Origami Christmas Tree is Best of the Year

On Sunday, after brunching at Barney Greengrass and taking in a show at the Hayden Planetarium, Jae and I came across the best Christmas tree we'd seen all year.

There it was, in the atrium of the Museum of Natural History. Decorated with 500 origami animals and stars, all folded by the talented members of Origami USA, it totally delighted our inner children. There's a Stegosaurus! Look, a Praying Mantis on the stem of a flower! Ooh Butterflies! Panda Bears! Baboons! Aw man, T-Rex!

This was the best tree not only because of the genius origami animals, but because of the movement. Festooned all over the tree were delicate three-tiered mobiles strung with origami stars folded from prismatic silver paper, which bobbed and swayed in the air current animating the whole surface of the tree. And above the very top of the tree were two motorized rings from which origami pterodactyls and other forms encircled the whole tree. Mesmerizing!

My bad cell phone pictures don't do it justice, but you can see more on the museum's website here.

Rad tree, Natural History Museum!

Posted and images by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.