Easy Origami

Barbara J. Feldman

Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. Today's tour includes hundreds to easy-to-learn models. You can start with regular copy paper, but as you progress you may be interested in buying a package of special origami paper, which is thinner, easier to crease, and available in many cool colors and prints.

Kids Web Japan: Let's Make Origami

3 stars

"According to Japanese tradition, one way to pray for good health is by folding a thousand origami cranes." Published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kids Web Japan introduces Japan to schoolchildren around the world. This section of the site includes instructions for thirteen origami models such as Dog, Cup, Piano, Balloon and Box. Click Next to visit the Download Center, where you'll find printable origami patterns with fold marks, and colored printable origami paper.

Origami Club

5 stars

Wow! What I love about the Origami Club is that the instructions are available both as a printable diagram and as an animation. And the animation can be sped up, or slowed down depending on your skill level. Other reasons to visit include their newspaper origami section, holiday collections (Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day), and their big page of fifty-one really easy origami models. Just one note of caution, this Japanese site, although written in English, uses A4 and B5 paper sizes, not the standard American 8.5" x 11".

Origami Fun

4 stars

Origami Fun is chock-full of projects rated by difficulty, available in printable PDF format and video, along with lots of origami tips. "Be patient. If you are just learning how to make origami, you have to realize that it is a contemplative and relaxed activity, that is, you can't go rushing through the instructions as fast as you can!" For the easiest models, look for those rated one or two pelicans, or go directly to the kids section. Sign up for the Origami Fun newsletter, and you'll get a sample copy of their Ultimate Origami e-book.

Origami.org.uk

5 stars

"Paper, of course, is mushed up plant material. Plants, as you know, grow through photosynthesis (energy from sunlight) so looking on t he bright side, origami is like playing with sunlight." Derek Stancombe started folding paper when he was nine or ten, "mainly because he was asthmatic and ran out of breath when trying to play sport." His beautiful site features creative, animated shorts starring origami figures, and a selection of origami games, all built in Flash.

OrigamiTube

4 stars

Yup, you guessed it. OrigamiTube is the YouTube of origami paper folding. "Watch, Fold, and Show Off!" Because all the videos are user-submitted, the quality varies greatly, but it's still a great source of origami how-to. Remember, you can pause and replay as often as you like, making these videos a great way to learn. To find a specific model, use the search function, or navigate through the categories such as animals, flowers, money, or kirigami (which include cutting in addition to folding.)