Nesting Newbies Magazine (online)

decorating: do over

Symbolic Chandelier Bits and pieces become beautiful with Emily Anderson’s “lazy decorating” approach.

By Emily Anderson Photography by Natalie Wi I have always been entranced by the Japanese aesthetic, and origami is a perfect example of the simple form that I associate with it. In Japanese culture, folding a thousand paper cranes—called senbazuru—is believed to make a person’s dreams come true. The intricate art of folding paper into different shapes is an incredibly practical solution for many things, including interior decorating challenges.

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I have seen origami used in a lot of creative ways—in fashion, jewelry, gift wrappings, and in the home. A few years ago, a bride shared her wedding story with me—her mother-inlaw folded a thousand paper cranes for the wedding, and the party was festooned with these beautiful purple, red, and gold cranes.

After the wedding, the newlywed couple used the cranes to decorate their new home.

I thought I might be able to use this idea to solve a design problem in my own home. For a while, I’ve wanted to replace the overhead light in our entranceway with something more attractive.

I know it’s easy enough to just

replace a ceiling light with a new ceiling light, but I was looking for something a little more creative. Truth be told, I couldn’t find anything

ECO-CHIC HOME: Rethink, Reuse & Remake Your Way to Sustainable Style

By Emily Anderson Photography by Seth and Kendra Smoot Available at Amazon.com The Origami Crane Chandelier is something Emily Anderson created for our spring issue of Nesting Newbies. You’ll find more of her resourceful, chic style in her new book, Eco-Chic Home. Discover ways to put old lamps, extra sheets, mismatched dishes, and fabric scraps to new use in your home.

Emily’s been featured in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, and The Today Show.

Catch a daily dose of her on her blogs—Eco-Chic Weddings and Good with Style.

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I liked that was affordable. So, I decided to try to make an Origami Crane chandelier. It was also a perfect way to make use of other things I had that otherwise might have been tossed in the garbage or taken to recycling.

My own interior design approach is what I like to call “lazy decorating,” because most of the time, the design decisions I make in the home include materials I already have, repurposing them into useful, chic things to add instant style to my space. This project takes used printer paper and wire clothes hangers, and creates something quite elegant and beautiful.

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Emily’s Supply List: • Two wire clothing hangers • Small pliers • Wire snips • Scissors • Silver no-VOC metallic spray paint • Fine gauge copper wire • Forty pieces of paper, 8.5 inches x 8.5 inches • Twenty pieces of colored origami paper, 6 inches x 6 inches • Stapler • Overhead light with a lamp base and end cap

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1. Trim

the pieces so that you

have perfect squares (if you’re using printed paper).

2. Fold the origami cranes. This will take you several hours, so get comfortable. This is a great thing to do while watching TV. Watch the origami video to learn how to make the crane.

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3. Paint the folded paper cranes with silver paint, so you cannot see

6. Repeat

the printing.

semicircles together to make a big c

4. Take

this with the secon

copper wire. the wire hangers apart. You can simply untwist the top to

open.

5. Shape each hanger into a semicircle that is the same size as the

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base of the light fixture. Bend one side of the hanger to create the half circle using a piece of the copper wire to hold the semicircle in place.

Helpful Resources •Finger Magic Origami kits •Hanko Designs Asian rubber stamps, Japanese •Origami, and Washi papers •Origami Bijou Handmade Origami jewelry •Hobby Lobby craft and art supplies 172

7. Attach the paper cranes sid using a stapler.

8. Use the ladder to reach the overhead light, carefully removing the light cover so the lamp rod is exposed. Put the cover to the side. Fasten with another piece of copper wire.

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nd wire hanger, then attach the two

9. Take the frame and create a slight opening in the center by bending

circle. Fasten with another piece of

the wire hanger. Use copper wire to create an opening big enough to ďŹ t over the lamp base keeping it tight enough so that when the end cap is replaced, the frame will be held in place on the light.

10. Put the frame in place and begin adding the rest of the cranes.

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de-by-side to the wire hanger frame

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Essential Folding Tips from Cindy Ng of Girlgami, an Origami Expert

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BE CLEAN! Origami paper likes a flat, clean surface.

Work on an oil-free table or countertop, or even a hardcover book.

FOLD IT, BABY! First impressions are everything! Your origami paper’s very first fold quickly commits to memory, so it helps to be precise and neat. Keep your origami in shape by running your thumbnail along each fold several times.

LOOK AHEAD! Review all the steps before you start folding a model. Then as you’re folding, it helps to keep looking ahead to the next illustration to see what should be created once you have completed the step you are working on.

11. Staple each crane to another crane until you have a chandelier effect.

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BE PLAYFUL, PATIENT, AND PERSISTENT! Don’t take yourself too seriously— otherwise if you do, origami is zero ounces of fun. If you’re feeling frustrated, take a break and come back to it later.

12. Finished.

You are on the path to senbazuru…

may all your do-over dreams come true!

www.DecorMetro.com