ORIGAMI THE ART OF FOLDING PAPER

Origami is the art of folding paper. The word Origami comes from Japan It literally translates as ori (folding) gami (paper).

The origins of Origami are not known, but it seems that as soon as paper was available, people will have fold it. What is certain is that the earliest forms of origami came from the East.

Origami consists in transforming a flat piece of paper into a three dimensional model. To be successful the instructions must be carried out with neatness and accuracy. It needs patience and repetition.

Origami folding needs to be controlled and accurate. Every crease is important, especially the first. Take your time with every fold, lining it up carefully before flattening the crease.

Origami paper comes in a variety of colours, sizes and textures Traditional origami paper is thin, strong and holds a crease well. It is usually coloured or patterned on one side and plain on the other.

Each project is illustrated with step-by-step diagrams. There are various types of arrow symbols to show what to do. The different types of crease are illustrated by different line weights.

You make them both whenever you make a crease At the heart of origami there are two folds: mountain fold and valley fold.

Step fold Fold in two Fold in half

Always turn the paper to make folds easier.

inside reverse fold and outside reverse fold are two basic techniques used in origami

Sink Crimp Certain sequences of folds occur regularly and have been given names.

To create the models the start point is a polygon. Corners or Vertex Sides or Edges

The most common polygon is the diagonal

But sometimes the base is a different regular polygon.

Origami is easier to do than you imagine. The first time you fold a model think of it as practice. Ussually your second and third attempts will come out much better. Make sure you have clean hands and a clean table before starting. It is good to work on a clean, flat surface. When following a diagram, always look ahead to the next drawing; it will help to you to understand the folds.