Origami Christmas Tree

My Origami Christmas Nativity

Back in the 1980s, I developed a fascination with origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding to create animals, stars, designs and other objects with the simple technique of folding paper, without tape, glue or staples. One of the years, in 1983 I created a small tree with cranes, (symbols of peace) as well as a Nativity display, which I used to decorate the parish office for the years I was assigned there, at Holy Spirit, New Hyde Park, NY. 

The Christmas Tree with cranes

This included the holy family, three camels and kings, 4 chicks, a donkey, a cow and a deer, some trees and mountain scene, besides a few colored boxes. I was further inspired by a huge Christmas Tree set up in the Japan Airlines office in Manhattan, decorated by ornaments created by children from around the USA. Every ornament had to be placed strategically in place, tied with a piece of wire, as you can see from the photo below. The photos are not the best, as this was before digital photos appeared.