Origami – The art of paper folding

Who would have thought that origami did not originate in Japan. Just by the name itself we could tell that it’s Japanese. Origami came from the combination of “oru” which is the Japanese term for folding and “kami” which is the Japanese term for paper. But it was said that the art of paper folding initiated in China around 100AD and was adopted by the Japanese in 600AD. Evidently it was the Japanese paper folding that has been known worldwide. In early years only the rich do origami, it is for the reason that they are the only ones who can afford to buy paper at that time. Origami had been a part of Japanese way of celebrating different occasions. You can see it in the weddings, funerals and other important events.

	Origami Fun Kit for Beginners (Dover Fun Kit) Price: $7.81 List Price: $14.95
	Easy Origami Price: $1.11 List Price: $3.95
	Origami Zoo: An Amazing Collection of Folded Paper Animals Price: $12.21 List Price: $19.95
	Absolute Beginner's Origami Price: $7.49 List Price: $12.95

Origami paper

Basically we can just use any paper that we want. But if we want to use the ones that the Japanese uses in their paper folding then we can use:

“Kami” – This is a thin paper, very easy to fold and this is the cheapest kind.
Japanese foil - This kind of paper is a little glossy and is good for retaining the creases.
“Washi” – This is a thick hand-made paper. It is not often use in origami because of its thickness and it is quite expensive.

The Crane

The most famous figure would have been the crane. The crane is regarded as a sacred bird in Japan. It was believed that if a person had made a thousand cranes then one wish will be granted. So what are we waiting for let’s start making some until we’ve reach to a thousand.

How to make an origami crane.

http://clubs.ntu.edu.sg/ntujac/origami1.jpg

Origami Crane Folding Instructions - SLOW VERSION

Huh it's hard to follow at first but after some tries I bet you can make it. See I made one! 999 more to go! =)

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Comments

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badcompany99 says:
4 months ago

Alas I used to be able to make them when I was a kid, and when my daughter was a kid, now I have to wait on her having a kid. Nice little hub, enjoyed it !

Dottie1 says:
4 months ago

I learned origami paper folding back in the third grade from a classmate who invited me to her house many days after school. We would sit on the floor and fold away. I seem to have lost count of the number of cranes I have folded over the years but there were many. Hmmm now if snoopy were only a sacred dog my wish would be pretty close to being granted... LOL. Thanks Charia, I enjoyed your hub!

lafenty says:
4 months ago

I've always been fascinated by Origami. A very interesting art. I've tried it a few times, even got the kids a book on it, which came with paper and instructions, but still had trouble. I will try a crane, though. Thanks for a great hub.

Charia Samher says:
4 months ago

Hey BC we still can enjoy it even if we're kid no more.=)

LOL Dottie! I bet you've made more than a thousand already. When I was a kid I never learned origami crane, only some origami frogs, planes, flowers but never a crane, huhu! I started too late! =)

Hi lafenty! Thanks for stopping by. Yeah no harm in trying. Let's make a thousand crane! =)

Thank you guys for enjoying my hub! =)

ripplemaker says:
4 months ago

Origami is a fun thing to do esp. for older kids! :-) I know, I'm already an older kid myself LOL

Zsuzsy Bee says:
4 months ago

I bought a kit for my granddaughter last Christmas and we spent a lot of time folding away...then a friend daughter got married about three months ago and they needed 380 cranes which they were using instead of place cards...I was invited to dinner three times and after the meal we all got together and folded and folded some more. I'm actually not too bad at it anymore and it sure was a lot of fun.

great hub Charia

regards Zsuzsy

GeneralHowitzer says:
4 months ago

Hehehe the traditional way of using time well during spare time. Well done there dear.

Charia Samher says:
4 months ago

LOL teacher Michelle, you are so right about that "esp for older kids" lol! Thanks! =)

Thanks Zsuzsy! So the kit helped you help a friend hehe! Nice that you have some fun doing origami with your friends, but I bet it was more fun doing it with you granddaughter. =)

Thank you, GeneralHowitzer. Traditional it is. Maybe now-a-days the young will be interested in origami if there will be Wii-origami or origami in PSP. LOL!

Paraglider says:
4 months ago

I hope your wish is granted - even before your 1000th crane :)

anglnwu says:
4 months ago

I love origami, even though I have clumsy hands and a great inability to follow the instructions. Thankfully, I have great Japanese friends and they have helped me make many different types of objects. I've used origami in my Sunday School teaching-- making boats for Noah's Ark and then having the kids sail their origami boats on water. Crane--yes, lots of uses for that too--creation, nature and if the kids use their imagination--the ravens who fed Elijah--haha--

Charia Samher says:
4 months ago

Thanks for the visit Paraglider! =)

Oh I bet you can do it yourself anglnwu, there's a lot of easy to follow instructions on the net this days. You'll enjoy it; you can even enjoy it with the kids. =)

hotbabefatchicks says:
4 months ago

Well explained... i could teach this one with my students. But i need more...

Charia Samher says:
4 months ago

Thanks for reading hotbabe. =)

regality says:
3 months ago

hi charia, i included you in my feature for my 100th hub!

Please see - http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-100-Filipino-Hubbers-f

Thanks!