Welcome to House of Origami

Origami comes from the Japanese words ori, meaning "folding", and kami, meaning "paper." It is the art of paper folding, which is often associated with Japanese culture. In modern usage, the word "origami" is used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat, square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture by applying folding and sculpting techniques. Modern origami practitioners generally discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. Origami folders often use the Japanese word kirigami to refer to designs that use cuts.

FEATURED LESSON

This wonderful piece is our featured lesson for this month

Spear-Tailed Dragon

This lesson is taught by the head of the Murakami House of Origami. It contains five mini videos demonstrating techniques passed down since the Edo period.

1. Making the head and neck
2. Forming the body
3. Making the wings
4. Shaping the tail

This lesson contains bonus links to suppliers for materials used in this tutorial.

The basic origami folds can be combined in various ways to create intricate designs. The best-known origami model is the Japanese paper crane. In general, these designs begin with a square sheet of paper whose sides may be of different colors, prints, or patterns. Traditional Japanese origami, which has been practiced since the Edo period (1603–1867), has often been less strict about these conventions, sometimes cutting the paper or using nonsquare shapes to start with. The principles of origami are also used in stents, packaging, and other engineering applications.