Better Living Through Origami: 20 creative paper projects for a beautiful home

“Better Living Through Origami” is a gorgeous guide for creating 20 origami-style projects to beautify your home. The authors, architect Nellianna van den Baard and industrial designer Kenneth Veenenbos, are co-founders of Studio Snowpuppe, a colorful independent studio in The Hague. They bring a modern stylish touch with step-by-step illustrations to projects that include beautiful lampshades, wall art, a cool clock, pretty garlands and decorations, vases, candle holders, plant holders, decorative bowls and more. All are done with readily available paper and card stock, to enable you to create cost-effective amazing designer accents. 5/5 Pub Date 18 Sep 2018 Thanks to F + W Media and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions fully are mine. #BetterLivingThroughOrigami #NetGalley

This is a little different to most origami books I have read as it actually creates items that are both useful and "on trend" for the home. I really loved the lampshades, although I did worry about the flammability of them. I need not have worried as it is all explained further into the book. I love the fact that one can make these wonderful articles for the home, put ones own stamp on them and enhance the look of the home simply and easily. The directions are easy to follow with lots of information about materials etc.

I am one of those kind of people who dabbles in a lot of different crafty pastimes, and was excited to have the chance to read this book. Unfortunately, it was not particularly usable for me. Although I liked many of the projects, they all start with odd shapes on oversized pieces of paper. I wanted to test out one or two of the concepts and determine if I enjoyed making them before committing to creating items that I might actually use as furnishings and decorations in my home. But there was no warm-up projects in this book--nothing that might allow an interested beginner to try some of these folds out using simple supplies that are readily available. If I was already head over heels in love with any of these designs, I would be willing to make the commitment to the projects and find the needed supplies to create a test/sample project and then a final masterpiece. But, since I wasn't already enamored of any of these particular designs, I would rather follow the instructions to fold other decorative items that use more readily available supplies. I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!