About Origami

Origami is paper folding. The word comes from the Japanese 'oru' meaning 'to fold' and 'kami' meaning 'paper'. It is generally regarded as Japanese, although it is very likely that other cultures independently evolved their own paper folding traditions.

Probably as old as paper! There was certainly a tradition in Japan (and probably also in China and Spain) as far back as the 16th century. This was likely to be the simple traditional models handed down from parent to child.

Special Origami paper is available which has the particular qualities that make it more suitable for folding, but almost any paper will do.

Always fold on a hard surface such as a table and allow plenty of space around you. Try and fold as accurately as you can, sloppy creases will cause problems later on.

Make all creases nice and sharp, pressing them down with your fingernail or smooth object such as a spoon

Don’t rush. Take your time and make sure you understand each step before you do it. Looking ahead at the next picture can help you understand what to do.

If you go wrong, read back through the instructions again and check your work looks the same as the picture.

Origami is fun, enjoyable and relaxing. Fold and share with friends.

There are lots of very good origami books available from your bookstore or library. The internet is a good source of origami information with lots of diagrams and information published on the net by origami enthusiasts from around the world. Typing origami keywords into any good search engine will bring back excellent results.