Make a quilt in an evening–A PAPER ORIGAMI quilt that is!

Once upon a time, I used to quilt. I wasn’t super-great at it, but I loved it and had fun. I think it’s the graphic designer in me seeing all of those neat little shapes in neat little rows just makes me happy! But now I have four kiddos and I’m going to grad school. As for quilting…”Ain’t nobody got time for that!” But, my sister is a wonderful quilter and churns out quilts left and right. And her work is better than mine ever was or will be–she’s into detail and hand-stitching and all other sorts of craziness 🙂 And she has a stash of fabric that is *to die for!!* I thought my quilting days were done (or on hold for a good long time), but, stay with me on this… My family and I also *LOVE* origami–I don’t know what it is about folding a tiny piece of paper a few times and magically getting a little shirt, a ballon, a lantern, or a samurai hat, but we can’t get enough! So, awhile back, I saw this neat origami piece that had a bunch of what I figured out were origami samurai hats/helmets arranged on a colored background that looked like–a QUILT! OK, now quilts are still one of my favorite things–so I pinned it and would look at it fondly whenever I saw it in amongst my 5000+ pins… The last time I stumbled on my origami quilt pin, I thought, “Hey that would be great for my sister!” So, I bought a pack of origami paper from the craft store (about $12.00 for 200 sheets) and coerced my kiddos to help me make a bunch of samurai hats. Samurai hats are easy to make and even my four-year-old could do them. She ended up making about 15 or so! They were a little “unique” but usable, nonetheless! Here’s link to see how to make a samurai hat. Step-by-step instructions with photos And if you need a video (in the last step, I fold the last flap inside the hat to make it easier to glue down) And if you’d like printable instructions (this one allows you to use a bigger sheet to make a wearable version (but the instructions are the same no matter what size square you use)–so cool!) You’ll need 32 hats for this arrangement. We made so many, we had enough to make two “quilts”–one for me and one for my sister! The hats are mounted on 18″ x 24″ piece of Canson pastel paper. You could use mat board, but this is what I had on hand and it is wonderful quality paper and comes in a bunch of colors (and it is easy to measure and cut at home). This project would make a great class project either for a teacher or for a group auction piece. It’s also great for anyone who loves quilts and quilting. It’s unusual and a conversation starter! The project took us a night to make two completed “quilts.” You could make smaller versions that would fit in a 12″ x 12″ frame (so three rows of 6 samurai hats) or you could work with the mini origami paper (it’s about 3″ square) to make cards for your friends. I hope you try this project and have fun with it and origami! ENJOY!