Dollar Origami

LaFosse and Alexander's Dollar Origami: Convert Your Ordinary Cash into Extraordinary Art
By: Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander
Gifted by Tuttle Publishing
Reviewed by Liz Abderholden, Editor at FaveCrafts.com

Could you imagine being a waitress and getting a dollar origami orchid as a tip at your table? Or receiving a dollar origami rocket for your birthday? Cash used to be considered such a boring gift, but not if you have Dollar Origami. This fantastic book will help you turn your plain cash into awesome origami creations. This book features 20 patterns, ranging from easier projects, like the canoe, to more difficult ones, like Drahcir the Dragon. If you are an origami fanatic or just want to learn a fun new skill, this book is for you.

With the exception of the menu, introduction, and general tips all within the first 2 pages, the rest of this book solely filled with projects and instructions. The projects are ordered from easiest to most challenging, so you can work your way through as your skills improve. Each project has a picture of what the origami will look like once completed and a blurb about the inspiration behind the project.

A wondeful part of the book is the detailed instructions for each project. They not only give you clear step-by-step written instructions, but small pictures to go along with each step, showing you each of the folds. If you have trouble reading any of the instructions, you can always pop in the DVD in the back. Yes, it also comes with a DVD that goes through the instructions, which is great for the more visual learners. Another added bonus are the few sheets of practice money in the back, so you can get the feel for it before moving on to the real money.

The projects themselves are unique, too. Some projects use more than one bill, like the Two-Dollar Crown or Lantern Puzzle, but most use just a single dollar. A few of the projects also use the designs within the dollar to enhance the design of the origami, like the Teddy Bear. It uses the swirling pattern near the pyramid picture to make the bear's eyes.

You can use Dollar Origami for any upcoming holiday, birthday, or graduation. You can turn a boring present into something that is both pretty and fun. You could also use this skill as an icebreaker when you meet someone new or surprise your waitress or waiter with myriad of little origami dollar animals as their tip. This skill can come in more handy than you might have expected. Plus, you'll learn origami skills you'll be able to use in other projects, too!