Super-sizing origami creatures is part art and part engineering and always an adventure.

First, if you want to double the size of a piece, it will take four times the amount of material. Think about it: 2 foot length x 2 foot width = 4 square feet. 4 foot length x 4 foot width = 16 square feet.  And 8 foot length x 8 foot width = 64 square feet.  If you're gluing smaller pieces together, that's a lot of joining. In my case, where I dye my own materials, that's a lot more dye.

Bigger squares translate to needing a bigger workspace. Then there's cleaning and preparing the floor of that workspace. And then there's a lot of time spend crawling around on that floor. I've thought about building a bigger table but when your table gets so big that you can't reach the middle of it, you'll end up crawling around on the table. Getting disoriented is remarkably easy compared to "normal" folding. Turning an 8 foot (or larger) square over without disrupting existing folds or creating wrinkles is not. Even folding a simple piece can be a work out when super-sized.

Once folded, super-sized origami will not stand on its own. It needs structural support. It's kind of like a skin that needs a skeleton and maybe even a few muscles to fill it. The bigger and taller the piece, the more structural support required. I shape metal rods and plates, and then slide them in-between folds, gluing them in place and out of sight. Every piece needs to be balanced so it doesn't tilt or lean to one side or fall over.

Once structural stability is achieved, there is still more detailed sculpting to be done, at least for me. More hidden wires, softer this time, strategically inserted between folds to hold shape and details. Sometimes I use foam or other fillers.

Priscilla the Pink Pony (pictured above) is folded from a 8 foot x 8 foot square, and stands about 30 inches tall. I love the contrast between the sturdiness and solidness of her musculature and the soft and flowing nature of her mane and tail. There are metal bars in all four legs and along her back. There is also more than 25 feet of wire holding the shape of her face, mane, and tail.

I've supersized giraffe, ox, several dragons, canaries, 'alala, shark, dogs, turtles, mo'o, and trolls. Bigger. Grander. More!