Easy Origami Magazine

There’s a brand new papercrafting mag at the newsstand (real and virtual): Easy Origami, from Future Publishing. It is designed for the origami newbie, but has plenty to keep those more experienced in the craft engaged and entertained (a bit like those Pixar kiddie movies, with jokes in for the parents). 

This title has got the mix just right. It is bright and appealing, with lovely (and fun) step-by-step projects, interviews with origami movers and shakers, internet links to follow up on – and  (tah dah): a beautiful collection of 15 double-sided patterned papers for folding. Plus, some free downloads (bottomless paper!).

The choice of projects is just great – you’ll want to try them all. (My personal favourites are the Carambola Flowers by Maria Sinayskaya, the snowy bunny (cover stars), the Song Bird by Sok Song (so very graceful - and very different from the usual flapping crane), and the Gift Bags with the pointy envelope flaps  (and button embellishment). See – I couldn’t narrow it down to just one or even two projects! The projects are all step-by-step: folding diagrams and/or photo tuts, as appropriate.

There’s an interview with Leyla Torres, she of the wonderful Origami Spirit blog: http://www.origamispirit.com/ (Q & A interviews with other notable origamists, too – Hannah Ashwell, who works in fabric; and Michael Trew, who creates models for advertising and promotions.) You will also find plenty of book leads to pursue.

Up front, you'll find an origami shop window, featuring not (as you'd expect) materials for making origami, but instead origami-inpsired gift merch. Lovely, affordable gift merch. Nice. 

Easy Origami would make an ideal stocking filler for kids (plenty of models to keep boys interested – paper plane, animals) or adults. (Might be a an idea to look into a subs, as a bigger gift!)

Future Publishing has been coming out with lots of lovely crafty “bookazines” lately. I’m a happy bunny (like the paper models on the Easy Origami cover).  You can check these craft titles out on the My Favourite Magazines website: http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/

For an origami book with geek appeal, here’s an earlier review of mine:
http://thepapercraftpost.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/book-review-folding-paper-infinite.html 

If you have a pukka interest in origami, consider joining the British Origami Society. They have active local groups, hold conventions, have an online shop for members with supplies and downloads, and the BOS magazine (material contributed by group members) is great:
http://www.britishorigami.info/ 

Happy folding!