No matter what you start doing, we all have to start from the scratch some time. So did I, when I started out with origami.
And you know what, I started out by accident more or less. One night I was sitting at my computer and instead of working, what I was supposed to do, I was surfing the net. And all of a sudden I stumbled upon a website (sorry, don’t know which one that was anymore) displaying all sorts of origami fiugres.
How neat, I thought and then I wanted to know, how to do that. So I found a description of how to make an origami goldfish (which isn’t that easy after all). I didn’t have any origami paper so I took what I had, cut out a square piece of paper and started doing it.
Here you can see the result (I really do still have it). This was my very first origami figure. Not too bad for a start, isn’t it?
Now, which mistakes did I make?
- I didn’t start out with an easy figure, which you really should, even if it is just to keep you from getting frustrated.
- I didn’t use proper paper and it wasn’t cut very exactely so the proportions aren’t right.
- It would have been much easier if I had used coloured paper - I just didn’t have any.
- The paper, normal writing paper, is a little too thin for origami.
But you know what? I was sooo proud when I finished this little thing here. And that was what got me started.
How about you?
By the way, as origami paper isn’t really expensive, you should get yourself some. I did the very next day after finishing my goldfish.
Here is a very neat assortment of colored original origami paper (20 sheets, 10 different colors):
As already mentioned before, to become a skillfull origami artist it takes a lot of patience at first.
But there are a couple of tips for a good start so as not to get discouraged right away.
- Make all your folds very, very accurate. This is one of the most important parts of origami. If your folds aren’t accurate your figure will look inbalanced and just not right.
- Make very sharp creases, this will help you later on. Use your fingernails, chopsticks or a ruler to do so.
- When you are just starting out, it might be helpful to use paper with different colors on both sides, so you won’t loose your “orientation” while folding.
- You might also want to to start with larger paper than usual. This makes it a lot easier at first.
- Don’t start with very complicated figures, take it slow and start with easy little origami foldings. Move on to more complicated figures later on.
- Take your time and try to fully concentrate on your origami work. Origami is a little like a Zen meditation. The more you concentrate on what you are doing, the more relaxed you will be and the better your origami figures will come out.
Don’t take thing too serious. Have fun with your new hobby.
If you want to start out with Origami easily a complete starter kit might be a good choice. This one here includes 68 pages of original origami paper and a well done booklet.
It is a good deal.
Origami can be done almost everywhere and is not very expensive when it comes to supplies.
The only thing you will defenitely need to have is some sort of paper. It is best when it is thin but strong and weighs about 100gm/m.
If you do not want to buy special Origami paper (which, by the way, isn’t that expensive and comes in different colours and shades), you can of course start with normal writing paper.
Just make sure that you have 7 inch square paper - that is the traditional size and shape to start with.
To make the necessary sharp creases you can use your fingernail (most likely easier for women than for men) or use a chopstick or a ruler.
Origami is, as you can see, a very inexpensive hobby.
The most important thing you need is: A lot of patience. It takes some time to get used to all the folding and defolding. But as soon as you have succeeded in creating your first neat looking origami piece you will get addicted.
Moreover it is a little like meditation: It takes all of your attention and is a very quiet and peaceful thing to do. You will soon experience some kind of relaxation as well.
So, get started - now!
