What is an Origami?
Origami is the art of making recreational patterns and shapes by folding paper. Quite often, it is associated with Japanese culture. It is an extravagant yet entertaining activity of Japanese performed during their leisure time. The word origami has been derived from the Japanese words ‘ori’, which means folding and ‘kami’, meaning paper. Although origami is closely related to Japanese culture, it also has roots in Europe and China.
Traditionally, origami is prepared by folding a single sheet of square-shaped paper, mostly coloured on one side, into a sculpture. It was done without cutting, using glues and tapes, or even marking them. Today the term ‘origami’ is used for any folding practices, irrespective of its cultural origin. This article will teach you various ways of creating simple paper design origami.
How to Make Anything with Paper?
Craft is quite an intensive hobby; if you don’t know how to make anything with paper, you can learn here. Paper has been the most widely used material for crafting for ages. It’s the simplicity of paper crafting that astounds everyone to date.
Paper is an easily accessible material; once you have it, you will be surprised to know the incredible things you could create. Paper crafts include several avocations like simple paper design origami, scrapbooking, card making, paper cutting, bookbinding, etc.
Paper origami can be tricky and, at the same time, a fun-filled activity. You can create a varied number of paper origami shapes and patterns. Here is a list of step-by-step origami design instructions using paper.
House with Origami
House Origami
Creating a house origami is pretty simple, and you will enjoy building it by following the below-given steps.
Step 1: Start with a square-shaped colourful origami paper. Place the coloured side down.
Step 2: Fold the paper in two halves by bringing the left edge over the right edge. Open the fold.
Step 3: Fold it again into two halves horizontally by placing the top edge over the bottom. Unfold it.
Step 4: Considering the top half as one, fold it like step 3. Turn the paper over. Repeat the same for the bottom half. This will create four equal horizontal divisions on the paper.
Step 5: Fold the left edge and right edge to the centre of the paper.
Step 6: Now open the top left and right flaps and spread each corner to either side. Flatten them down such that it takes the shape of the roof. This part might be a bit tricky.
Step 7: Turn the entire figure over and draw doors and windows using a marker. Finally, your desired house origami is built.
Crane Origami
Crane origami is the most famous among all the origami patterns created traditionally using paper. It is said to be designed after the Japanese red-crowned crane. Only a few simple steps are enough to build this.
Crane Origami
Step 1: To make a paper crane, you will need square-shaped origami paper. You can use any size and coloured paper to create this origami design.
Step 2: Fold the paper diagonally from one corner to another. Repeat the same by folding from the other end corner. Make sure to do it as perfectly as possible such that when you open the folds, you get to see an ‘x’ mark on your paper.
Step 3: Now flip the paper over to the opposite side and fold the top horizontally to the bottom, making it into two halves. Make sure that when you open the folds, you see a ‘+’ sign over the ‘x’ mark on the paper. Repeat it by folding the left side onto the right.
Step 4: Place the paper with the coloured side and one of the corners facing you. Now bring the two side corners together to meet the corner facing you. Press the top corner down to meet with other corners, thus forming an accordion-shaped folded square.
Step 5: Keep the flap corners still facing your side. Bring the top right-hand corner of the flap and fold it to align properly with the centre diagonal line. Repeat the same with the top left-hand corner.
Step 6: Pull the top part down to the centre and press it along the crease.
Step 7: Open up the folds you created in the last step. Now, lift the top front-end corner and hold down the other three corners from the front. Next, pull the top corner upward to look like a frog’s mouth.
Step 8: Flatten the top piece by pulling the top corner up and back. Press all these folds downward carefully, and you will make a diamond shape on top of the bottom diagonal square.
Step 9: Repeat the steps from 5 to 8 on the other side by flipping the paper over.
Step 10: Now fold the right and left top corners of the diamond to meet the centre line. Press down the folds. Repeat this by flipping the paper over.
Step 11: Lift the top right flap and press it on top of the other side. Press down the fold in the middle. Repeat the same by flipping over the paper.
Step 12: Next, lift the top flap and fold it such that it meets with the other end. Press it down. Repeat it on the other side of the paper.
Step 13: Like step 10, fold the right side top layer and press in on the left side. Repeat the same on the other side.
Step 14: Now pull the long pieces of paper from both ends to align with the angle of the body fold. This will make the tail and the neck. Bend the top of the neck to make the head.
Step 15: Fold down both the flaps from the body fold to form the wings. Press them down.
Step 16: Pull the wings apart to make the crane stand and turn the figure upside down. Gently pull the opposite corners as well to open up the body. And you’re all ready to play with your crane.
Benefits of Paper Origami
Origami has been a popular crafting activity among children of all ages. It is fun and quite beneficial to children’s growth and development.
Paper origami is mostly created using fingers. This helps in improving motor skills and brain development.
Creating and practising different, step-by-step origami shapes and patterns help develop children's imagination and enhance their colour sense.
It also helps children to concentrate and improve spatial awareness.
Conclusion
Origami, the art of folding paper into small, unique, intricate designs, is a popular crafting activity. Paper is the most commonly used material to create these wonderful structures. You could easily make one by yourself if you follow the step-by-step origami instructions carefully. It helps you enhance eye and hand coordination and improve mental concentration.
