Making Basic Origami Shapes

by Michael LaFosse

Making Basic Origami Shapes by Michael LaFosse is one in a series of 12 books called A Kid’s Guide to Origami. As it’s name suggests, Making Basic Origami Shapes is devoted to shapes. It has been long known that origami embodies many mathematical concepts. This book allows you to explore simple geometry with your children by introducing:

As with the other volumes in this series, this book has 8 easy models.

The Kite Star uses 4 pieces of paper and can be made in 5 steps. If you make another Kite Star in a different size, you can stack them and arrange them cleverly to get a different pattern. The model requires tape.

The Flower is made from 2 pieces of paper and it can be made in 8 steps. This model is quite rewarding since it is easy to make and pretty. Who can resist a flower that can be made in less than 5 minutes? Can you see the pentagon in this model? See diagram here pg 7.

The Sunburst is made in a similar way as the Kite Star, but with 24 pieces of paper. This model is visually stunning and can be used in a mini geometry lesson. Where is the diamond shape (rhombus) hiding? The model requires tape.

Magic Square: this model shows how squares are composed of two triangles. The transformation from square to triangle can only be seen while the model is being made. It is an interesting interactive model.

The Star Frame is made with one sheet of paper. It has nice lines that emphasize the linearity of triangles and squares.

The Bookmark is simple, attractive and functional. The front and back sides of the model look different: you can use this feature to identify which page (front or back) you should start reading from. Bookmark can be accomplished in 8 steps.

The Heart is easy to make and pleasing to the eye. Why not make one for your mom or a whole pile of them for Valentine’s Day? Each heart uses one sheet of paper and requires one small scissor cut.

The Fox Box is the most intriguing model in this book. It uses 3 sheets of paper, each folded the same way and then assembled together. It is interesting to note that the 3 pieces together form a 3 dimensional shape called a hexahedron. It is composed of 6 isosceles triangles but they form an equilateral triangle. This model is quite stable and can be tossed around.

Summary
Making Origami Basic Shapes is one of my favorite volumes in the “Kid’s Guide to Origami” series. I enjoy the geometric shapes and how it shows that math can be fun. It works well as a stand alone book or as a member of the series.

• buy Making Basic Origami Shapes here
• see review of other volumes in the “Kids Guide to Origami” series:
• see other book reviews