The Art of Japanese Origami “Making a Bow Tie” By Jodie Legaspi EDCI 622 Cris Guenter’s Class

Hi! My name is Jodie. The art that I chose to discover was the Japanese art Origami. I have always been fascinated by the art. I learned how to make a bow tie in elementary school, so I will be showing you how to make one! Along the way, I will share with you the history of the art of Origami and its significance to the Japanese culture.

Origami (pronounced or-i-GA-me) is the Japanese art of paper folding. "Ori" is the Japanese word for folding and "kami" is the Japanese word for paper. That is how origami got its name. However, origami did not start in Japan. It began in China in the first or second century and then spread to Japan sometime during the sixth century.”

After researching the history of Origami I learned that the Japanese would fold paper to give as gifts for weddings and good luck tokens. The Japanese were not wasteful, so they would use any scraps of left over paper to make origami figures.There were no written documents on how to make origami for centuries. It was an art that was passed down from generation to generation. The first Origami book was published in 1797 called How to Fold 1000 Cranes.

There are so many different kinds of colored and patterned paper that you can use to make a bow tie or any other origami figure. I just used a plain white piece, but there are endless possibilities! For more colorful paper you can visit the website

Me beginning to get finger fatigue! It seems as though I am out of Origami shape!

Me, my boyfriend Nick and my basset hound Lucy all enjoying a formal bow tie !

After doing this assignment I realized how difficult Origami is. Of course I did a very simple origami piece, but it takes great skill and time to do the more advanced figures. This activity would serve as a wonderful history lesson. The visual art activity can be applied to many different subject areas. Literature, history and even geography. When I learned how to make this simple bow tie in elementary school, I didn’t understand the cultural significance of folding paper in the Japanese culture. I actually learned some history by doing this assignment! Now I have gained a new appreciation for this highly skilled art form. I plan on learning how to make other figures out of paper. I hope you all had as much fun as I did! References