Extreme Origami

Book excerpt: Won Park has taken the ancient art of origami to a whole new level. Using American currency, Park transforms dollar bills into creative works of art. He relies on the fibrous quality of the paper to fold, bend and twist hundreds of times per model without tearing. With no cutting and no pasting, Park is able to incorporate the details on the bills into his model designs. His signature koi fish is folded in such a way that the patterns on the dollar bill become the scales on the fish, and even the facial features fall in exactly the right place. His designs include a wide array of vehicles, animals, and mythical creatures. In this book, step-by-step instructions are provided for 20 distinct models that are bound to challenge even the most proficient folders. The challenge includes a Formula 1 race car, a toilet, a butterfly, a koi fish, a scorpion, a sea turtle, a fox, an ox, a marlin, a car, a praying mantis, a dragon, a spider, a stag beetle, a stegosaurus, a bat, Pegasus, a fighter jet, a battle tank, and a pig. All models can be made with either one or two dollar bills. Why worry about the declining value of the U.S. dollar? Follow the instructions in this book, and you can transform your dollars into works of art!