When visiting Evi Binzinger’s flikr page not long ago, I spotted –among other lovely origami models, this swallowtail butterfly that Evi had created. I fell in love with it and immediately set myself the task of deciphering the folding sequence. This sequence turned out to be as enjoyable as looking at the finished butterfly.
With concave wings, the butterfly can be used as a decorative plate to offer candy or other delectable goodies. As a symbol of love and good luck, I also imagine it as a special ornament on a wrapped wedding or anniversary gift .
Evi Binzinger (Germany) creates simple yet ingenious and inspirational models that she generously shares on her flickr page. Many thanks to Evi for allowing me to share here on Origami Spirit a video demonstrating the folding sequence of her precious butterfly.
Evi suggests one possible variation from the butterfly’s base to be folded as a four-leaf clover. I’m sure that if we try, we’ll invite good fortune should we figure this out as well!
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Did it, a little rough (I used a tiny piese of cube paper) But did it! Your tutorials are great! Greetings from Greece
Congratulations on folding the origami butterfly. If you ever post photos of it online, please share the link here!
thank you very much for loading up your beautiful video, leyla!
Keep up your good work Evi!
What a beautiful model! You explained and illustrated the process clearly. Wonderful job of sharing this model with the world! I’m thinking of making a mobile of these!
A mobile…what a good idea for this model!
Beautiful! This one will add to my collection of favourties, which include the origami house and bunny box.
Saw this in creased mag. like the way the back wings are folded and curled. Also can balance on the end of wire or green felt tip pen colored skewer in a pot of flowers. Also like to use chopsticks for display…
Saw this butterfly on flickr a few months ago and fell in love with it, I am so happy to have found your web site and this video (made to house too). Now that I have
managed the butterfly off to try some of your other videos. Thank you so much
and to Evi too!
I’m so excited to have found this article! I will try to make some of these by tomorrow. Do you know Gossip Girl? Serena has this beautiful butterfly installation above her bed made by Paul Villinski. Not sure if I’m allowed to put a link in here, but if you don’t know it you should google it. That’s what I want to re-build. Do you have some advise on the paper to use? Is it possible with every sort of paper? (And please excuse my English, i don’t know when it turned so bad, in school I was quite good at it :D)
Hi Hanna,
Yes, I found the link for the Gossip Girl butterfly installation above her bed… Here it is:
http://www.paulvillinski.com/news/news.html
What a great idea to use this origami butterfly to make your own Serena butterfly installation. Thank you for sharing!
As far as paper goes to make the butterfly, I have used one called “Kami” which is specially for origami, but, ANY kind of thin square piece of paper should be fine.
Here I have a link to a post on 12 types of different found papers.
I am looking forward to seeing your own butterfy installation. Please send me a picture when you make it!
I can’t make it at all.. After 07.37 i just dont have a clue what to do..? Everything gets all wrong..=(
Piękny model, Zaraz go zrobimy, będzie wisiał w naszej pracowni :<)
dziękuję!
Hi Leyla, compliments from Malaysia. Nice piece.
Thank you Edward!
Thank you so much for posting this, Leyla – it’s beautiful and you make it look so easy, even though I’m sure it’s not! Evi has a huge amount of talent to be able to design such an amazing piece.
I’ll give this a try sometime soon. By the way, your voice is very relaxing, it reminds me of my Spanish friend Maria so it makes me smile. :-D
Best wishes from Edinburgh, Scotland. xx
Hi Gill. I hope you got the chance to fold this butterfly. Send us a link to a picture if you did!
Cheers!
Simplemente hermosa
Gracias Yeribel
You do make such a wonderful model simple and fun! Thanks a bunch!
I love this butterfly and have managed most of it but I am stuck on the bottom two wings and how to make them curve – just cant uderstand how to do it.
Hi Judith,
Thank you for your feedback. Some times we just need to step away and go back later if we fail to understand an origami step. Try resting your mind ad give it some time.
its seems easy nd beautiful.
instructions on paper plz!!!
Yipiiee. Thank you for posting how to do that lovely butterfly. Now i have the idea to put the butterfly origami in my portfolio to look more beautiful. Again, thank you. Your videos are great!