Literally translated from the language of the land of the rising sun "origami"- this is “folded paper”. Origami is called the art of the whole sheet, and this is the most important rule of origami - do not add or subtract anything unnecessary. For many centuries this law has been observed by all origamists.

That is why for thousands of years this art form has been considered the most original.

History of OrigamiArt about rigami has been around for many centuries,

it originated almost immediately after the appearance of paper in Japan. Paper itself was first invented in China, but it was the Japanese who figured out how to make origami and other decorative items out of paper. Since in Japanese the words “paper” and “god” are consonant, origami began to be given a religious meaning. This art was developed in Japanese monasteries. They decorated the walls of temples with origami and brought donations in boxes made using the origami "sanbo" technique. Paper and tools

for origami To master the origami technique, you do not need any special tool. On initial stage It is quite enough to have ordinary food-paper. Here short list

essentials to start learning:

Origami paper

Many origami figures can be folded from almost any type of paper. But there are some models that may require certain types of paper.

Special paper for origami “kami”

In craft stores, you can purchase special sets of various papers for origami.

They contain paper cut into squares of various colors and sizes. Origami made from such paper looks more impressive. What is so good about this paper?

Firstly, it is already cut into squares and you do not need to do it yourself, and secondly, it is much more convenient when working with origami: thin, but very durable - it can withstand numerous bending and straightening - this makes it an ideal material for crafts .

Embossed paper . This type of paper does not have a smooth surface, but an embossed one. Flowers created from such paper seem more natural.

When marking a future composition, you will need the simplest drawing tools: a compass, a ruler, a pencil.

Where to buy paper and tools for Origami: In My-made online store

Types and techniques of origami

For my centuries-old history, many styles and branches have appeared in the art of origami. Here are the main ones.

Traditional origami

Kusudama
(medicine ball)

Modular origami

Complex origami

Wet folding

Movable origami

Folding origami along a scan (pattern)

Origami Basics

Description of basic forms

Exist different kinds origami, which vary in degree of complexity and execution technique. Let's look at the most common types.

Classic (simple) origami
This type of origami is the easiest to perform. This is where one usually begins to get acquainted with the techniques of folding paper figures; classic origami can rightfully be considered origami for beginners. With its help you can fold beautiful paper cranes, dragons and many other figures.

Modular origami
This type of origami is different in that the craft will not be made from one sheet of paper, but from separate pre-assembled modules that are connected to each other. All the elements involved in assembling the figure are the same - this distinguishes modular origami from conventional origami, where several sheets are used.

Origami pattern
The pattern is very unusual technique folding figures from a sheet of paper. On the paper from which the craft will be made, all fold lines are marked in advance; the sheet must be folded along them. The pattern is one of the most complex types of origami.

Quilling
Crafts made using the quilling technique are based on long, twisted strips of paper. different lengths. It is from these paper curls that compositions are made, three-dimensional drawings that look unusual and beautiful. There are other types of origami, you can get acquainted with them on our website.

Origami are paper figures that belong to Japanese art and have existed in it for more than one century. Even in ancient times, monks used paper figurines to decorate temples and its halls, as well as to use them for religious purposes (carrying out rituals).

Every inexperienced master can make origami out of paper with his own hands, but the main criterion is perseverance and precision of movements. Today you will understand that you don’t need to be an ace to make these products beautifully.

Origami tools

The main attention should be paid to the choice of paper for crafts. For origami, office, hard paper of different types is suitable. color range. It is suitable for any scheme, both simple and complex.

To secure the paper, you need to purchase a glue stick or PVA glue. Other types of glue are also suitable, the best option there will be those that do not leave traces, and if they do, they can be easily eliminated.

Buy paints in spray cans to give the desired shade to products made from gray or plain white paper.

A cutter is suitable for straightening the edges of origami, but do not forget to be careful with it.

Also, to create toys you need rulers and pencils for drawing diagrams. To add creativity and originality to your origami, you can decorate it with beads, bugles, rhinestones, and ribbons.

Varieties of paper figures

In addition to the classic look, there are many different alternative types:

• Classic simple origami - those who first decided to make paper figures should start with it. An example of this style is a figurine of a crane.
• Origami from modules is more complicated than the first type. Several parts (modules) must be connected by simple folding. The product lasts quite a long time.
• Aerogami are paper airplane figures.
• Kirigami - creating figures using scissors. For example, postcards.
• Kusudami is a three-dimensional origami, parts of the product are connected to each other using threads and glue. The shape of the figurine often resembles a large ball. This type often used to decorate the entrance to the temple.

Paper cranes

It is a classic type of origami. There is a legend among the people that if you make a thousand cranes, then what your heart wants will come true.

Let's take a closer look at how to make this wonderful figurine.

• Having folded the sheet diagonally, we cut off the unnecessary paper so that a sheet resembling a triangle remains.
• We bend it again. There should be 2 triangles. From the resulting triangle, straightening it, we make a square. We perform the same procedure on the other side.
• We hold it so that the edges are on top and bend them strictly towards the center.
• We also bend the upper triangle. And immediately we straighten the fold, we get a contour.
• We bend the corner that is lower than the rest horizontally.
• We make a rhombus (we align the edges to the center of the side). We perform the same maneuvers with the other side.
• To form the neck, take hold of bottom part and begin to bend where the inner contour is. Using the same method, we make the tail of the crane.
• Where the neck is, we bend the beginning, so we get a beak.
• We fold his wings using a small angle bend.

If desired, the crane can be painted or taken directly colored paper. The origami crane is ready.

Rose using origami technique

More attractive and easier for most beginners and origami masters alike are origami flowers. A common figurine is a paper rose.

Let's consider step by step instructions and a photo of this origami:

• Take colored paper, preferably red, fold it in half, then fold it again.
• We open the layer of paper that is at the top a little so that we get a swollen top.
• Turn it over to the other side and repeat the action described in the previous paragraph.
• Take the corners and bend them to the top corner.
• We bend the triangle that soon turns out in half until an outline appears.
• Open the triangle by pulling both corners down.
• Holding the pockets by the top, fold them down.
• We do points 4 to 7 on the other side.
• We bend the top corner.
• We unfold the lower part like a book.
• We bulge so that we get 2 triangles.
• Turn the product over.
• We carefully bend the lower right square from the top to the bottom edge (strictly diagonally).
• Turning 180̊ and doing point 13.
• We grab the walls of the origami with our fingers and, without fear, rotate it 360° until we see the resulting petals.

Paper swan

This technique is more complex than others since it uses a method modular origami. In order to make a three-dimensional swan, you need:

• Make approximately 460 triangles from white paper and 1 red one for the beak.
• We insert the corners of two triangles into the pocket of the third.
• Let's add two more. We put all the corners in the pocket.
• We make three such rows. You need to take about 30 modules for each row. We close the circle.
• Insert blanks for the next two rows.
• We press the center so that it slowly turns out.
• With all this, we turn the edges up.
• We make the rows further, but do not forget about the checkerboard order of the modules.
• In row 7 we make modules for the wings. We attach 12 blanks, making a gap for 2 corners, and attach the same number of blanks. In the remaining places we make the swan's tail and neck.
• In the 8th row for wings, the number of blanks becomes 1 less.
• We do this with subsequent rows until 1 module remains in the last row.
• We make the tail by reducing the pieces by one in each row.
• We assemble the neck from 10-12 modules, and the head from one red blank. We create the neck by gradually arching it.
• When the neck is ready, we assemble it together with the body.

DIY origami photo

Note!

Note!

Origami (translated from Japanese as “folded paper”) is the ancient art of folding various figures made of paper without the use of scissors and glue. There are many versions of where exactly the origami technique originated. Presumably in Ancient China, where paper was invented, but one can say for sure that it developed and became an entire art form in Japan.

Since ancient times, origami has played a wide variety of roles in the life of the Japanese; at first it was used as decoration wedding ceremonies and ritual processions. For a long time, only representatives of the upper classes knew the technique of folding paper. And only after the Second World War, origami went beyond the East and became available to everyone.

IN different countries acquired origami technique different meaning: for the Japanese it has become part of a cultural tradition, for the British and Americans it has become a type of club activity, for the Dutch it has become a culture of interior decoration.

In Russia, origami has found application in the field of education and leisure. Paper folding not only develops the hemispheres of the brain and fine motor skills, but also has a beneficial effect on the human psyche. Origami promotes concentration, develops memory and imagination.

There are different types of origami, which have their own special names.

Types of origami

Simple origami. This technique uses only two folds, called "mountain" and "valley".

Origami from a scan. It is a drawing on which all the lines of the necessary bends have already been drawn. When assembled, the result is a three-dimensional and very realistic model. This technique is most often used when creating animal figurines.

Wet origami. The youngest technology, it appeared a little over 20 years ago. Using wet origami, you can make almost any shape out of paper. But special paper impregnated with glue is used.

Quilling or paper rolling. This is a fairly simple but labor-intensive technique. Thin rolled strips of paper are used to create geometric figures, they are glued to the edge of the paper to the base, and a whole picture is obtained.

Kirigama. This is the only technique that uses scissors. Made for postcards with three-dimensional elements.

Monegami. Origami folded from banknotes.

It is made up of several identical figures called modules. These modules are various forms: square, rectangular, triangular. Assembles without the use of glue or threads.

Kusudama. This volumetric figure spherical shape. As a rule, it consists of several modules that are glued together, and more often sewn together into a ball shape. Initially it had ritual significance, however, in our time it is a souvenir and interior decoration.

Basics of modular origami technique

In this article, I suggest you master the main element of modular origami, from which you can subsequently create a variety of figures and models of varying complexity.

Sometimes the modular origami technique is mistakenly classified as a kusudama technique, but this is incorrect because the kusudama elements are stitched or glued, and in modular origami they are inserted into each other without the use of fastenings. Thus, you can create modular figures without any glue, having only paper on hand.

Let's try to learn how to fold the modules from which a spherical kusudama flower is formed.

Triangular module assembly diagram

Modules are made from sheet metal rectangular shape(A4 sheet will work fine).

Memo: For modular origami, it is better to choose fairly thick paper.

Fold the leaf in half lengthwise.

We bend it in half again, but this time across (this fold is necessary to mark the middle, so after bending, bend it back).

In the middle you can see the fold line, which we will focus on.

Now, according to the principle, we bend the edges of the sheet to the intended middle at a right angle, like the wings of a paper airplane.

Turn the leaf over and fold the bottom part up along the edge of the triangle.

We bend the corners beyond the edges of the large triangle.

Bend the lower part back, leaving the corners bent.

We fold the corners inward so that they are not visible, and bend the trapezoidal parts upward.

Now we fold this triangle in half. We now have the original module.

To fold the flower, we need corners and pockets.

A pocket is the same corner, only with reverse side. On the other side of the corner there are pockets into which the corners will be inserted. Any figure using the kusudama technique is made up of triangular modules that are inserted into each other.

Each row is assembled using two corners (one corner from two different modules) placed in the pockets of the third module.

Also in the scheme there is doubling of modules (to give the shape of a ball); for this, only one corner is placed in the third module, and the second pocket remains empty.

And in the next row, the module is put on as usual, on the corners of two different modules.

By adding modules in a row in this way, you can get a spherical shape, from which, in turn, you can put together various figures, for example, a swan, a dragon, etc., which will be discussed in more detail in the following master classes.

There are several types of origami, varying in degree of complexity and technique. If you decide to take up this type of art for the first time, start with the simplest figures classic origami: tulip, crane, dog, whale, etc. Crafts made using classical techniques do not require much time. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions, folding the paper strictly according to the diagram; such diagrams can be easily found on the Internet.

Samples of simple figurines

Modular origami

Having mastered classical technique, you can start modular origami. The fundamental differences between these techniques are that classic figures are flat and folded from one sheet of paper, but to create modular origami you will need a certain number of identical paper parts (modules), which are inserted into each other, turning into a three-dimensional figure.

Samples of classic modular origami

Modular (volume) origami is more complex and labor-intensive, but this technique can be used to create entire paper sculptures, as well as various useful items that can be used in everyday life and given as a gift: boxes, stands for small items, boxes, vases.

Samples of modular origami: classic (left) and kusudama (middle and right)

Kusudama is a type of modular origami

One of the varieties of modular origami is the kusudama technique - folding a certain number of paper cone-shaped elements into spherical shapes. Many origamists consider kusudama a fundamentally different technique, since stitching of parts is most often used to make and assemble figures. Having mastered kusudama, you will be able to decorate your home with fantastically beautiful flower arrangements, looking at which it is difficult to believe that they are made of paper.

Kusudama samples

Paper for figures, or what origami is made from

To create origami figures, there is a special paper, but you can use any other paper, as long as it is thick enough, for example, office paper (colored sheets for a copier or sets of writing blocks) will do. Size finished product will depend on the number and size of modules.

Origami is a very convenient hobby; it does not require special premises, equipment, devices, and with minimal costs for materials it allows you to create the most beautiful things and get great pleasure from creativity.