Japanese Paper Flowers

Starred review from March 15, 2019
Whether or not they're already familiar with the Japanese art of origami, crafters can follow Yamazaki's instructions for fashioning exquisite and realistic-looking flowers from paper. Tokyo-based Yamazaki, a teacher in the art of paper-flower making, begins this DIY bloom collection by showcasing a gallery of finished projects upfront, then explaining overall how-tos for the genre, and following up with specifics about each of these 31 flower crafts and their potential combinations in items like garlands, door ornaments, wine-glass corsages, and brooches. Many familiar posies are included, such as daisies and roses, and less-common species are spotlighted, too: gerbera, lisianthus, and others. Though directions for each craft are somewhat crammed into the layout, they are clear and easily referenced, with a guide to the basics and five pages of appended templates. Tips are nestled into almost every page, like how to curl petals or cut out challenging pieces. Paper-crafters will delight in growing a garden without all that mess of potting, watering, and cultivating.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)