. Using too much glue also increases the risk of accidentally tearing the paper.
4. Finish Assembling the Petals
Continue adding the rest of the petals to your suncatcher.
5. Add Decorative Touches
To keep the top points from popping open you can either glue them shut or use a strip of washi tape to seal them closed. Washi tape is a type of patterned Japanese masking tape that comes in many different colors and patterns. It is designed to be both functional and decorative.
If you wish, you could also add a center embellishment to the suncatcher, such as a small flower blossom, a rhinestone or a tiny framed photo. See the About Origami How to Make Picture Frames Out of Paper tutorial for a simple frame idea.
6. Display Your Origami Suncatcher
To display your suncatcher, you can either tape it directly to your window or punch a small hole in one of the petals to add a ribbon for hanging.
The origami suncatcher project is a useful origami model because it's very easy to customize. If you like, you can try inventing your own origami suncatcher designs by simply varying the number of petals that are joined together or by combining different colors of paper into one completed suncatcher.
If you don't have any tissue paper to use for this project, you can fold the model using very thin origami paper that is a solid color on one side and white on the other side. It will not have the same faux stained glass quality, but it will still be a pretty window decoration.
