This initiative is an opportunity for u3a members to show off the wide variety of crafting skills that exist across the membership. We are kicking things off with a focus on the many creative uses of paper. From the art of Kirigami to Paper Marbling. Each month we will be sharing examples, guidance and tutorials on how to get started in these innovative craft forms, and showcasing your creations from across the membership. Why not get your u3a craft group involved and learn a new crafting skill together?
If you are already well practised in any form of papercraft or have an idea for the next craft skill we can showcase, then please get in touch at
Below are examples of Kirigami, alongside a couple of templates and a tutorial guide to get you started.
Special thanks to Bob Hunt of Forest Town & District u3a for providing the below materials, including a guide on how to get started in Kirigami -
How to get started - Kirigami - First steps (418.25 KB)
The template for two of the designs are available above as downloads for you to try at home. Bob also recommends using Pinterest to find Kirigami templates and amazingpopup.com to purchase books of templates.
See below some more examples:
Rosemary Gibb of Rugby u3a
Recently I rediscovered a book called Fractal Cuts which showed how to transform flat paper into pop-up cards using only cuts and folds with nothing added or removed. It was tricky to light "Hanoi Arête", with its four generations of fractals developed from squares, once I had managed to change my cartridge rectangle into this design.
So why not give Kirigami a try! Send in your creations here.