Origami Yoda and More at Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden's Origami Festival at Cal State Long Beach

Lisa Horowitz

Origami Yoda, folded by Michael Sanders as part of Alison Redfoot-DiLidda's composition

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The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach turned out to be a lovely location to learn the art of origami, or Japanese paper folding, on Sunday.

From humble beginnings more than 15 years ago, with only two presenters and about 25 attendees, the 2011 event hosted 40-plus experts teaching a much larger crowd -- several hundred, at least -- how to make 3-D objects from a single sheet of paper.

Lisa Horowitz

Origami fish in a bowl

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Patient instructors taught small groups of kids and adults to fold and interlock paper to make ninja throwing stars, penguins, mini gift boxes, flowers and pinwheels. Origami turtles were perched on the rocks overlooking the garden's waterfall. Chains of a thousand origami cranes -- a traditional symbol of good luck or peace -- hung from a tree branch.

Lisa Horowitz

The grouping of flowers, created by Pam Miike, demonstrate one-sheet creations.

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Kids wandered the garden path sporting the paper hats they'd made, or took turns feeding the giant carp in the garden's lagoon.

Lisa Horowitz

The chess set greeted people arriving at the Cal State Long Beach Japanese garden.

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The calming, almost Zen influence of both the garden and the origami kept people waiting patiently for their turn to sit and learn. While they waited, they could admire pieces created by more advanced practitioners -- such as a portrait of Yoda -- or snack on tea and Japanese crackers.

Lisa Horowitz

Volunteer Georgette Jenkins taught complex-looking origami balls, created without using tape or glue.

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If this year's popularity is any indication, they might want to start rounding up more experts and tables for next year.

Lisa Horowitz

Instructor Andrew Ting, right, offers hands-on instruction.

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Follow Lisa at @LAeditor and LA Weekly's arts coverage at @LAWeeklyArts on Twitter.

Lisa Horowitz

If kids got bored with origami, they could feed the Japanese carp in the garden's pond.

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