Posts Tagged ‘paper folding’
Origami is just another word for the art of paper folding in such a way as to represent an object. Origami paper can be any paper that will hold a crease or a fold, although some papers are preferred over others. Origami paper is sold in squares varying in size. It is generally white on one side and colored on the other (sometimes patterned).
Washi paper, made from fibers of the bark of the gampi tree, is stronger than ordinary paper made from wood pulp. This paper is available on the commercial market, but is expensive. Foil-backed paper, a sheet of thin foil glued to a sheet of thin paper, is sometimes used in origami. The foil paper is available in a multitude of colors. Likewise, one can make tissue foil by gluing a piece of aluminum foil to the front and back sides of a piece of tissue paper.
Kami appears to be the most popular paper for origami. It is the easiest to find and the cheapest to buy (other than plain white copy paper.) As a rule, it is printed on one side only with a solid color or pattern. Also, as we’ve mentioned before, paper money is a popular medium for origami.
No doubt most of us at one time or another in our life have created an origami project. I can remember, as a child, folding the corners of a sheet of paper to the center of the paper itself, sticking a pin through the center where the ends of the points overlapped, and attaching it to a stick. Taking it outside in the wind and watching it turn and whirl was great fun. The result, a pinwheel, was just one example of origami for kids to make.
The sailboats, airplanes, hats, and other items we made, though slightly more complicated, were all simple projects using origami. Once a child has mastered these skills, he can easily progress to more advanced paper folding designs.