Making Origami Fabric
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Fabric Origami | All Access | 168
Trial & Error
STEP-BY-STEP
Choose a piece of fabric and cut a square at least 1⁄2” wider
than your intended final measurements. Don’t worry if it’s not
a perfect square yet; that will come later. Take your flat plastic
surface and lay the fabric on top.
TIP: Only use plastic that is clean, flat, and without any writing
or patterns, or it may transfer onto your fabric!
Once your piece is dry, it’s time to cut your perfect square. Use
a rotary cutter or even an extra sharp paper cutter to cut your
fabric to your desired size.
Take a glue, like Stiffy or Mod Podge, and pour a small amount
onto your fabric. Use the glue sparingly, spreading it over your
fabric with a brush or finger, and saturate your fabric. Leave your
fabric to dry flat on the plastic surface. Once dry, your fabric
should be stiff enough to hold a shape, but pliable enough to fold.
Most origami requires a perfect square shape to accomplish the
folding techniques, so cut carefully! To make sure you have a
perfect square, fold your square in half, diagonally. If the corners
match without excess fabric, you have yourself a perfect square.
It’s very important to experiment with different kinds of fabric
stiffener and with fabric scraps before using your special, hard
to find fabric.
For example, one type of glue or stiffener might not have the
finish you’re looking for. Using starch will make your fabric
stiff, but will also make it dull. If you use silk, expect the glue to
darken the color.