Continue the Star Wars adventure from the big screen with Star Wars Kirigami. This collection of models spans from Anakin’s Podracer to Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer with 15 ready-to-build designs.
Kirigami:
Kirigami is a new word for an old art. A variation of origami, kirigami is also known as Kirie, and usually focuses on cutting paper rather than folding only. The word Kirigami is based on the Japanese terms kiri (“cut”) and kami (“paper”), and was coined in 1962 by Florence Temko in the title of her book, Kirigami, the Creative Art of Papercutting, 1962.
Models:
The models in Star Wars Kirigami are exceedingly well designed, replicating ships like the Millennium Falcon in beautiful detail. The models are sometimes elaborate and sometimes simpler. Each vehicle is given a designation of 1-3 for difficulty. They aren’t in order by difficulty, though. The models are in order of in-film appearance. I’d suggest starting with model number 8: Sandcrawler.
In the movies, the Sandcrawler is introduced as one of the first elements in the entire franchise. This is the very vehicle from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and is the first sign of alien life we’re presented with. It’s also, of course, the scene of Luke’s purchase of C-3PO and R2-D2, and the following massacre in the Jundland Wastes, Tatooine. This model has a difficulty of 1, and is a natural starting point for Kirigami newbies.
Instructions:
The instructions in the activity book are fairly sparse. Despite my initial surprise, I wasn’t disappointed because the concepts of kirigami aren’t terribly difficult. It’s cut, fold, repeat. Each model has its own tips section, though, so there’s some guidance for each model on how to approach finicky portions.
Writing:
Marc Hagan-Guirey includes a narrative that is sure to strike home with all kinds of Star Wars fans, including stories from his experiences with each film in the series. I particularly enjoy reading tidbits included about the origins of different ships and how they were originally filmed. There’s some great trivia hidden amongst the pages! Reading each section felt a bit like hanging out with a knowledgeable friend before starting the craft.
Getting started:
One needs a few tools to complete Kirigami crafts. An X-Acto knife, a cutting mat (or a large piece of cardboard), skewers, and a metal ruler are needed to complete the crafts, but I also found my bone folder to be quite useful, especially on the more elaborate builds.
TL;DR
Star Wars Kirigami is a beautifully designed book of papercrafts, allowing one to build 15 iconic ships and vehicles from the saga, including Rey’s Speeder, the Millenium Falcon, and Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer from Episode VIII. It’s available from Chronicle Books and is officially licensed with Disney-Lucasfilm.
