Origami

There is something inherently cool about being able to take a flat sheet of paper and transform it into a 3-D object: a bunny, a crane, a rocket ship, etc. But once you've made this really cool thing, what do you do with it? What are the practical applications of origami? Well, let me tell you...
Napkin Origami: 25 creative and fun ideas for napkin folding, edited by Brian Sawyer, is full of fun ideas for dressing up the place settings on your table. I'm not sure most of us have the time to go into this every time we sit down to eat, but if you're hosting a dinner party, celebrating a birthday or holiday, or throwing a shower (bridal or baby), then the ideas in this book are a nice, easy way to decorate for the event. You can use either paper or cloth napkins, and the designs come in various levels of difficulty. Make a pirate ship for a kid's birthday party, a bunny for an Easter brunch, or a paper rose for a special dinner for two. You can even whip together a bread basket.
Minigami: mini origami projects for cards, gifts and decorations, by Gay Merrill Gross, shows you how to incorporate little origami touches into other projects. Flowers, stars, animals, and pockets can be used to decorate packages, scrapbook pages and letters. You could even make these into little brooches and earrings! (They don't show you how to do that in this book, but I thought it was a good idea. Try The Best of Making Jewelry by Jo Moody for tips on how to finish your origami off as pins, barrettes and bracelets.) My favorite design was for the little tiny Santa Claus - it uses only 2 pieces of paper and is 'low intermediate' on the skill level. It's perfect for the upcoming holidays. The nicest thing about this book is the Picture Index in the back, which allows you to easily browse for designs.
So have fun, and get busy folding!