"Origami girl" folds up random gifts of love

EVERYWHERE she goes Evelyn Lindsey is known as "the Origami girl".

Evelyn Lindsey with some of her beautiful origami artwork. Picture: David Nielsen

EVERYWHERE she goes Evelyn Lindsey is known as "the Origami girl".

When the 15-year-old from Willowbank visits hospital she gives origami gifts to those who are suffering.

On weekends she can often be found selling her products to raise funds for charitable organisations.

The St Peter Claver College student was moved to give origami gifts after visiting her younger sister Katherine in hospital.

"My sister got diabetes when she was around one and for the first couple of years after she got it she was in hospital on and off," Evelyn says.

"I remember whenever I went in to see her, there were kids in hospital younger than her and even the age I am now. They'd be watching TV and looked so lonely.

"I thought that was sad, so I thought it would be good to give them presents. I saw how when I brought in a rose or a stuffed toy for Katherine she would be really happy for the rest of the day.

"When she came home she would keep it somewhere safe and always look at it. She has still got some of the toys

"I thought that if it makes Katherine happy, I bet it makes other people happy, so I decided to give origami to people."

Evelyn buys the paper using her own pocket and spends countless hours making origami gifts that she sells at fund raisers for organisations like the Ipswich Hospital Foundation.

Just one owl takes over 500 pieces of papers. It takes hours to cut the paper, fold the paper and glue it together.

Part of that income then goes back into buying paper to make the next lot of origami products that include lilies, cranes, dragons and swans.

"Just one owl takes over 500 pieces of papers," she says.

"It takes hours to cut the paper, fold the paper and glue it together."

The owl in the photo with this story has 102 green pieces of paper, 130 white, 333 purple, 58 orange and seven yellow.

Evelyn was five when she started learning origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

"I went to mum and dad to ask if I could do some jobs to earn some money," she says.

"They said, 'How much?'. I said 'Three dollars'. So I did a couple of jobs around the house and they gave me three dollars. I asked me to take me to Sam's Warehouse and I bought an origami book. Ever since, I have loved origami."

Korean paper company Jong Ie Nara has reduced the cost of the paper by 25% to support Evelyn's community efforts while Officeworks are supplying paper at cost price.

As part of community group Remar, Evelyn also goes to Ozcare in Brisbane to cook meals for the homeless, assists primary school children at Goodna Homework Club and visits a local nursing home where she spends time playing scrabble with the residents and chatting to them.

Evelyn's next fundraising event will be at the Yamanto Shopping Centre on May 25 from 9am-1pm.

The owl in the photo with this story has 102 green pieces of paper, 130 white, 333 purple, 58 orange and seven yellow.