This page will help you learn the basics of folding.
Materials
What supplies do you need to begin? Frankly, you can fold origami with any sort of paper. For my first year, I stuck to using plain office paper (20-24lb). It’s economic and widely available, which makes it a great choice for starting out. This is all you need.
Office paper, however, is not very pretty, and does not handle quite as well as origami paper. As you progress, I suggest you buy specialized origami paper, which is not very expensive and can add quite a bit to polish.
Origami paper is divided into three general types: koi, foil, and washi.
Koi, the standard origami paper, is cheap and easy-to-fold. It is generally printed on one side. Prices range from 3 to 30 dollars for 100 sheets, depending on the print (solid color is cheaper than complex designs). This is the paper that you would use for practicing.
Foil is a layer of shiny metallic foil over a thin layer of paper. These are generally silver or gold, but can be any colored. Foil is more expensive than the cheaper koi and retails for about 15 to 30 dollars for 100 sheets.
Washi is a handmade paper, used in a variety of traditional arts, including origami, shodo (calligraphy), and ukiyo-e (woodblock prints). The most common type is known as kozogami and is rougher than normal wood pulp paper. Washi is quite expensive as it is handmade.
Besides paper, origami artists also may use scissors, adhesives (tape, glue, etc.) and creasers (for making sharp folds).
Instruction
Now that you’ve learned about materials, you are probably wondering what you’ll do with them.
Luckily, the internet is a great place to learn how to fold. Besides this site, there are several excellent sites you may enjoy:
Dev Origami - 300+ pdf diagrams all with thumbnails; superb site. This is where I learned to fold and is highly recommended.
Peacetree – Great section on basic folds; has some very nice beginner’s models as well as more difficult ones. Highly recommended
Meenakshi Mukerji’s Site – Superb collection of advanced diagrams, especially on the modular side. Page 2 of this site.
Joseph Wu’s Origami - Some more advanced diagrams.
Paperfolding.com - Very nice general information on origami with many links.
Origami Club – A collection of simpler diagrams.
Folds.net – A small selection of diagrams from simple to complex, with thumbnails.
First, you must learn the basic folds (which symbols represent what). Peacetree is an excellent place for this. Peter Budai also has a good page for the basics. After you accomplish this, I highly recommend you start with the simple models fromPeacetree and Dev Origami sites, because in my experience they give beautiful results while not being overly difficult for the beginner.
Specific models that are good for starting include:
A Last Word
I hope this helps you in your wish of your to fold! Best of luck, and always remember that diligence is the key. I’ve struggled with some models for years before figuring them out (albeit, I suffered from some poor diagramming). Luckily, you also have the Origami Club and its seasoned folders as an excellent resource!
