Friedrich Fröbel (1782-1852), educator, crystallographer, and originator of the kindergarten concept, was one of the first to point to the creation of folded patterns like these featured here. Using white paper only, Fröbel created his own unique collection of folded forms of beauty, as he called them.
In the book Extreme Origami author Kunihiko Kasahara displays and discusses a small collection of colorful square patterns made from the windmill base, also known as “Fröbel’s basic form”. Kasahara goes on to point out that it is possible to make infinite variations from this basic fold by slightly changing the way the top flaps of this base are folded.
Taking inspiration from Fröbel’s work, I have folded about five hundred variations myself. What fascinated me in these forms was their graphic potential as individual images. Working in black and white appealed to me for simplifying the examination of structure and essence and the play of positive and negative in these forms.
Click to view a collection of about 500 diferent variations.
Video demonstration on how to fold the windmill base and four variations.
- Read a great article written by David Lister (British Origami Society) about Froebelian folding.
- Here is a link to Ilan Garibi’s flikr page. He has his own colorful collection of Froebel’s forms. He also shows an alphabet based on these forms.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Your collection is amazing! How many of them did you have?
Thank you Dasa. I’ve folded about 500 hundred. I show most of them in the gallery page of this website. http://www.origamispirit.com/atc-gallery/
Amazing and so much more beautiful for being in black and white.
Also, as simple as these variations might be, it has been a great opportunity to learn about the language of folding, which I have applied in the creation of other models.
Link to Garib’s site did not work…
and please how i make the “heart with frame”?
Please give me link or … for diagram!
Thanks!
Link to Garibi’s page should be working now.
Heart frame by Mike Van Horne video, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvorigami/4354041279/in/set-72157608723183062/
Leyla, congratulations on the video. I loved it. I also enjoyed the album. Pretty much your work. Kisses.
thank you very much for your beautiful work, leyla! froebel is very inspiring!
Thank you for your visit Evi. Your work is an inspiration too. I can see how it has been inspired by Fröbel’s basic form!
Too funny! The Origami Spirit is in flight!
Just posted these last nite then find your link this morning!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57177822@N05/6927406549/in/photostream/