November 11th is World Origami Day, and I recall my dad folding paper cleverly into cranes (the bird), outfits (a shirt, some pants, frocks, and more), boats, and of course, fortune tellers or cootie catchers. I realize I never asked him where he learned all that (in the age of way-before-the-internet) or maybe he told me and I don’t recall now. But anyways, I have both fond and fun origami memories, and wanted to see if I could incorporate one of them – the fortune teller – to unfold a little origami poetry magic today.

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Poetic Sundays: Unfold a Little Magic with Origami Poetry

When I looked for ideas to blend the two, I was inspired by Leila Chattie’s Cootie Catcher. So here it is for you with tips and ideas to make it your own

Step 1: Make Your Origami Poetry Base: The Fortune-Teller!

Fold the paper into a classic fortune teller shape (sometimes called a “cootie catcher”). If you need instructions, check out the step-by-step photo tutorial and/or wikihow video below. If you already know, then move on to step 2!

Step 2: Write Your Poetry

If you have played with these as a child, you know there are three stages to it – the outer square (4 count), the middle triangle(8 count), and the inner triangles (8 count). Keeping that in mind, let us write down three lists of words/phrases to use for each of these.

Here is the list I used: (feel free to use words/phrases in any combination you want your poem to be. Quirky nouns and verbs and phrases/ sweet ones / and so on)

• Outer Words: Spark, Wiggle, Zing, Snuggle
• Middle Phrases:
  • that dances in your heart
  • with a sprinkle of magic
  • adding sparkle to the ordinary
  • like a breeze on a sunny day
  • leaving you grinning wide
  • just because life needs it
  • for no reason at all
  • making every moment brighter
• Inner Phrases:
  • in places you least expect
  • with a dash of sass
  • just because it can
  • adding pep to the day
  • wrapped in a cozy hug
  • that sneaks up on you
  • like a mini firework
  • with a hint of mischief

Write Down Your Lists of Words and Phrases

For example: you could use ‘hope’ as one of the words for the first stage; the phrase ‘a little light inside’ in one of the middle triangles; and another phrase ‘to bloom into sunshine’ in one of the inner triangles. So depending on how you unfold/play with this, you could end up with the line/stanza – ‘Hope, a little light inside, to bloom into sunshine’.

And your choice of words/phrases as well as chance/luck of the game will lead to different combinations and a different poem each time. You can choose to keep playing to add lines to your poem, or stop at one or two to keep it short and sweet.

Add Them to Your Fortune Teller/Cootie Catcher

• Inside each of the OUTER four flaps, write one of the words/phrases you picked for the first stage of this origami poetry play. You can number these four (to play the game, or if you are using short words, then you can use the spelling itself)
• Next, on the MIDDLE triangles, write the phrases/words from that list. Also number these eight 1 through 8 if you have phrases/lines instead of single words written on them.
• Lastly, fill in the INNER triangles with your pre-decided phrases/words/lines.

Optional: Add Colors or Decorations:

• Use colored pens or pencils to decorate the outer flaps or add a little flair around the words. This gives a pop of personality and helps each part stand out as it’s revealed.

Step 3: Use Your Origami Poetry Fortune Teller

1. Choose a Starting Point:
   • Have someone (or yourself) pick one of the words/phrases on the outer flaps.
2. Unfold and Reveal the Poem:
   • Using that choice, open the fortune teller back and forth as you spell the word (or number) out, then read the flap you end with to reveal the next phrase/line of poetry.
   • Then pick any number from the middle triangles and open that one to reveal the next word/phrase beneath that number in the inner triangle.
   • Continue playing as long as you want (your poem to be)!

This blends creativity with a bit of surprise and leaves you with a fun, interactive poem. Each unfolding is a moment of discovery, adding magic to the simplicity of paper and words. Enjoy creating and sharing the magic of your origami poetry!

My Origami Poetry

Spark / with a dash of sass / for no reason at all
Spark / with a hint of wit / like you are a breeze on a sunny day
Spark / adding pep to your day / just because life needs it.

Here, I picked the same starting word each time. And ended in different middle triangles. Then, picked a different number each time for varied inner phrases.

Tips and More

Of course, I could choose to add end phrases that rhyme (a little) and have similar sized words/phrases so I could have a poem with rhyme and rhythm in the end, or leave it varied to make it more like free verse.

You could also attempt another origami pieces and blend them with poetry in your own way. Like write down lines of a poem you wrote for someone line by line onto a origami piece of your choice (one line for each fold/unfolding). You can then give it to them as a surprise or part of a gift, and watch the magic unfold!

Recently

On My Blog

So here are the posts since (and including) my last scribblings….

• Walls Fall, Hope Rises: A Dreamer of Freedom and More
• Exploring the Beauty of the In-Between and Beyond
• Lessons from Kung Fu Panda on Belonging and More
• Friendly Ghosts in Books! and More Great Halloween Reads
• Sunday Scribblings #200: Born of a Love of the List

And the Homefront

Of course, we had endless discussions among ourselves and with other family members and friends over the outcome of the elections. And wondering how/why/how/why did this happen (still)….?

Upcoming

On My Blog and Home Front

I hope to add a few more posts and try something new as well this week. Let us see how that goes. As for the homefront, not much going on this week except some more discussions for sure and some more wondering. Though we have rains in the forecast (well, just one day).

This Week’s Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)

• Literary birthdays this week include: Kurt Vonnegut, Carlos Fuentes on Nov 11th; DeWitt Wallace on Nov 12th; Robert Louis Stevenson on the 13th of Nov; and Astrid Lindgren on Nov 14th; Astrid Lindgren and Gary Provost on the 14th of November;  Marianne Moore on 15th Nov; Chinua Achebe on Nov 16th; Christopher Paolini on the 17th of November
• Nov 12th is National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
• John Riddle of Delaware started I Love to Write Day – to be celebrated annually on November 15

Foodie Celebrations

• It is National Sundae Day on Nov 11th
• Followed by National French Dip Day on the 12th of November
• The 13th is National Indian Pudding Day
• 14th Nov happens to be National Pickle Day and National Spicy Guacamole Day as well as World Diabetes Day
• November 14th is National Spicy Guacamole Day as well as National Pickle Day.
• The 15th of November brings change to our tastebuds with National Bundt (Pan) Day, National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day, and National Raisin Bran Cereal Day
• National Fast Food Day is on November 16th followed by some sweetness on
• The 17th with National Baklava Day, and it is also National Homemade Bread Day

Other Celebrations

• Nov 11th is Veterans Day as well as Remembrance Day as well as World Quality Day. It is also World Origami Day.
• World Kindness Day is on the 13th of Nov.
• Children’s Day is celebrated on the 14th of November in India. It is also International Girls Day and Loosen Up Lighten Up Day
• Nov 15th happens to be National Philanthropy Day as well as National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day and America Recycles Day. It is also National Ample Time Day.
• The 16th of November observes International Day for Tolerance. It is also Guinness World Records Day
• Nov 17th is National Take A Hike Day.

Wrapped Up: My Sunday Scribblings

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. Will you be attempting the origami poetry? And, as always, do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month?

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon.