October 13, 2011

How to make origami bats

Wet-fold realistic 3D bats for Halloween! Michael LaFosse has a video demonstration at the Peabody Essex Museum's origami site. To get to the bat video, click "Fold more models," then "Origami Now" and you'll see the "Happy Goodluck Bat." (They will ward off the zombies and vampires that might try to get you.) Click the bat picture.

Even if you don't make any bats yourself, it's mesmerizing to watch an expert do origami. He makes it look so easy, with none of the consternation, fumbling, and frustrated sighs I like to incorporate into my origami attempts.

32 comments:

  1. Grandma GOctober 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    Aww, make a video of your fumbling. It'd be so much more realistic! ;)

    Mum

    ReplyDelete
  2. Phoebe Dancing CatOctober 13, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    Wow!

    Those origami bats look delicious! Uh...I mean...well made. ^~~^

    http://phoebedancingcat.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jessica JonesOctober 13, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    Hey, that reminds me. I ate bat once.

    We met a Tibetan couple at Kinkos a few years ago, and they invited us to a Tibetan celebration. Fun. Then they invited us to a barbecue in their back yard, where they grilled lots of interesting things. I was offered a charred thing with tiny bones and not much meat, which our friend said was bat (purchased in Chinatown). It tasted like chicken.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grandma GOctober 13, 2011 at 11:15 AM

    EEEUUUWWWWWWW!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. (lia)October 13, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    So awesome. I wish he told us what the NAME of that type of paper is. He talks a lot about its properties but doesn't say what it actually IS! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jessica JonesOctober 13, 2011 at 11:29 AM

    I know! The wet-folding link has some info about paper types (including a common Canson watercolor brand), but I wanted Mr. LaFosse to say, "This is XYZ paper that I bought at ABC place."

    ReplyDelete
  7. AlexaOctober 13, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    The narwhal is AWESOME, too, but definitely NOT for beginners. For beginners and those folding for small children, try the penguin. He uses "story-gami" to demonstrate it, making it much easier to remember the method.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rose ClearfieldOctober 13, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    Fun tutorial! I'm sure that I would be fumbling, too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mo IronportOctober 13, 2011 at 1:29 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. rilojaneOctober 13, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    I love these!! I can't get the video to play all the way through and it's killing me!!
    Thanks for the link. Hopefully I'll get my internet up to snuff and get the whole thing to play right. :-/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Papilio polyxenaOctober 13, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    I made a lotus using this site. Not too shabby considering I used office paper. :) Not even going to try the bat. My lotus doesn't look perfect, so I would hate to see what my bat looked like.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jessica JonesOctober 13, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    Well, I think mutant bats would still say "Halloween."

    ReplyDelete
  13. MariyaOctober 13, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    Grandiosely! My kids will love

    ReplyDelete
  14. SharonOctober 13, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    Okay that is awesome. I'm trying this. I love an origami challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Lost WerebunnyOctober 13, 2011 at 3:55 PM

    I love Halloween and I love bats! I'll try making these. :)

    And congratulations on Blogs of Note!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jessica JonesOctober 13, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    Um, thanks! What's Blogs of Note?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Grandma GOctober 13, 2011 at 5:15 PM

    Only a blog that Blogger thinks is awesome enough to point out to everybody. Not a biggie. ;)

    I believe you can find it on a tab on your Blogger dashboard.

    Mum/proudagain!

    ReplyDelete
  18. BeltaOctober 13, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    Wow!
    Origami" is one of Japan's unique traditional arts.

    I have been familiar with origami since my childhood.

    "Happy Goodluck Bat"is so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  19. SurviorsOctober 14, 2011 at 2:21 AM

    yes!make a video..

    ReplyDelete
  20. SurviorsOctober 14, 2011 at 2:22 AM

    yes!make a video..

    ReplyDelete
  21. hebdenjoyOctober 14, 2011 at 3:27 AM

    Your blog has a great look !

    ReplyDelete
  22. JessicaOctober 14, 2011 at 4:18 AM

    I really love these bats - though I don't think my origami is up to doing them justice... anyone else tried yet?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Frieda AndersonOctober 14, 2011 at 7:18 AM

    I love Halloween stuff. Very fun.

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousOctober 14, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    how cute

    ReplyDelete
  25. CaseyOctober 14, 2011 at 5:20 PM

    I'd love to make a bunch of these and string them up on a garland! I'll try making one when I get home and see if making multiples will be feasible, or even possible! I was hoping the instructor described the type of paper in the video. It looks like I may have to experiment a little bit. Thanks for the link!

    ReplyDelete
  26. David RussoOctober 14, 2011 at 10:44 PM

    Nice Bats!

    http://www.comicdaverusso.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. AMROctober 15, 2011 at 6:19 PM

    Love the bat!
    This is long but names a couple sources for paper...including Michael LaFosse/Origamido Studio.
    http://www.langorigami.com/info/paper/wetfolding_papers.php4

    ReplyDelete
  28. CarolynOctober 16, 2011 at 1:17 AM

    i LOVE this!

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousOctober 17, 2011 at 8:17 AM

    As of now, I've got a plain white origami bat keeping me company in the office. Love it! But it took a lot of skipping back and rewatching to do it.

    Did it with a thinner, dry paper btw. Works, but it won't harden.

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousOctober 17, 2011 at 8:18 AM

    As of now, I've got a plain white origami bat keeping me company in the office. Love it! But it took a lot of skipping back and rewatching to do it.

    Did it with a thinner, dry paper btw. Works, but it won't harden.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Jessica JonesOctober 17, 2011 at 11:33 AM

    Cool: Casey Starks just shared some newly folded bats with me on Twitter. Have a peek!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Origami DragonNovember 3, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    I should have seen this before halloween. What a great work!

    ReplyDelete