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Money Folding

Lately, prompted subliminally by a conversation on the O-list, I have been folding money. I never really cared for money folding before, and I can’t say that this represents a change in my folding focus, but there’s something really fascinating in folding unique objects out of such a common, ubiquitous item.

Folded last night, here’s a design based on a puff star tessellation:

Puff Daddy George, 2/2

Puff Daddy George, 1/2

And a few days ago, I folded this design- two octagonal negative space stars, with radial kite shapes:

One and Two Half Dollars

It conveniently holds two half-dollar coins quite precisely in the “negative space” in the center.

I’ll probably bring both of these to the convention, although I haven’t figured out a display method yet- I’m a little worried that someone will just swipe the dollar bills off the table. Anyone with money-folding + convention experience willing to give me a suggestion on display methodology for such things?

7 Comments

  1. Hmmm … I want to say that it’s common for people to display dollar bill folds at the OUSA convention, but I honestly can’t think of having seen very many bill folds in the exhibition in recent years. Do you have a square of plexiglass you could bring? Just putting them on your display table but under a sheet of plexiglass would probably be enough. Then again, they’re only a dollar — I doubt anyone would really think they were worth stealing (even the 2 dollar one with the coins).

    The real thing to do is to ask V’Ann Cornelius, who organizes the exhibition. You could email her beforehand or just ask her when you set up your exhibit display. She’ll know what to recommend.

  2. I’ll probably just leave it in a box with my non-displayed stuff- I’m not super excited about displaying money folds, really.

    I find them interesting the same way I find things folded out of gum wrappers or subway tickets interesting- it’s a common daily item that we’re familiar with, and transmutating it into something very different is always fun to see.

    I’m not fixated on it, though 🙂

  3. no, not really any tutorials at this point in time… I used the standard “puff star” tessellation, which is made from a triangular grid- I just did it on a dollar vs. normal paper.

    I’ll have to toss together a diagram set for this, as I particularly enjoy this design now that I learned the easy way to do it!

  4. I think this is great. I would love for my students to be able to fold this as we talk and work on tessalations in math class. PLEAS make pictures of yourself with each fold and explain what you have done.

    Also if your convention isn’t over yet, Just copy the bill on a copier and make it 10% bigger and black & white. I think that you should display these works of art. Under glass won’t have the same effect as someone being able to see it & touch it.

    They are GREAT!!!

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