Is Origami For You?

Origami is a fascinating activity which involves folding paper in specific patterns and sequences to achieve a particular goal. However interesting it may be for some people doesn’t mean Origami is for you. This activity requires the individual to possess or work on certain skills. In order to take on any origami project you must be patient. These projects take time and you need to be focused and capable of concentrating. This step-by-step or sequencing process needs to be followed to the letter. If you aren’t someone who likes to follow instructions, Origami is definitely not for you.

(picture used from OrigamiMagiro on “The Origami Forum”)

How are you with problem solving? How about logical thinking? Both of these skills are needed in order to make Origami, especially advanced Origami a success. The individual needs to be able to look beyond the current step and know what should come next. They need to be capable of forecasting the outcome of each step of the Origami process. If a mistake is made or a step is skipped, it is quite helpful if the person can figure out where they went wrong. Again patience is needed since an Origami project or particular portions of the project may need to be repeated several times.

Other advantages of Origami have been seen in people with behavioral issues and problems interacting with others. Do you fall into either of these categories or do you know someone who does? If so Origami may be able to help. Origami has been shown to help people develop social skills by taking part in a group project where they are compelled to help each other. Therapists have found that origami is a great way to break the ice and build bridges. Origami can make a person stop and think instead of making rash decisions.

Are you are person who likes to set goals? Are you someone who needs something to work towards? Origami is a great activity for goal setting. Looking at a picture of the intended outcome provides the individual with a motive to complete a project. With each fold they are closer to their goal. Once the object is finished and the goal is reached, they experience a sense of achievement. Goal setting is great to teach children as well. Achieving a goal helps them to feel empowered and equipped for the next new challenge.

Is Origami for you? Only you can answer that question. It is certainly worth trying. You may like it or you may hate it. However if you’d like to learn more about Origami before attempting your first project, why not log onto the Internet and take a look at just what you are signing up for. There are hundreds of Origami-related websites, including WWW.HOWTOFOLDORIGAMI.COM. This site was created for anyone who wants to do Origami as a hobby or those who want to become, or already are, serious origamists. Browsing the information and pictures provided here may help you make a decision as to whether or not Origami is right for you.

The History of Origami

This is a blog about How To Fold Origami, but first I wanted to take a step back into exactly what Origami is, and how it came to be. Origami gets it name from the two Japanese words “ori”, meaning to fold, and “kami” meaning paper.

Picture of paper crane instructions from first known book on origami Hiden senbazuru orikata published in Japan in 1797. (picture used from Wikipedia)

Knowing this you can easily see how the English American version of the word came to pass; Origami meaning to fold paper. The idea of folding paper was introduced into Japan around the 6th century when Buddhist monks brought paper into Japan. Although this is when it was introduced Origami wasn’t a staple in Japan yet due to the high price of paper, and was only used for religious ceremonies. Even though Japan has put its spin on this traditional art it was not Japan, but China who was first known to create origami. This was in the first and second century, where they used Origami to exchange as gifts, sometimes with fish wrapped inside. For years after the Japanese perfected the art of Origami there were no books or written instructions on how to perform the delicate folds, they were just passed on from generation to generation. The first book to really give written instructions along with Origami folding models was the book “How to Fold 1000 Cranes”, which was published in 1797. Fast forward to 2012, we still use origami as an art to this day and still pay our respect to the guru of our for fathers and make the paper crane today. During your stay here on my blog WE WILL DEFIANTLY LEARN TO MAKE A PAPER CRANE, to hark back to the day when Origami was originated.

Finding Information about Origami               

Origami, initially used as a hobby or pastime has various uses in today’s society. This art form is still enjoyed by many as a hobby however it has found a place in other different areas. Because it includes mathematics, Origami is used in schools to teach children. Using origami as a teaching tool helps to make learning math more enjoyable. This activity is also used by medical professionals for various types of therapy including therapies for mental health patients. Origami is also used in the technical world as well.

Where would people find information about Origami? RIGHT HERE, we want to be your go to place for everything Origami so we will be doing frequent posts to keep you abreast of all things, HOW TO FOLD ORIGAMI. Stay toned and even join our e-mail list so we can provide you with frequent updates on any exciting new offers or training to advance your hobby as an origamist.

origamist - n. A person trained in the ancient japanese art of folding paper.

Basic Origami Folds Terms & Techniques

As with any other craft Origami has its own terms and techniques. Here are some basic horizontal and vertical folds. It is very important to keep all your folds crisp and clean. Learn to master these main folds and you will be a master at Origami in no time.

The Book – fold a piece of paper (rectangular or square) down the middle vertically making certain the opposite edges line up one on top of the other. For many Origami figures you will need to add another book figure – open the paper and make another fold across the middle horizontally again, making sure the edges lie one on top of the other. If you don’t open the book before making the second fold you end up with the handkerchief fold which gives you a small square with four layers of paper one on top of the other.

image used from www.infobarrel.com

The Cupboard – using a square piece of paper make the book fold then open the paper and take each outside edge and fold it to the center line. By bringing each edge over to the next line you will end up making even more equal vertical strips.

image used from www.infobarrel.com

The Shawl (Valley) – Make a diagonal fold down the middle of a square piece of paper making sure your edges and corners lay on top of each other. If you need a second diagonal fold open the sheet of paper completely before starting the second fold to get a more exact line.

image used from www.infobarrel.com

The Envelope – using a square piece of paper make diagonal folds down the center in both directions. Open the paper and bring each corner up to the middle.

image used from www.sciencelearn.org.nz

WELCOME TO: How to Fold Origami!

First and foremost, my name is Anthony P. and I’m from a small town in Jackson Ms. I moved to Atlanta, Ga.  when I was young and have been there ever since. Now that that info is out of the way I want to talk bout why you have come to my blog, ORIGAMI. I started Origami in elementary school because I was a quiet kid and needed something to do.

“Papercut” from The Adventures of Pete & Pete on Nickelodeon. (picture used from site: Fanpop)

After   watching a show on the Nickelodeon channel “The Adventures of Pete & Pete”, I became fascinated at the character “Papercut”, which is a boy who grew up a paper shop and had cuts all over him from the paper. Well this boy, villain, also folded different things out of paper, even weapons. So the next day I ended up staying after school in the library and did research to find out that was Origami this kid was using. So after staying after school again for hours for weeks going through each and every Origami book on the shelves, and I finally found something I was good at. After acquiring the skill of paper folding I begin to practice before class, at lunch, and after school. I became so good i started to come up with my own Origami creations. I saw there was a market for these paper creations and after giving plenty of them out I created a list with prices and started to charge for them. The rest is history and that’s what brings me here to share my knowledge with you and maybe give away some more creations!

Enjoy my blog and please come back and see me. Thanks!