Extreme Origami: Transforming Dollar Bills into Priceless Works of Art

This is the most intricate dollar origami book in print. If you're detail oriented, you'll love the results. The designs are very pleasing to look at and can be given as gifts. The results make people go WOW. I am not an advanced origami folder. The most complicated thing I ever folded before picking up this book was the flapping crane. I just fell in love with the projects after seeing pictures of Won Park's work on the internet and decided to give it a go. That I can fold these amazing creations with little experience--by simply following the book--speaks to the quality of the illustrated instructions. It does require patience, following instructions closely, and the ability to make very small, sharp folds. Precision is key to making sure the prefolds perform as they're supposed to. I find that some of the pleats are so small that if you don't get it right on the first attempt, the paper loses integrity making it difficult to complete the detail or obliterates the decorative detail itself. Also, some folds have to be mirrored but are not illustrated--in other words the instructions will show you how to go through a series of folds on one side of the bill, and then the book will tell you to simply repeat the same on the other side. This means you have to figure out how to flip the instructions in your head to repeat the folds on the other side of the bill. This part can give your spatial orientation skills a workout. I've folded the ox (but I like to think of it as a bull) and scorpion so far. It took me an average of 6 to 8 hours off and on to complete each project. But I do fold two or three of the same model simultaneously in case the folding on one bill doesn't come together right and I can just continue with one of the backups. The finished projects are totally worth the time (AND worth the little bit of teeth gnashing while trying to figure out the orientation of a fold AND worth the necessary scrubbing of hands afterwards). Would love to see more intricate dry fold dollar origami projects from Won Park!

Not for the origamically faint of heart. This book is very challenging, but exceptionally good. I am working my way through it, and enjoying it thoroughly. The instructions are well-written, and very well-illustrated. The results have been rewarding. After doing any of these folds, you feel like you've accomplished something special. For the record, I have been doing origami for years, and I have several books on the subject. This one is my favorite!

I have nieces and nephews at that age where I am so out of touch with their generation I could never come up with a gift they would like for birthdays, or other holidays. Gift cards and money seem the only gift that worked but seemed impersonal. Then I discovered money origami in the form of a book “Extreme Origami” by Won Park. I was not very good at making the creations at first, but now the only thing I have to do is come up with a different origami figure each holiday. From 10 to 25 uncle Rich’s gifts are now popular with all the kids I give gifts to. Even if you are untalented like me spend a few days with this book and discover a new way to make the impersonal gift of money, personal. Maybe even raise your esteem with the kids in your family. Good luck, Rich

Won Park, the acclaimed dollar bill origami artist, has come out with his master opus, a treasure trove for folders. All of his best known models, including his toilet, dragon, tank, race car and many more have been meticulously diagrammed by Marcio Noguchi and laid out in a well-produced and gorgeous book. Fair warning, this is most decidedly not for beginners, but is a collection of complex and detailed pieces certain to delight experienced folders. Won Park has moved to art of currency Origami to new heights.

I was glad Won Park got this published since many of these models have been floating around the internet for awhile. I am happy to buy the book to support my fellow origamists. I bought this for $16.50 on Amazon. The price changes over time so in the future you might be buying this for more or less. For the editors, for future editions, Dragon, page 125 instruction 42 a and b are switched around so this may cause confusion in some. I have not folded every model so there may be other errors but I will update this if I find more. Conclusion: I do not regret buying it so I would recommend it. It's a nice hardback book with a beautiful cover design. The diagrams are beautifully done but due to the complexity of some models, obviously not everything can be diagrammed clearly. The models are complex and for advance folders and turned out very nice.

Excellent book, great projects. .. be forewarned these projects are not for the meek. These are challenging and hard to do and require a lot of patience. Occasionally had some difficulty with instructions but mostly because I am do not do a lot of origami and not clear on all the standard instructions. The instructions are explained but sometimes you actually need to see the bend to get the instructions...tough.

First and foremost, for me to understand any origami diagram, you gotta have some pretty nice photos or something to grab my interests. I'm not an architect so I'm all set with trying to read dead blueprints. That said, this book is pretty! The cover and the 20 finished models are all cool color photos. I can't fathom the difficulty in trying to produce instructions for minute finishing details on advanced models so that everyone can understand. I didn't expect the book to have presented every step to cater to me, but instead having good reference points that I could use to perhaps discuss with friends or compare with Youtube vids. (I got to step 35 of 63 of the koi fish and met with the origami folder's wall of impassability, lol). It has done a good job at documenting some very advanced models. Looks like Won Park teamed up with the dynamic duo over at the Origamido Studio to actually get paid for his work. Good job!

Its a fun way to give a gift this book is a challenge