Quayside Publishing Group sent me a copy of a new book published in October 2012 called Extreme Origami: Transforming Dollar Bills into Priceless Works of Art by Won Park. This is a hard cover book with 144 pages and over 1,000 illustrations. It retails for $25 US; $28 CAN; and L16.99 UK. I think the word “extreme” describes this book perfectly because this is not for your casual paper crafter in any way.

The projects are fairly involved though all of them are basically built around the idea of folding US paper money into amazing shapes using various folding techniques. The author suggests that you first try with larger pieces of paper that are the same scale as the money because it is easier to learn the folds that way, and there are a few important folds you need to master before jumping into the projects as well. Along with written instructions, there are illustrations to go with each one. For example, the butterfly requires a total of 27 steps. From pigs to tanks to toilets, you can fold paper money into just about any form it seems.

This is one of a number of books I’ve received recently to review, and I had a feeling my husband would find it interesting. I was right. He is fascinated with the intricate folding techniques used in the book. I also appreciate them, of course, but he is determined now to attempt some of them. Maybe it is a “guy” thing, but he loves this book. Take note for anyone looking for a guy-friendly craft-related gift.

Is this a book for your library or the perfect gift for a friend? To help you determine that, the publisher has let me load up some sample pages from Extreme Origami. Feel free to download them and enjoy.