Mastering origami can be a challenging process that takes quite a few years, but learning to create simple origami is a fun activity that nearly anyone can do. This article contains the instructions to a very simple origami design, the whirling bird. Before you get started, it’s a good idea to go to your local art store and buy some origami paper. While any kind of paper can be used, origami paper is designed to form crisp, sharp folds, and is often precut into the perfect square shape that most origami designs require. However, if you don’t feel like purchasing this specialized paper, a cut down piece of construction paper should also suffice.

Starting with your square of paper, the following steps will help you create an origami whirling bird:

1. Lay your paper flat and point one of the corners up. Fold your paper in half so that it forms two triangles.
2. Fold it in half again, forming two smaller right triangles. Open it up again so that it is the triangle from the end of step one with a crease down the middle.
3. Now, fold the top of the triangle down past the baseline of the model. The tip of the triangle should now be sticking out from under the bottom edge. Leave this fold in place.
4. Fold the entire model in half, so that it vaguely resembles a wing with a small tail underneath it.
5. Rotate the model 90 degrees so that it is standing up, i.e., so that the “tail” now becomes a head pointing to the side and the wings are pointing upwards.
6. Fold down the top flap or wing on either side, ensuring that he fold is parallel with the smaller “head” of the twirling bird.
7. Now, fold the wings of your bird back up at diagonal so that they sit horizontally. The end result should look similar to a paper airplane.
8. Now your twirling bird is complete! You can now throw it like a paper plane and it will descend by tumbling in circles.

Creating origami is just one of the many ways that our residents can unwind at their Alachua apartment. For more information about our community amenities or available units, contact One 51 Place by filling out a contact us form on this website or calling out leasing office today.