Thursday, March 12, 2015

Orchid Origami Paper Review

I love to make things; it doesn't matter what it is. Chances are if it is DIY or crafty, I will give it a shot. So reviewing Orchid Origami Paper seemed like something I would naturally want to do. It has been many years since I even attempted the art of paper folding known as origami, but with the plethora of YouTube videos out there, I figured this would be something the kids and I could do together. Watch a video, fold some paper, and have something really awesome to show for it.


The company gave me a code to order from Amazon so that I could review this product and it arrived in record time. I admit I have Prime and most of my purchases are here in no time at all, but this one seemed to get here faster than usual. (I tend to stalk the mailman when I know something is coming but this arrival caught me off guard.)

Each pack contains 500 sheets of 6x6 paper in a variety of colors. The bright colored papers in each set are very pretty; however, I found that the softer and more pastel colors almost seemed as though they were faded and washed out.

I got right on YouTube to find a video to show me how to make something. My first attempt was pretty much what would be considered an epic fail. In fact, when I sent the picture to Boxy, she asked if the kids had been making something. I was struggling with the folding of the paper and getting it just right. While it would be nice to be able to blame my failure on the thickness of the papers, honestly I think it truly is just my own inexperience with the art and not the paper's fault. I had big expectations for myself with the first thing I attempted to make and it was simply just too hard for me. 

Once I stepped back for a minute and took a breath, I decided to set myself up at the kitchen table instead of on the floor in the living room things. That's when things started to go better. One of the things that you need to know about origami is that it requires crisp folds most of the time and if you aren't working on a solid surface, you aren't going to get the crease you need. Once I was set up at the kitchen table, my youngest asked me to make a paper airplane. I sighed because I wanted something more exciting to come from my project but I obliged him and found a video for an origami airplane. Success! It turned out so much better than the more complicated first project I attempted. It also confirmed that it was not the paper's fault that my project failed; it was me.

After the airplane, I made a flower and a little chair (at the request of the three-year-old again). They both turned out really well.

I would say my biggest complaint about this set of paper is simply that the lighter colors in the pack seem washed out. It also only comes with one pattern design for you to make a star. I would love to see them include maybe a small booklet with the paper with some more basic designs to help those of us out who are beginners.

We still have a ton of paper left and hopefully the bigger kids and I will be able to make some really neat creations soon. Be sure to check out our Instagram account to see any new projects we create. 

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