Giant Origami Pyramids Passover Centerpiece
With Passover starting on Wednesday night, now is a great time to get the family busy with some simple decorations to help make things a bit more cheerful than they might be, sigh. Those who might generally opt for a very elegant Passover table are likely going simple this year as well, and these origami pyramids can of course also be made from metallic paper which could be that perfect combination of elegant and crafty.
I am re-posting this craft from a few years back as I am busy getting the house and the kitchen, and for the first time in years, even my studio, clean and organized and ready for Passover. This year I am displaying some shells and driftwood from my collection as a reference to the splitting of the Red Sea, and had planned on doing a bunch of fish origami (which we started but have not finished) to complete the sea theme, but there just may not be time for that after all…….I have upcycled a pyramid shaped clear plastic box that held chocolates from Purim, and filled it with white pom poms, and that may be as crafty as I’ll get. With no young children at our seder, the need for fun crafts is quite low, a better use of my time is getting my stuff organized! (There is nothing quite like the deep house cleaning of Passover to get one moving with all the de-cluttering!)
Origami and geometric shapes are still popular, so origami pyramids for your Passover table seem oh so perfect! Since the Passover seder recounts the story of Jewish slavery and redemption in Egypt these colorful origami pyramid reminders are so fitting— an interesting combination of solemn and cheerful! Best of all, once you get the idea you can make as many as you need.
Depending on how large you choose to make them, you could put one on each plate, or make a row of them down the center of the table for a truly gorgeous presentation that will certainly set the stage! And if the bright colors don’t quite match your idea of an elegant Passover table, how about making them in metallic gold, now that could be stunning!
Now I must tell you my friends, I searched long and hard on the internet for the perfect origami pyramid, and even tried out a few versions. Many were very complicated and the results were a tiny tiny pyramid that was hardly worth the effort, others consisted of multiple pieces of paper and were also too problematic.
So while this pyramid does not have a bottom panel, (as you can see in the photo above) meaning it’s less stable and you can’t say hang it as a mobile, it is simple to make, and simple is really all we have time for just now, right? And after the seder is over you can quite simply stack them as you’re clearing off the table, until you figure out whether to save them or not…..certainly a plus!
You’ll Need:
- Large origami paper, at least 20 x 20 cm, or letter sized or A4 sized sheets of paper which you’ll cut into perfect squares. Origami is generally done with very thin paper due to the number of folds necessary, but since this pyramid doesn’t require so many folds, you can also use heavier paper, especially if you decide to make some really large pyramids from poster sized sheets
- Glue dots, or double stick tape to help the origami shape stay together. I know this renders it not really origami, but you gotta do what you gotta do! I used Aleene’s tacky dot singles, so convenient!
- a bone folder, very optional, a credit card or a pencil work well too for creasing….though I see that origami experts use only their fingers
- The instructions, found here. Just checked the link and it is very hard to see, so take a look at this video instead. Try this when you can fully concentrate on the instructions, even this simple origami pyramid took me a few tries to get!
How To:
Fold paper according to instructions. If necessary, use glue dots or tiny pieces of double stick tape to hold down the corners on the outside of the shape. Make a ton, the more the better!
