Tomoko Fuse's Origami Boxes

Starred review from April 2, 2018
Origami master Fuse’s brilliant book is an almost wordless pictorial road map to creating palm-size paper boxes and containers. At first glance, the projects look daunting: the layout combines limited text with a series of step-by-step diagrams, accompanied by photos of the finished products made of paper in a variety of vibrant colors and patterns. Fuse starts with the traditional Matsu box, a simple four-sided square box folded from a single sheet of paper, then follows with instructions for the lid. Each successive box is made with additional folds to form a variety of different shapes—triangles, rectangles, pyramid shapes, and octagonal boxes with extravagant lids made of several paper sizes folded into the shape of elaborate flowers. With clearly drawn instructions and photographed finished projects, the book is an excellent introduction to an ancient art form.

March 15, 2018
Fuse, author of several books on origami, is considered a master of the art. Here she focuses on paper gift boxes designed to fit into one's palm and to be as much gift as whatever is placed inside. The designs are meant to be doable using a variety of types of paper, from copy paper to standard origami sheets to thicker sheets that will be stronger. After a guide that shows the origami symbols and basic folds, the more than three-dozen projects are divided into three categories: simple boxes made using square sheets, modular boxes made using multiple square sheets, and modular boxes made using rectangular sheets. Even the most basic of the projects is impressive, and as Fuse points out, simpler designs are perfectly suited to show off specialtyprinted paper. The instructions are presented in a numbered sequence of visual symbols with occasional text accompanying, and each project lists the standard-size sheet for it. A terrific guide to learning or practicing origami.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)