Ok ... so I seriously cannot stop giggling with this little craft project. I hope you have fun with it too!
We're going to make a very basic origami cicada, then you can add a string and make it a climber. Here's what you'll need:
* paper squares (or a rectangle - I'll walk you through how to get a square from your rectangular paper)
* marker (or google eyes, or cut paper circles, whatever you want!)
* yarn or string
* scissors
* glue (any glue will work! I'm using glue stick, you can easily use white glue, tacky glue, or whatever you have)
Prepare your space:
* have an open, clear, flat surface to work on
* have your materials within reach
* keep drinking water nearby
* music? light? whatever makes it your ideal creative workspace, do that!
The work:
* first, if you need to make a square from a rectangle:
* lay your paper in front of you
* fold one corner up to meet the opposite edge, creating a triangle
* crease, then reopen
* fold the other corner on that same short side of the rectangle to meet the opposite edge, creating a triangle.
* crease
* use your scissors to cut the rectangular strip off
Next, Cicada!
* with the color side down, fold your square in half diagonally, creating a triangle. Crease well.
* open, fold the other diagonal, creating a triangle
* with the open point of the triangle facing away from you, fold each corner of the triangle up, creating a square/diamond shape
* fold each loose point at the top of the diamond down and outward, creating wings. Practice symmetry! try to have the two sides as close to the same as possible.
* fold the top layer only of the diamond downward, creating a triangle
* fold the second layer downward, creating a slightly smaller triange
* flip your cicada over (you're almost finished!)
* fold each side in to the center, let them meet at that center line
To make your cicada mobile:
* cut a piece of string (I used 60 inches - figure out what works best for your space and materials!)
* fold string in half
* open wings of cicada, place the string inside so the loop of the string is at the top of the cicada
* glue just the outer edge of the cicada wing down to the body, be sure not to glue the string down
* repeat on the other side
That's it! Hang your cicada up, pull it toward the bottom of the string, then pull the string pieces one side at a time to make your bug climb. Have so much fun!
Extensions:
* experiment with different sized and weights of paper
* experiment with different kinds of string
* read about cicadas and other insects
* experiment with more simple origami
I'd love to see what you make, feel free to send me a note or post in the comments!
Have Fun! Be kind to yourself and each other.