Let's Start With Simple Origami

We'd all like to be able to sit down and fold a really intricate piece of origami in a couple of hours, but your common sense tells you that you just can't do that. Actually, you can! The key lies in simple origami. You see, folding basic origami is the first rung on the ladder of origami achievements. Without it, your fingers will never achieve the dexterity, steadiness, and skill necessary to fold advanced origami. But don't get discouraged, practice makes perfect; and with origami, just a little bit of practice goes a long way. And the rewards of learning origami are inestimable.

Once you feel comfortable with paper and making it fold the way you want it to, it's time to move up a step. The idea is to fold something that is complicated enough to be fun and challenging, but simple enough to be completed on the first or second try. Often people drop their origami skills because they get discouraged after attempting something which they don't have enough practice yet to complete. This is mainly because they don't have the right resources, or don't know where to start. On this site, that is the biggest mistake you could make. Start with simple origami and work your way up. If you ever feel stuck, please do contact me.

So now that you see the importance of starting simple, lets do it. First, go dust off your origami book, or better yet browse through the best free online archive of origami instructions. Find something that has about 10 steps. This is good assurance that the model will be very simple origami. Depending on how far you get, either go back and try another beginner model, or move on to something that's rated higher. Keep on practicing and you'll quickly find yourself mastering the beginner levels and advancing to intermediate models. Folding these models are naturally more rewarding because the finished effect is more lifelike.

Once you feel that you have good control over a standard sheet of paper, it's time to expand your horizon. While most any flexible material can be used for origami, ranging from paper napkins and teabags to plastic films and tin foils, a thin strong paper is preferable for most ordinary folding. This kind of paper is most likely sitting right underneath your desk. Believe it or not, multipurpose or copy paper works well for simple origami. Also, filler paper is good for beginners and intermediates though it lacks the strength necessary for models with many tiny folds and refolds that put a lot of stress on the paper. If you don't have any of this at the office, just pick up a pack at your favorite office supply store or use the paper out of the spiral notebooks that are always on sale at any discount store.

As you continue to practice more and more, you will naturally be moved to find thinner and stronger paper as you do models that are increasingly demanding. There will come a time when you'll find your self easily and comfortably folding exceedingly complex models. At this point, not only will you be capable of tackling any origami project that comes your way, but you will have learned enough about origami design to start designing your own models. Then, tell me about them, and if I like your designs, I'll post them on this site for the whole world to fold. Who knows, maybe one day, you'll be folding some really amazing origami.

Now, as you run to grab a sheet of paper, just remember. This process isn't magic. It's something far better, it's practice. We've all heard the old saying: "Practice Makes Perfect," and who doesn't want to be perfect at origami? So let's fold!

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