QR (quick response) codes are readable by smart phones or other bar code readers. (You've probably seen them in advertisements.) The encoded information can by almost any kind of data like text or a URL.
Some fun QR codes I've seen were made from food,yarn, fabric, and sand.
So, why not paper?
I decided to make a simple woven design with 1/4" strips. I chose light blue instead of white, just to see if it would have enough contrast to work.
First, I generated the QR code for a simple text message (Happy Birthday!), with QR Code Platform.
A QR code can be anywhere from 21 rows and columns up to 177. Simpler messages generate smaller codes than complex messages. Mine is 25 rows and columns.
I printed out the resulting image. If I had been smarter, I would have sized the printout to make the blocks 1/4". It would have so much simpler to check each row but just lining it up against the printed version. Alas!
Cut slits across the black paper, every 1/4", but do not cut through the edges. It helps keep the weaving tight if the black parts aren't flapping around untethered.
Cut 1/4" strips from a light colored paper. Then, weave away!
When it's done, push all the weavers together, nice an tight.
Test it to see if it reads. If you don't have a smart phone you can download a code reader from QuickMark.
Mine didn't work the first time because I had made a mistake in weaving. Good to check before you glue! (You can either unweave and re-weave a mistake, or correct it by gluing a square or bar of the correct color on top of the mistake).
Glue to a backing card and trim the edges.
Extreme Cards and Papercrafting: pop up cards, movable and mechanical cards, digital crafts and unusual papercrafts.