“The June”
This beautiful butterfly is named for our longtime friend, and tireless volunteer and organizer for Origami USA, and now co-owner of the Mountain-Valley Paper Company in South San Francisco, California.
Through June, we are reminded of the complex, mysterious richness of Japan. Despite strong forces of time and circumstance, her embodiment of the subtle strength of Japan keeps reminding us about a different way, a better way. While so many people just watch, June will put on the Kimono and make sure that the job gets done right.
prepare for all things
and help whenever able
oh my! They’re here now?
This design will introduce folding the square in thirds, as well as finishing the hindwings with lovely fanfolds.
1. Begin with the minor color facing up. Valley-fold the bottom third of the square up.
2. Your paper should look like this. Rotate the paper 90 degrees clockwise and turn it over.
3. Valley-fold the paper in half, bottom edge to top.
4. Valley-fold the paper in half, right to left.
5. Squash-fold the top half of the paper.
6. Your paper should look like this. Turn it over, left to right.
7. Squash-fold the right half of the paper.
8. Valley-fold the bottom corner to the top of the split. Unfold. Rotate the paper 180 degrees.
9. Rearrange the flaps: left to right, in front, and right to left, behind.
10. Your paper should look like this. Align the short, vertical right edge with the folded edge above. Make a pinch mark.
11. (A) Valley-fold the flap’s corner down at the level of the horizontal crease. (B) Return flap to the bottom. Repeat behind.
12. Valley-fold between the indicated points, squash-folding at the bottom corner. Repeat behind.
13. Carefully turn the triangle pocket inside out. Repeat behind.
14. Valley-fold the top flap down. Repeat behind.
15. Valley-fold the flap up, making the corner touch the folded edge above. Repeat behind.
16. Valley-fold the flap down, making a folded edge that is parallel to the horizontal crease above. Repeat behind.
17. Valley-fold the flap up, making the corner touch the horizontal crease above. Repeat behind.
18. Rearrange the flaps: right to left in front, and left to right behind. Rotate the paper 180 degrees.
19. One at a time, squash-fold the upper left and right halves of the paper to form the wings.
20. Move the top layers of the forewings downward and crimp the middle area of each wing.
21. Inside-reverse-fold the indicated corners.
22. Mountain-fold the raw edges of the hindwings behind.
23. Mountain- and valley-fold the abdomen over the right wing. Notice the angle of the fold line.
24. Valley-fold the wings to match. Open the wings out to each side of the body.
25. (A) Squash-fold the paper for the head. (B) Mountain-fold the corner behind. (C) Your paper should look like this. (D) Fold the wings together.
26. (A) Mountain-fold the abdomen edges inside. (B) Valley-fold the wings down on each side.
A Butterfly for June Sakamoto.