Alice in Wonderland paper art

Will’s beautiful origami baubles, made with upcycled paper, make wonderful gifts for the person who has everything, because they are so easy to personalise for the recipient.  We collect old and unloved books, annuals, maps and music manuscripts which are then transformed into works of art that can be appreciated for years to come.  There is usually the perfect theme for anyone in our stash!

One such commission recently was for a girl called Alice, who adores Alice in Wonderland.  We found a dishevelled copy of the book earlier in the summer at a local sale and had been saving it for just such an occasion.  At first glance, the paper could have come from any book but on closer inspection one can see familiar words and phrases that are peculiar to a beloved story (for example, lines from the poem “Soup of the Evening”).  Alice was delighted with her bauble and claimed it was the best present of her whole birthday (after her new Blackberry which, to be fair, is rather difficult to compete with!).

Other recent commissions have included baubles made from images of Marilyn Monroe, The Cat in the Hat picture books, a Beano annual and UK map paper.

As well as a charming Beatrix Potter semi-bauble currently listed on Folksy, more gorgeous designs are in production.  I’m particularly looking forward to seeing one made in paper from an old Planet of the Apes comic book!  

They require a lot of time and patience, with each bauble taking:

• 6 hours
• 60 squares of paper
• 660 folds
• Half a tube of glue
• 50cm ribbon
• 12 buttons

So they are really a labour of love and dedication to upcycling, although Will feels a great sense of satisfaction when she has turned a worn out old book into something fabulous which will be treasured.  I think I will stick to sewing though!

LouLou & Will x