Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #4 - Puff Bunnies!!

Hello EVERYBODY!!! It's that time again... the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers is hosting Challenge #4 and this week it is: "F" is for Fancy Fold ... Create something using a fancy fold or some kind of folding technique and link it up to this week's challenge to be elligible to win the awesome "Queen of Snark" or "Princess of Snark" blinky for your blog (grin).  You have until April 4th to link up for this particular challenge.

Now folding is way outside my box, but a brief search requesting "folding videos" took me to a whole SWACK of origami sites with wonderful instructions, even for beginners like me. And with  Spring in the air how could I NOT pick these super cute, not too-hard-to-make PUFF BUNNIES!

And the really fun part is that after you have made all the folds, you get to inflate your bunny like a balloon.... hence the term Puff Bunny! Here are even MORE photos!

They were so easy make, and so addictively satisfying that what started out as one Puff Bunny soon became a Couple, then a Family, then Several Families, then a Neighborhood and now I'm being OVERRUN! Help Meeeeee!!! (grin)

But these little cuties gave me a use for all those pompoms and googly eyes I bought at the dollar store last year (grin), although they are even totally cute "naked" (well you HAVE to give it a cotton-tail ...smile)

The folding was pretty simple, especially with these wonderful printable instructions I found at a site called Origami Fun  (links to PDF instructions HERE).  The most difficult part was figuring out the "pockets" you need to tuck your flap into, so I have photographed it for you below. 

Fold top flaps in two steps, first stright down and then over to create the tabs (see below)

 

Open up the "pocket" using something like a bone folder

tuck tab into pocket - on each side

And after making many, many bunnies here are all my folding tips:

1. Start LARGE... the smaller the bunny the harder it is to fold.

2. Use perfectly square sheets of thin paper, scrapbooking paper is not ideal but the really thin paper works better than the thicker paper.  I will be looking for true Origami paper in the future.

3. Fold carefully and exactly, trimming after the first folds if the paper isn't exactly square.  The more clean and crisp your folds the more perfect your bunny will turn out.

4. Use the edge of your fingernail or a bone folder after every fold step to help to make your creases very flat. 

5. When you are folding the ears down (step 15) start at the point near the nose using your fingernail to make a small crease at the "point" then fold your paper from that place allowing the fold to follow it's natural angle away from the body... this will create lovely perfect ears.

Here is the bunny, with ears unfolded, just before you puff him up

6. When you have completed all the folding steps you need to Puff Out your bunny by holding the bottom two flaps, one in each hand and putting your DRY lips on its nose and giving a very sharp "puff" of air to inflate your bunny... you may need to do this a second time to get your bunny to fully inflate.

I am providing my paper measurements for you:

6" squares = Dad, 5" Squares = Mom, 4" squares= big sister, 3.5" squares = baby brother

Well Thanks for "Hopping" by today to see my stuff... I hope you like them enough to try to make one or two yourself. (Smile)

Scrapbook Lynne