The Japanese invented this medium of art thousands of years ago and it still manages to capture the amusement of millions of origami enthusiasts all over the world. It comes from two Japanese words oru and kami which mean folding and paper, respectively.

Since paper was a sacred object, given that it used to be made by hand, when brought to Japan by monks in the sixth century, it was folded strictly for religious ceremonies.

When paper was produced for the masses eventually around the 17^th century, origami became a new form of art used recreationally by all, as exhibited originally by grandmaster Akira Yoshizawa. It also took form as a popular activity for children but recent studies have shown that it can help promote mindfulness in people of all ages.

Benefits of origami

1. All you need to practice this art is attention to be able to follow simple instructions and a piece of paper. You don’t need excess equipment or tools and you can use paper to make anything.

2. It helps you be aware of the present moment and allows you to focus.

3. It helps children develop perceptive and spatial skills, develop hand-eye coordination, be more dexterous and improve their concentration skills.

4. It also impacts children’s ability to study mathematics.

5. Origami teaches you to dismiss the idea of achieving perfectionism. The idea is to let go of false ideas which lead to criticizing and judging yourself.

Are you interested in delving into the world of origami? We’ve got you covered with a few simple basic folds that can help you make anything you want with paper.

Valley fold

This is simple to make and helps you make a sink in your paper and longitudinal lines on it. All you have to do is make creases along the paper after you fold it towards you.

Sometimes the instructions will ask you to fold and open, this is called pre-creasing. Valley folds are used to make various box style origami objects.

Squash fold

A squash fold does exactly what the name implies. It helps you compress the paper to assume the position you want it to.

You have to perform multiple creases one after the other and then squash the paper. Most folds of this nature are symmetrical in nature.

This is most helpful to make all kinds of flowers and animals of your preference.

Mountain fold

This is similar to a valley fold but in reverse! It is so called because it allows the paper to become more heightened like a mountain.

To make this design, fold and crease the paper away from you. Much like the first fold, there is a lot of folding and unfolding involved.

Make all your origami fantasies come true with our origami box kit. You can also find a range of affordable arts and craft supplies on our online store. Contact us for more information!