Trying Tuesday

I’m starting this Trying Tuesday with keyboard problems.  It’s very…trying.

 

I was struggling to think of what I should try to today.   So I thought big.  Or at least, try something I’ve done small…big.  I have a certain origami pattern memorized.  Mostly because I did it again and again when I was trying to de-stress at work.  I don’t know what the technical name is…but I call it “Big Blow Up Cube.”

 

Also, I own wrapping paper.  Always prepared, this one.

 

 

Obviously, you have to make a square:

 

 

And then cut it out:

 

 

Now fold it diagonally the other way:

 

 

Now fold it hot dog (hamburger? does it matter if it’s a square?) both ways:

 

 

Now is probably the hardest (maybe second hardest) bit.  It’s much easier to think through on a smaller piece of paper first and then try to replicate it on the very large piece of paper you’re dealing with.  Kind of grab the sides and squish it in together?  Think of it as a brain teaser.  You can do it.

 

 

Pretty tricky.  Now you’ll take the bottom right of the pyramid (Christmas tree?  weird shape?) and fold it so it touches the top corner (where you’d put the star on top of the Christmas tree):

 

 

Also, fold the left tip the same way (except it will touch the right tip in the middle making a diamond shape).  Then flip the shape over and do it on the other side:

 

 

Once that’s done, you’ll have a nice diamond shape.  Then take the corner on the right and fold it in so it hits the very center of the diamond:

 

 

Do that on all sides and you’ll end up with something looking like this:

 

 

At the top, there are two corners that are un-attached.  Fold them down to meet the corners of the other flaps:

 

 

Do that on both sides.  You’re going to need to tuck them into the flap, which is totally easier if you bend them over the flap first to make a crease:

 

 

Do that on all sides and it will look like this (the same as before!  But now with things in pockets!):

 

 

Now we do more creasing.  You see those top and bottom diamonds?  We’re going to crease them both directions as firmly as possible (pro-tip use your fingernails or a sharp object):

 

 

 

Here’s the hardest (or second hardest?)  part.  There’s a hole in one end.  When you make tiny ones, you can blow in it and you have a cube!  Ummm, it’s not so easy with giant cube.  Sadly.

 

 

So what I ended up doing was pulling carefully at the sides and getting seriously frustrated with the wrapping paper for not being strong enough.  But I got there…eventually:

 

 

Here’s what I learned:

1.  Wrapping paper is not strong.
2. Making things bigger is hard.
3. I really like my hands.

 

-Smudged