1. By Katerina Christhilf for Origami Kindness
The Art of Origami
By Katerina Christhilf for Origami Kindness

2. History Paper was first invented in China around 100 A.D.
It was introduced to Japan around 500 A.D.
Paper folding is thought to have begun in Japan around 700 A.D.
Origami likely started for ceremonial and spiritual purposes, such as folded paper strips called shide that were used in purification rituals
During the Heian period ( ), the Japanese nobility folded paper, including paper purses carried by gentlemen
The nobility began to form paper creatures, including paper butterflies used to decorate rice wine
Around 1300, a tradition of paper gift-wrapping began and developed into an important form of etiquette
As paper became more widely available in the 1700s, books began to be published about folding origami
Folding origami cranes became particularly popular

3. History (Continued)
Other cultures also folded paper, though they developed origami later and it was not quite as popular as in Japan
The Chinese began to fold paper around 1000 A.D.
The Arabs learned rom the Chinese and spread it to Spain and Germany
An origami enthusiast named Friedrich Frobel ( ) taught children origami to help them develop motor skills, and this increased the popularity of origami in Germany
In 1868, supporters of the emperor toppled the military regime, and the emperor was more open to Western influence
This created an intermingling of Japanese and European forms of origami and further spread Japanese origami
Since then, globalization has spread origami to many other areas of the world

4. Current Folders Rose by Robert J. Lang
Robert J. Lang: an American physicist who uses geometric principles to create unique and elaborate origami
Brian Chan: a mechanical engineer who uses mathematics to fold insects
Satoshi Kamiya: imagines origami folds in his mind and refolds them in paper
Tran Trung: creates accurate paper models of dinosaurs
Joel Cooper: creates origami masks of historic and imaginary characters
Yoshizawa: created the wet-water folding technique, which gives origami a more natural look
Vincent Floderer: creates unconventional origami using crumpling, dampening, and stretching, with often abstract designs

5. Techniques
Origami is typically made using a square sheet of paper, though it can be made with any shape of paper and/or multiple sheets
Some artists use scissors and a variety of coloring tools
Tessellation: a repeating pattern used to fill a plane without gaps or overlaps; typically uses pleats, twist folds, etc.
Wet-folding: smoothing down sharp angles and points with water

6. More Techniques

7. Creating an Origami Model
There are thousands of origami models available in books and online for folders of all abilities
However, advanced folders sometimes prefer to create their own models
Some people just imagine the design they want in their heads and then try using paper until they achieve the desired result
Others go straight to the paper and try different folds to see what they create
Many use mathematical ideals to diagram a model using paper and pencil before folding it with paper
Recently, artists have started using computer systems to create origami models
Try any of these methods or create your own to make a unique origami figure!

8. Thank You for Reading! Works Cited
Hall, Judy W. Christmas Origami. Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, 2001.
Lang, Robert J. "A3 Rose, Opus 718." 2017, rose-opus-718. Accessed 26 Apr
McArthur, Meher and Robert J. Lang. Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami. Tuttle Publishing, 2013.
Van Sicklen, Margaret. The Joy of Origami. Workman Publishing, 2005.