Origami Bonsai Paper

Benjamin Coleman and I go way back to the early days of this blog when I featured the realistic origami bonsai he creates. Always one to come up with fresh ideas, Ben has developed beautiful new designs...

and paper jewelry...

...and unique bonsai arrangements that convey peace and tranquility.

Ben designed a very cool project for the All Things Paper book that will be out next year (I can't wait for you to see it!), but for now I'll introduce you to his latest endeavor...

A sample package of a brand new type of eco-friendly origami paper arrived in my mailbox recently.

Perfect for making his Benagami-style folded flowers, the squares of quality recycled paper are unusual in that they're colored on both sides. Each shaded square is lightly marked for easy cutting into smaller squares; in fact, 168 flowers like this one can be made from a single package.

The two sides of the paper squares are not identical, but this is intentional as you will see when you begin folding... each square is designed to make as realistic a flower as possible. Along with a variety of shaded colors, there are also solid green sheets for leaf making. The papers can be used for other purposes too, such as making tessellations. See examples on the Origami Bonsai Facebook page.

Just think... with enough practice you'll eventually be able to create a bonsai sculpture like this painted beauty as seen in Ben's Etsy shop, Benagami.

Find a wealth of information about origami bonsai on his website, including free magazines, videos, and helpful tips and tricks. Also visit his Amazon site where you'll find all of the Benagami books, instructional DVDs, and new Origami Bonsai paper sampler.