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One of my future projects involve folding A LOT of origami stars and crane eggs and turn it into a curtain. However, I want to insure that my hard (and very tedious) work do not go to waste by making it waterproof.

Here are images of both the origami star and cranes egg:

origami stars and cranes eggs

To fold these you start with a thin piece of paper about 5/16 - 1/2 inch wide and about 8-11 inch long.

Criteria (in order of importance):

  • Waterproof (enough to withstand some splashes of rain if the window is ever left open accidentally)
  • "pliable" enough to fold but firm/thick enough to keep the shape of the origami
  • Come in long strips of about 5/16 - 1/2 inch wide
  • Able to come in multiple colors
  • Relatively inexpensive

Some materials I've tried:

  • Waxed paper(used in the kitchen) - These fit the waterproof and inexpensive criteria but needs to be manually trimmed to size. They also don't have enough weight to really hope the shape of the origami too well.
  • Satin ribbon(used in gift wrapping) - These were beautiful and water proof but were too cloth-like and unable to hold the shape of the origami.
  • Laminated strips of paper - These were annoying to prep and too rigid and thick to fold into the origami.

I'm willing to compromise on one or two criteria if it at least greatly meets three of my criteria. Optimally hoping theres some magical material that perfectly meets my needs though.

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Jay
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  • How waterproof does it need to be? Does it need to actually be submerged under water for a time, or does it just need to be rain/splash resistant? – JPhi1618 May 24 '16 at 13:54
  • @JPhi1618 Since I am using it as curtains I want it to be at least water resistant enough to not fall apart if I ever leave the window open while its raining. – Jay May 24 '16 at 13:55
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    (Comment, not answer, because I've never actually tried this) My first thought was floral ribbon - it's often embossed to look like fabric, but it's really just non-woven polyester. It'll take a crease, and it should be quite waterproof enough for your purposes. – Martha May 24 '16 at 14:46
  • May I suggest a sheer curtain liner? It would still allow the nice color effects that occur when the light is going through the origami. – aparente001 Dec 09 '17 at 03:06

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You could try using palm fronds, which can be woven to make beautiful stars and patterns:

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For more details about the craft of palm weaving, see this question and the links given in its answer (disclaimer: answer posted by me).

They're obviously waterproof, since they come from plants which are naturally found in wet conditions. They come in long strips, which are (perhaps surprisingly) pliable enough to be folded into intricate shapes but also strong and tough enough to stay in shape. They should be inexpensive, at least if you're living in the right region (e.g. somewhere there's a strong Catholic community with a tradition of palm-weaving). The only criterion they don't meet is being able to come in multiple colours, but it might be possible to paint the palm fronds before folding them, if you can find a paint that works well on organic material like this.

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Rand al'Thor
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  • 1: This is actually really creative. And the lighter color of the back compared to the darker front of the fronds can make for interesting designs. Thanks for the suggestion!
    • – Jay May 24 '16 at 14:40
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    unpainted/dyed fronds will also fade as the chlorophyll breaks down. The fronds my mom puts up every year turn a pale beige color well before next years Palm Sunday. – Dan Is Fiddling By Firelight May 25 '16 at 13:17