ORIGAMI
About Origami Origami comes from the Japanese “ori” meaning “folding” and “kami” meaning “paper”. It is the practice of folding techniques to make intricate designs. Wikipedia.
If you are a beginner, then starting out may be a bit difficult. However, patience is key. Please check out the Origami Instructor for simple tutorials. I would suggest with beginning with simple airplanes, boxes/containers or animal tutorials as they are easy to do and fun to make! Once you become more familiar with the techniques, don’t be scared to try more difficult origami! They are great to have around the house or to give as gifts. You may also want to consider an old Japanese folktale that says if you make 1000 cranes, then you can make a wish. To get started, you must get some paper! There are many you can choose from. You can get different textures, colours and patterns! There isn’t a limit to what paper mills have done for paper.
Simple Origami
Start with something small and easy. It may seem like children’s work but everyone has to start somewhere. Check out YouTube for easy tutorials! The examples above will help you understand basic folding techniques such as diagonal folds or cross-overs. Some may even have a bit of cutting involved so precision is necessary. There is a lot more to know when it comes to origami besides just folding paper. You must also take into consideration the grain direction, paper type and mathematics (typically for paper engineering).
Money Origami Origami can be down with most substrates. This is one that you can find in your wallet, money! Money origami looks really creative as they have their own designs and make great gifts! It’s also a great idea to keep in your wallet to show off or use as extra cash when you find yourself in a tight spot! For this example, you can also fit a coin in the center folds. It makes it look extra cool!
Things to Consider Colour Origami is typically very colourful and helps bring the paper to life. For example, if you choose to make animal origami then the colour of the paper should match the skin/fur of the animal.
Shape Keep in mind the shape of the product. It is important to ensure that the angles and corners are folded probably for the next fold. Paper has extra thickness so everything slowly will move and may shift the lines out of alignment. Origami is an art and it does take practice to master. There are calculations that need to be considered such as the paper size and the difficulty. A lot of fold means less surface space to work with. Also a large sheet does not always mean a large final product, each fold breaks down the origami into smaller pieces.
Fun It’s important to always have fun! Origami is a form of arts and craft that may interest anyone of all ages. So go with anything you think looks cool or seems fun! Go and have a blast creating your own origami!
Origami Gallery
Thanks for Reading!