Snowflakes, Sunbursts, and Stars: 75 Exquisite Paper Designs to Fold, Cut, and Curl

This gorgeous volume offers readers everything they need to know to capture, in paper, the perfect geometry and delicate beauty of snowflakes, sunbursts, and stars. Ayako Brodek (Origami and Kirigami) and Shannon Voigt (Quilling), two of today’s leading papercrafters, provide all the techniques for creating seventy-five exquisite shapes that can then be used to fashion a multitude of decorative and practical pieces.

The book opens with an overview of the three different styles and goes on to explain, in detail, the core techniques of each. Step-by-step photos complement the instructional text, covering paper selection, fundamental skills, and tools. The next section is organized by style (Origami, Kirigami, Quilling), with designs for the three motifs, as well as twenty-five projects for each style.

The last section is an Inspiration Gallery, with beautiful, full-color photographs showcasing the finished works and providing a list of supplies and detailed instructions. Here the reader will learn how to use strings or ribbons to turn their crafted shapes into gift tags and toppers, napkin rings, and garlands; how to paste their snowflakes, sunbursts, and stars onto greeting cards, canvas bags, glass, etc. Also in this section are instructions for making stencils and wearable art such as earrings, pins, and other accessories.

Ayako Brodek’s love of origami began when she was a little girl growing up in Japan. After moving to the United States, her fascination with origami continued and she founded OriCraft (www.oricraft.com) to introduce her work to a wider audience. She has since embraced a variety of paper arts, and works to design paper creations that can be loved and used in everyday life, exploring ways to combine paper crafts with other craft techniques. She is the author of Origami Jewelry, published by Kodansha in 2007, and The New Encyclopedia of Origami and Papercraft Techniques (Running Press, 2011).

Ever since she was young, Shannon Voigt has had a passion for creating. Consequently, she taught herself a wide variety of skills including cake decorating, quilting, crocheting/knitting, cross-stitching, and quilling. In 2008, she took up quilling again, and began selling quilled snowflakes in her Etsy shop, ForeverFiligree. Her snowflakes have sold all around the world and were used in Jockey International’s 2011 Holiday Catalog and Sundance’s 2012 Holiday Catalog. This is her first book. Visit her Etsy shop at http://foreverfiligree.etsy.com.