Earlier this week, my mum and sister flew over to the UK to visit us. We took them on a road trip to visit Scotland. My sister is a proper Singaporean Chinese who can’t live without noodles or rice. So we went out to eat Chinese food for most of our meals on our trip. I came across an old fashion dumpling restaurant in Edinburgh and they have these paper wrappers for the chopstick. It has been a long time since I have seen these wrappers in restaurants. It triggered memories of how my Japanese friend taught me to make an Origami Chopstick stand. This is to keep the tip of the chopstick clean if the restaurant didn’t provide chopstick stands.
I only managed to get a single wrapper as my children kept stealing the wrappers to play with it. In the following pictures, the wrapper is quite creased. If I ever get hold of an original wrapper, I will take a better picture. So for now, please bear with it.
1. Stand
Fold the wrapper from one of the ends inwards to a length of 3 cm. Keep folding inwards for the rest of the length of the wrapper. Fold in half along down the length. Pinch in the sides to make it stand.
2. Origami Chopstick Pentagon Dish
Hold both ends and tie a knot. Tuck in both ends and push in the middle to create a dish.
3. Origami Chopstick Chinese Scrolled Paper Rest
Used the chopsticks and roll both corners and you will get a Chinese scrolled paper rest.
4. Origami Chopstick Mini Ring
Use a chopstick and roll the wrapper into a ring.
5. Origami Chopstick Big Ring
Use your finger or thumb and roll the wrapper around it.
6. Origami Chopstick V rest
Fold the corner diagonally into a triangle shape and keep going until the end of the wrapper. Tuck the end into the triangle. Press one corner of the triangle.
7. Origami Chopstick Bird
Fold the wrapper in half then fold the wrapper at right angles to meet the central crease on both sides.
Fold both sides inwards towards the centre again. Next fold the wrapper up on both sides. Use both ends and fold it in the same manner as if you were to fold a fan.
Now fold it in half and fold the tip to make the bird’s head. Open it up to use the bird!
8. Origami Chopstick Snake
Fold the wrapper in half and fold both corners to make the head of the snake. Then fold the rest of the wrapper in the same manner as if you were to fold a fan.
As you all can see my wrapper is getting too creased so I hope I will be able to share more Origami for chopsticks soon. Hope you all enjoy!
I love it! I used to have an Origami book when little, and dreamed about doing 1,000 gruyas. (Birds) as in the magic story. Never got there. But now I like to impress children with my hability! 🙂 nice post Elen!
This is such a good way to keep the kids occupied in a Chinese (or Japanese) restaurant while waiting for food to arrive.
Fantastic … my girls are really into origami at the moment and our Friday evenings have turned into Chinese Food and Movie night. I think we’ll be mixing a few things together this week
So clever – I’d love to be able to make one of those birds x
I love these – especially the bird – gorgeous! 😀
Thanks for sharing at #Pintorials
Oooooh very cool. I want to try right now! *hunts for wrappers*
They are all so fun. Double the reason to go to a chinese restaurant now! #pintorials
Wow, so many different versions. i love the bird, very cute!
I like the scrolled paper rest – not sure i am crafty enough to make the bird! Sounds like you had a great road trip with your mum and sister visiting : )
Love the bird. I used to be able to use chopsticks, even pick up peanuts in them but not anymore!
These are great. The bird is my favourite!
They’re fantastic! I love them. I had no idea the wrapper wasn’t just rubbish to discard.
Oh my goodness, all brilliant and very clever 🙂
Wow, so interesting and so clever. Really loved this. Thank you. Bet that was good eating out so much.
This is brilliant!! I love the bird best but all of them are brilliant. I really want to learn how to do some origami, so clever!!
You are so clever with paper Eileen – I can’t believe you did all of these with just the paper from the chopsticks 🙂
How fun are they? I love the origami bird, such an elegant creation
These are so elegant. I love the scrolled ring! The bird’s deligthful, too – a beautiful touch.
what a clever idea. It’s not often we use chopsticks, but they do come out occasionally
What a great ideas… I like this bird the most but it might be to hard to make, so I will start with a snake
Wow this is soo cool and clever! Wish I was that good at origami! x
Those are so clever and pretty! All I need now is the ability to use chopsticks- I am hopeless!
They are such a good idea! Mine would probably stay on there though, I’m useless with chopsticks!
Really brilliant ideas! I love the bird and the snake the most. Never thought of using the wrappers to make a stand. Edinburgh has some fab Chinese restaurants. I think I had some of the best hot pot outside of China in Edinburgh!
These are a lovely idea. Definitely something I will try the next time we have Chinese food 🙂 x
These are really great, I’ve never really thought about what I’d do if there wasn’t a rest, probably just pop them on my plate but I love your origami rests!