Crafts & Hobbies Information

Easy Origami


Starting out

Origami is an art of paper folding, therefore all you should need is a piece of paper and you can start folding away without any problems, right? Well, almost. You might need a few other things that we will talk about in this chapter.

Aside from the materials, we are also going to show you some of the basic folds, and how to read the directions of many of the patterns that you can find.

Materials

In origami, you might not just need paper - it always depends on how far you want to take your creations. Here are some of the tools in you should have in the toolbox:

Paper

Foil Backing

Scissors or blades

Glues and paints and other craft goods

Paper

You can almost use any type of paper in any color that you want. But, in order to make your origami fun and not frustrating, it might be best to use standard printer paper. If you use thinner paper, you might tear or wear out the sheets. If you use heavier paper, it might not be the easiest to work with, and the folds get more difficult to make as the paper folds over itself.

Some of the different kinds of paper you might want to use are:

Colored bond paper (standard printer paper in a color)

Colored construction paper

Newspaper

Plain white paper

Commercial origami paper

Colored and plain white bond paper can be bought inexpensively for just a few dollars and most of your basic origami creations can be made with this paper. You can also use construction paper, but it is heavier, and you won't have a lot of luck doing wet folding.

Many experienced origami enthusiasts will use commercial origami paper. This kind of paper is slightly lighter than standard bond paper, but it is actually more durable than its bond counterpart.

One of the other advantages of using commercial origami paper is the fact that it is only colored on one side. The opposite side of this origami paper is white. This is extremely helpful if you are designing or building dual-colored pieces like a zebra, for instance.

Foil backing

This isn't a major item in origami, until you get into more intricate designs. Many experienced origami artists use foil back paper for certain items that you aren't going to be able to fold with regular paper. These items might include: antennae on insect designs, and possibly small legs on any of the other creatures that tickle your fancy.

You can usually find foil backed paper in a craft store and it can quite expensive. Some people make their own (quite inexpensively) but it can be messy, as it involves using craft glue and aluminum foil wrap along with tissue paper to give you the same kind of look.

Scissors and blades

Although traditionalists might have a problem with using scissors and blades to help cut paper, it does have to happen sometimes. With that said, it rarely has to happen when you are doing the actual design of the origami piece.

Many of the origami patterns call for a square piece of paper, and unless you get commercial origami paper, you might have to cut your own to size. A good pair of scissors or an artist's blade and a straight edge will do the trick.

Jeremy Hansen is a recognized expert on everything Origami and author of the book "Origami Secrets Revealed: Everything You Need To Know And More". For more great information like this you can check out his website at http://www.m5info.com/origamisecrets.html


MORE RESOURCES:
Google

Times of Malta

Cops and hobbies
Times of Malta, Malta - 7 minutes ago
If you would like to have an idea of what some members of the police force do when off duty, visit the display being held at the police headquarters in ...


WWAY NewsChannel 3

New Hanover County's Republican party has candidate to run against ...
WECT-TV6, NC - 9 hours ago
... a degree from UNCW in political science. It's one of my hobbies. I look forward to represent the people who live in that district when elected," said Swart.
Local GOP officials choose nominee WWAY NewsChannel 3
NC Senate Gives Final OK To State Budget WXii 12.com
No Charges Against Charlotte Officer Involved in Taser Death WFMY News 2
FayObserver.com
all 86 news articles


Hobbies, interests: Hunting, fishing, horseback riding and ...
Niles Daily Star,  USA - Jul 7, 2008
What would you do if you won a million dollars?: Give to my church, pay bills, buy a faster barrel horses, put the rest away to help my kids with college. ...


Couple Find Success in Making a Personal Passion Pay
The Ledger, FL - 10 hours ago
By Rachel Pleasant MARY AND JERRY DIMLER decided 26 years ago that Mary's macrame and flower arranging hobbies could be a business. ...


Street Phly
Dispatch Online, South Africa - 2 hours ago
HOBBIES: Watching romantic movies, listening to R&B and jazz, and reading magazines like Drum. FUTURE PLANS: I want to follow in Basetsane Khumalo?s ...


Woman, 95, enjoys life, friends
Dearborn Press and Guide, MI - 6 hours ago
"I know that one of her favorite hobbies is planting flowers. That's about all she's physically able to do at her age." Aside from her favorite past time, ...


Consider future possibilities when looking to buy retirement home
Jasper Newsboy,  USA - 7 hours ago
If you have any hobbies, like sewing or quilting, you may want to purchase a home that has an extra room you can devote just to that. ...


Use bond acts for transportation, not hobbies
Albany Times Union, NY - Jul 5, 2008
We passed transportation bond acts to update and improve the infrastructures we desperately need and then squander the monies on hobby projects. ...


Abu Dhabi walkway opens
GulfNews, United Arab Emirates - 13 hours ago
A municipal official said more walkways would be integrated on the city's roads to provide sports lovers with safe areas to practise their hobbies.


Weakened in Paradise
clusterflock, TX - 18 hours ago
I?ll never give up intelligence-gathering, covert surveillance, and stalking as hobbies, of course, but ever since Big Government became more deeply ...

Hobbies - Google News

home | site map
© 2006