As a fifth grader enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, I stumbled into what became one of my favorite pastimes: making paper flowers. With so much spare time while locked down at home, I was looking for something creative to do — making DIY arts and crafts felt like a way to bring a little brightness into an uncertain and dull time.
I particularly enjoyed making paper lotuses. All you need are three different colored papers and a small rubber band. The folding and construction takes little effort for beginners — I followed this video tutorial by [tadashiorigami] — but nevertheless the product is incredibly rewarding; the end result is as close to a real paper lotus one can get.
I would spend countless lunch breaks folding and gluing paper in my room. What I enjoyed most about making the paper flowers was how calming it was; I wouldn’t necessarily call myself artsy, but the process and final product were just so fulfilling to me.
I remember the summer before 7th grade in particular, when my mom, a doctor, gave me a task to create cards for the elderly at senior living facilities as a part of a program her clinic was running.
Rather than taking the easy route of writing generic, inspiring messages on cardstock, I decided to put in more effort and make miniature lotuses instead. I enjoyed creating these so much that I ended up making 15 in the span of three hours.
I never got to see the reactions of the elderly recipients. Nevertheless, knowing that I put so much effort into their cards left me feeling extremely hopeful and accomplished.
Now that I’m caught up in the craziness of trying to thrive in a highly academic high school, I haven’t had the chance to make one of these flowers in around a year. I still have a few lying around here and there in my house. Looking at them, I’m reminded of the joy they brought despite the dreary times during which they were made.
I hope to one day pick up where I left off with origami, giving more of those flowers to the people I love. I also hope that people will discover, like I did, how something as simple as folding paper in precise patterns can completely brighten up a space.
