Tuesday, November 04, 2008

using junk mail

Do you have a lot of junk mail? I think we all do. I was reading an article in a free magazine that Satoshi picked up. The article talked about how to turn junk mail into a trash can. (This spurred me to practice making them and eventually turned the magazine into LOTS of little trash cans.)

These are perfect for when you are watching tv or working at the computer and eating something and need to put say the shells into something but don't want to get up to throw them out....or maybe when you go on a picnic or road trip and you want to put some dry trash into something to throw away later. Hopefully, these pictures and my writing will be clear enough for you to understand. (I wish I had video...)

Take a rectangular piece of paper, most junk mail is...and fold it in half and then in half again.

It should look like this. Now, flip it over so that the folded edge is on top.

Take one of the folded edges and bring the edge to the center to make a triangle...it should look like this. Do this for the other folded edge too.

Your paper should look like this. (there should be a gap between).

Now, take the edge on the left and bring it over to the right, like you are flipping a page in a book. Do this for the other side too. (you shouldn't be able to see the gap)

Now, bring the left edge towards the center and the right edge also towards the center. Do this for the opposite side also. It should look like a pentagon.

Fold the straight edge of the pentagon up. Do this for the opposite side.

Now, stick your hand into the "pocket" and open up the box.

Press down on the center of the box to make it flat.

When you open it up, it should look like this. The bigger the rectangle the bigger the box, the smaller the smaller the box.

If you don't open it up, you can stick it into your purse/bag to keep with you whereever you go, you could probably even use these for "that time of the month"....and don't have to waste t.p. (toilet paper) to wrap those "things" to throw out.

So, junk mail which almost always has a negative image doesn't have to be, you could have your kids (the "big" ones too) make them and travel around with them. I'm going to start using them in the kitchen since I don't have a disposal.

If there are parts of this that don't make sense, I'm sorry, maybe if you take a look at the first photo, it will be self explanatory. If not, email me, I'll try to answer your questions.

32 comments:

Dani said...

That is such a neat little idea. I will have to try it out.

Rhys said...

This is cool :)

MOMO said...

This is quite common in Japan. Like in winter when you eat Mandarins and other snacks in Kotatsu,it comes very handy!! dont need to reach for the rubbish bin!!

K and S said...

Thanks Dani, I hope it works out for you.

Thanks Rhys!

Thanks Momo, glad to hear that many people use it in Japan :)

Take care everyone.
Kat

Phoebe said...

ahahaha cute!!! I know how this is done!! so funny!

K and S said...

Good Phoebe, I hope you use this :)

Take care.
Kat

Jennifer said...

I was wondering where to post a comment, now I know ^_^
That's a neat idea for junk mail, great origami instructions!

Anonymous said...

hello! nice job ;)

Unknown said...

Great idea. I'm all for stopping junk mail but, when that doesn't happen, this is an excellent way to re-purpose it. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

Thanks for sharing!

Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

KirkK said...

Hi Kat - That's really neat....you always have such novel ideas.

Anonymous said...

The origami trashbin. Too cool!

Jenster said...

Now THAT'S recycling at its best! Thanks for sharing the tip, Kat.

ilingc said...

hehe. We used to do paper containers like these in primary and high school to store our rubbish and then throw the whole 'box' into the bin at the end of the day on the way out of class. ;)
As an adult, I still do this particularly if I am eating nuts or anything with shells as a snack. :)

Anonymous said...

very good...

minikperi

K and S said...

Sorry Jennifer, I had to change the comment area back to the old way, Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks MMO, Apsu.

Thanks Small Footprints, Kirkk, Rowena & Jenster.

That is cool that you knew about this from elementary, Ilingc!

Take care everyone!
Kat

grace said...

thanks for the instructions. it did take me a few tries but i finally got it right. how useful!

K and S said...

Sorry for my lack to explain clearly, Grace, I'm glad you were able to make it :)

Take care.
Kat

Anonymous said...

Oh boy do we get junk mail! Thanks for this fun little origami. It'll come in handy for edamame shells. :)

K and S said...

I hope you like it, Lori :)

Take care.
Kat

Uncle Polyglot said...

This is such a good idea! I think I will make one tonight! Many thanks for sharing it!!!

grace said...

hi kat,

oh, i think your instructions were fine! it's me who doesn't follow instructions well. :-)

it was helpful to be able to enlarge the original picture so now i have these boxes in my kitchen and on my coffee table. it's great!

thanks again.

Rangga Wi said...

Woow look like "Origami"...
Cool,maybe that another ways to recycling papers.
Good Posting...
mixedgreen

K and S said...

I hope you like it Uncle Polyglot.

Take care.
Kat

K and S said...

Glad you were able to make them Grace :)

I hope you try it Goesgreens.

Take care you two.
Kat

javapot said...

tks for sharing this. I've used them before in a friend's place and forgot how to fold them. Its good to be able to recycle!

K and S said...

You're welcome Javapot! I hope you can fold them and use your junk mail. :)

Take care.
Kat

Deb in Hawaii said...

How fun--I am not sure I have the coordination and motor skills to do this but I am going to try!

K and S said...

I hope you can make a box, Deb :)

Take care.
Kat

Albie is... said...

My mom taught me how to make these years ago for whenever we'd eat lots of chicken and we'd toss the bones into the "box" instead of keeping them in our bowls on our plates and I always thought they were pretty nifty and 'til this day when I'm bored at work I'll make a few (usually with yellow post it notes hehe) and leave them on people's desks...

K and S said...

That is so neat Albie is.

Take care.
Kat

chimerastone said...

I think we all get a lot of junk mail most of it ends up in the green recycling bag which is collected every fortnight. What I'm dealing with is excessive amount of magazine picked up by other people or coming through the post. Sometimes I turn them into envelopes or recycled. There was a time I folded them in cranes for the senbazuru (1000 cranes) projects. This is now finished. I have several books on origami and it's really quite fun although some of the models are difficult to fold. I have folded my cranes practically fold them with my eyes closed.

K and S said...

That is so cool that you used them to make 1000 cranes, Chimerastone. Way to go.

Take care.
Kat