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Last updated 18/9/2025

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The work consists of an Introduction, 33 Plates and an Explanation of them. The Figures from the Plates and the Explanation are interweaved in the Analysis.

As well as illustrations of many paperfolds, the work contains much historical information about Froebel's own paperfolding and the way in which it was subsequently developed by other pedagogues. I have collected some of the references to Froebel into a section about the extent and limitations of Froebel's own paperfolding (see below).

This work is complex and packed full of information. I have extracted and analysed what seem to me to be those parts that are most relevant to the story of the history of Froebelian paperfolding, but this analysis is not completely comprehensive and you may wish to study the full text for yourself. A full copy of the Introduction can be found at the foot of this page and a copy of the full work online here.

The work also contains an advertisement for paperfolding related materials which can be purchased from the publisher. A copy of this can also be found at the foot of this page.

The terms 'blintzed', 'bronze rectangle' etc do not appear in the Author's original text. I have however used them on this page as their meaning is widely understood.

The author does not seem to always distinguish between groundforms with the same crease pattern but in which the various layers are arranged in different ways.

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This work is mentioned in Gershon Legman's 'Bibliography of Paperfolding' which was published in 1952.

It seems clear from this remark that Legman had not read the Introduction to this work, in which the Author stresses on several occasions that the occupation of Paperfolding is one of innovation and discovery and not of sterile reproduction.

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Index to Sub-sections

This page includes 5 preliminary notes:

On the names of groundforms

On paperfolding as a creative activity

On paperfolding as manual training

Information about Paperfolding before Froebel's time

Information about the extent and limitations of Froebel's own paperfolding

And a full Analysis divided into 26 sub-sections:

Froebel's method of cutting four squares from a rectangle - from the Introduction

The Visual Index - Plate XXXII

Froebel's Basic Folds and Groundforms - Plate I

Folds of Life from Froebel's Simple Groundform - Plate II

Folds of Life from Froebel's Double Groundform - Plate III

Designs from Kohler's Groundform - Plate III

Miscellaneous designs (from the Keilhau list of objects written down in 1853) - Plate IV

Cut and Fold Polyhedral Nets - Plate IV

New Geometrical Folds - Plate V

Folds of Beauty from The Blintzed Square - Plate VI and Plate VII

Folds of Beauty from Kohler's Groundform - Plate VII

Folds of Beauty from Side 1 of the Double Blintz Base - Plate IX

Folds of Beauty from Side 2 of the Double Blintz Base - Plate IX

Folds of Beauty from the doubly blintzed square - Plate IX

Folds of Beauty developed from groundforms B4 to B7 - Plate X

Folds of Beauty from Groundform B8 - The Windmill Base - Plate XI and XII

Folds of Beauty from Octagonal Groundforms- Plates XIII to XV

How to use templates to construct hexagons, 60/120 rhombi and equilateral triangles in quantity - Plate XVI

Folds of Beauty from Equilateral Triangles - Plate XVIII to XIX

Folds of Beauty from Hexagons - Plate XX

Folds of Beauty from the 60/120 Rhombus - Plate XXI

Folds of Beauty from Pentagons - Plate XXII and XXIII

Folds of Beauty from Cut Circles - Plates XXIV to XXVII

Combinations of Geometric Forms - Plate XXVIII and XXIX

Getafel Formen - designs made by treating Forms of Beauty as tiles - Plate XXX and XXXI

Exercises for inventions and ingenuity - Plate XXXII

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On the names of groundforms

The Author refers to the three main groundforms, the blintzed square, the doubly blintzed square, and the triply blintzed square in several ways.

Groundform A - The Blintzed Square - the Author says that Froebel did not call this fold a groundform. She, however, calls it either 'the simple groundform' or simply 'groundform A'.

Groundform B1 - Side 1 of The Double Blintz Basic Form, a square blintzed, turned over and blintzed again, which has four square flaps meeting at the centre. The Author says that Froebel called this 'the simple groundform'. She, however, calls it 'the double groundform' or simply 'groundform B'.

Groundform B2 - Side 2 of the Double Blintz Basic Form, which has four triangular flaps meeting at the centre

Groundform B3 - The Doubly Blintzed Square - a square blintzed twice without turning it over in between the two operations.

Groundform B4 - made from a square which is white one side and coloured on the other. The corners of the square are blintzed alternately backwards and forwards, then blintzed again, all corners moving forwards. On the side where the triangular flaps are white the paper is pulled out from inside the blintzes to form flaps that are like those of a Windmill Base, except there are only two of them rather than four.

Groundform B5 and B6 - It is not clear to me how these groundforms are to be constructed, but it may be that whereas in the case of B4 two of the corners are converted into corners of the Windmill Base, in these groundforms one and three corners are converted in the same way.

Groundform B7 - The Windmill.

Groundform B8 - what we now call The Windmill Base.

Groundform C - The Triple Blintz basic Form - the Author says that Froebel called this 'the double groundform'. She, however, calls it 'the treble groundform' or simply 'groundform C'.

Groundform D - The author also mentions a groundform developed by August Kohler which she calls 'groundform D' and which I call 'Kohler's Groundform'.

In addition Plate VII introduces three octagonal groundforms from which Folds of Beauty can be developed.

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On paperfolding as a creative activity

The author clearly sees paperfolding as a creative activity and not as the sterile reproduction of a series of predetermined forms. There is a clear implication that this was Froebel's original view.

Thus

and

and

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On paperfolding as manual training

Heerwart considers that the practice of folding improves the ability of the child to carry out other manual tasks, although this is not its primary purpose.:

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Information about Paperfolding before Froebel's time

From section I of the Introduction - mention of the Salt-Cellar and the Cocotte / Pajarita

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From the Explanation of Plate IV - The Keilhau list of objects

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Information about the extent and limitations of Froebel's own paperfolding

From the Introduction - Froebel saw paperfolding as an occupation for children of ages 5 to 7 and beyond.

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From the Introduction - Froebel began from the square (and didn't go beyond it)

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From the Explanation of Plate I - Froebel's development of Erkenntnisformen was basic

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Froebel's names for his two groundforms

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From the Explanation of Plate III - Froebel's Miner

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From the Explanation of Plate V - Froebel's Octagon

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From the Explanation of Plate VIII - The practice of preparing multiple groundforms

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From the Explanation of Plate IX - Getafel formen

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(Note: It seems likely to me that there is a misprint here and that the first sentence should end after (forms of beauty).)

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Analysis

In the work some illustrations of elements of the Course of Paperfolding are to be found spread across several Plates. In this Analysis I have brought these elements together so that the content is more easily understood. Consequently, illusrtrations are not necessarily presented in the order in which they appear in the work.

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Froebel's method of cutting four squares from a rectangle

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The Visual Index

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Froebel's Basic Folds and Groundforms - Plate I

This Plate illustrates some basic folds and Froebel's system of groundforms from which Folds of Life and Folds of Beauty can be developed. The author states that Froebel called fig. 20 (the doubly blintzed square) the simple groundform and fig 24 (the triply blintzed square) the double groundform but that since 1862 she has referred to fig 16 (the blintzed square) as the simple groundform, fig 20 as the double groundform and fig 24 as the treble ground form.

She also indicates that children may see various figures as Simple Folds of Life, fig 3 - a book, fig 9 or 10 - a tent, fig 14 - a house and fig 16 - an envelope.

ie 'on Plate II'

There is no indication that the paper is to be turned over in between each sequence of blintzes to create the Double Blintz or the Triple Blintz Basic Forms.

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Folds of Life from Froebel's Simple Groundform - Plate II

2. The Salt-Cellar - The Salt Cellar

Note that in the Introduction the author mentions the Salt-Cellar as being one of the designs that existed before Froebel's time.

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3. A workbasket - The Pepperpot

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4. A Crown - The King's Crown

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5. A Bag - The Travel Bag

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6. The Fish (plaice) - The Squid

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7. The Bird (cock or crow) - The Cocotte / Pajarita

In the Introduction the author gives a clear description of the Cocotte / Pajarita, without giving the design a name, and seems to imply that it was known to Froebel.

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8. The Sails of a Windmill - The Windmill

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9. A Boat with House - The Ship

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10. A Cigar-Case - The Cigar Case

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11. A Flower-Stand - The Vase

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12. A Boat with Sail -The Boat with Sail

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13. A Double Boat - The Double Boat

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14. A Boat with Fishbox - The Boat with Fishbox

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15. Box - The Large Box

The text mentions that the box may have a cover of the same design.

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16. A Frame of a Picture - The Frame

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17. A Box with Low Sides - The Solid Box

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Folds of Life from Froebel's Double Groundform - Plate III

2. The Cross - The Cross

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3. The Scent-Bottle - The Scent Bottle

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4. The Muff - The Muff

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5. The Boots - The Pair of Boots

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6. The Hat - The Pyramidal Hat

Misplaced in the sequence of designs because it belongs to the figure (ie The Doll) of which the Author says:

.

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7. The Jacket - The Jacket

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8. The Trousers - The Trousers

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It is somewhat strange to find designs 9 to 13 at this point in the book, since they are not normally folded from a doubly blintzed, rather than a triply blintzed, square. In addition, the Double Boat has already been illustrated on the previous plate.

9. A Double Boat - The Double Boat

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10. A Duck - The Duck

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11. A Frame - The Picture Frame

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12. An Hour Glass - The Looking Glass

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13. A Box with Lid - The Junk Box

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Folds of Life from Kohler's Groundform - Plate III

Although these designs are said to be developed from Kohler's Groundform this does not seem likely in all cases..

2. A House-Boat - The Cup and Saucer

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3. A Handkerchief Case - ???????

It is not clear to me what design this illustration represents..

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4. The Celebrated Pig - The Pig

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5. A Double Boat - probably Another Double Boat

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6. A Fish - The Fish

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7. A Chair - The Bench with Arms

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8. A Bracket - The Corner Cabinet

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9. A Letter Rack

It is not clear to me how this form can be interpreted as a letter rack.

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Designs from oblongs - Plate III

2. A box - The Basic Box

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3. A Trough - Probably The Stand

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4. A Shovel - The Shovel

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5. A Hammer

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6. A Bench - The Seat

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7. A Wheeled Chair - The Bathchair

The wheels need to be made from cardboard

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8. A Table (made like 2) - The Piano Stool

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Miscellaneous designs (from the Keilhau list of objects written down in 1853) - Plate IV

The words 'These miscellaneous objects ... were known before Froebel raised Paper-folding into an educational method' imply that by contrast the Forms of Life pictured on the preceeding plates were not known before Froebel's time.

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1. A Hat - The Newspaper Hat

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2. The Pencil Case - The Pencil Case

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3. The Boat - The Paper Boat

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4. The Hat - The Soldier's Cap

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5. The Bellows - The Bellows

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6. The Secret Letter - The Puzzle Purse

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7. The Open Letter - The Love Knot Letterfold

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8. The Windmill - The Cut and Fold Windmill

9. Ornament for a Christmas Tree - The Slit and Assemble Cube

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Cut and Fold Polyhedral Nets - Plate IV

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New Geometrical Folds - Plate V

The attribution of the forms shown in Figs 13-16 to the author and/or Miss Steele is erroneous.

Forms 13,14 and 15 appear in the works of August Koehler.

Form 16 is form 15 applied to a blintzed square and is probably correctly attributed to the author, as may be forms 22 to 24.

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Folds of Beauty from The Blintzed Square - Plate VI and Plate VII

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Folds of Beauty from Kohler's Groundform - Plate VII

These folds seem to be developed from a second version of Kohler's Groundform in which the paper is turned over between steps 1 and 2.

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Folds of Beauty from Side 1 of the Double Blintz Base.

It seems likely to me that there is a misprint here and that the first sentence should end after (forms of beauty).

These designs are folded Side 1 of the Double Blintz Base (which has four square flaps meeting at the centre).

The Author designates this as groundform B1.

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Folds of Beauty from Side 2 of the Double Blintz Base.

These designs are folded from Side 2 of the Double Blintz Base which has four triangular flaps meetinmg at the centre.

The Author designates this as groundform B2.

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Folds of Beauty from the doubly blintzed square

These designs are folded from a square which has been blintzed twice without being turned over.

The Author designates this as groundform B3.

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Folds of Beauty developed from groundforms B4 to B7

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Designs from Groundform B4

Groundform B4 is made from a square which is white one side and coloured on the other. The corners of the square are blintzed alternately backwards and forwards, then blintzed again, all corners moving forwards. On the side where the triangular flaps are white the paper is pulled out from inside the blintzes to form flaps that are like those of a Windmill Base, except there are only two not four.

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Designs from Groundform B5

I cannot see how the groundform for these patterns is to be constructed

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Designs from Groundform B6

It appears to me that there is possibly an error in the work at this point. These designs appear to me to be constructed from Kohler's Groundform rather than groundform B6 (whatever that may be) as stated in the text.

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Designs from Groundform B7 - The Windmill

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Folds of Beauty from Groundform B8 - The Windmill Base

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Folds of Beauty from Octagonal Groundforms

The Plate referred to immediately below is Plate VIII

Picture 5 shows a new groundform made by folding an octagon onto a blintzed square and tucking the corners inside the layers, which can then be used as the basis of Folds of Beauty. The text relating to Plate V, Fig 16, stated this was an invention of the author's.

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How to use templates to construct hexagons, 60/120 rhombi and equilateral triangles in quantity

The text also explains how to construct a Bronze Rectangle from a 60/120 rhombus by folding all corners to the centre, although the term Bronze Rectangle is, of course, not used.

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Folds of Beauty from Equilateral Triangles

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The shading on Figure 2 appears to be incorrect.

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Folds of Beauty from Hexagons

Figure 1 shows the result of folding all the corners folded to the centre in turn.

The other designs are produced by first folkding three corners to the centre to produce a triangle.

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Folds of Beauty from the 60/120 Rhombus

Note: While the author presents these designs as being made from oblongs they are in fact developed from the 60/120 rhombus, the four corners first being folded into the centre to create a bronze rectangle.

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Folds of Beauty from Pentagons

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Figure 1 shows a design made by folding each of the corners of the pentagon inwards in turn.

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Folds of Beauty from Cut Circles

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Combinations of Geometric Forms

Note that figure 5 on Plate XXIX is a heptagonal star.

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Getafel Formen - designs made by treating Forms of Beauty as tiles

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Exercises for inventions and ingenuity

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Introduction and Advertisement

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