Origami for you

Published July 26, 2014

ALL of you must have come across paper cranes and hearts made through origami and without cutting the paper. And I am sure many of you must have wondered “How did they do it?”

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While the creatively curious ones must have made an attempt to learn how to do it, the rest would not have bothered to discover the art that is origami, thinking it would be something difficult to learn.

Here we will explore the art of origami and show you how easy it is — everyone can make amazing shapes and forms by simply folding a piece of paper in the correct way.

It is a Japanese art form that increases manual dexterity and concentration and is now popular all over the world. Besides going into the history and benefits of origami, you can learn how to make a heart by paper folding with the simple instructions and photographs accompanied at the end.

And the best part is that now you have the chance to learn origami through this very magazine as we will be presenting you origami instructions accompanied with photographs to help you create amazing objects in our coming issues.

But before we start with that, let us learn something about origami. As many of you must know, this is a traditional Japanese art of folding a single piece of paper into different models such as flowers, animals, birds, plants, airplanes, decorative shapes and what not. Origami is a fusion of two words – ‘ori’ meaning folding and ‘kami’ meaning paper.

This art started in the 17th century and was handed down from parent to child through many generations and it became known outside Japan in the 1900s. Initially origami was practiced by the elite because paper was very expensive, but as paper became more affordable, common people began indulging in origami. Origami also started to be used as an educational tool, since the folding process involves many concepts that are relevant to the study of mathematics. So besides being taught in schools, it is also practiced at home. In fact, origami is so integrated into the Japanese way of life that celebrations and holidays are marked by colourful origami decorations made by the family. And gifts too are adorned by pretty origami decorations.

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Perhaps the best known origami model is the crane and probably one of the first things that a person learns to make through origami. And this could probably be because there is a traditional story in Japan that says if a person folds 1,000 paper cranes, they will be granted one special wish! And the world’s first book on origami is titled How to Fold a Thousand Cranes, written by Akisato Rito and published in 1797. Besides carrying instructions for folding paper cranes, it also dealt with cultural customs.

And the book that made cranes popular internationally is Eleanor Coerr’s Sadako and 1,000 Paper Cranes, the story of a young girl, Sadako, who was exposed to the radiation from the atomic bomb that the US dropped on Japan in World War II. When she develops leukaemia and is hospitalised, her friend visits her with an origami crane. She tells Sadako that the crane is a symbol of health and that if Sadako can make 1,000 cranes, she will be well again. Her friend then teaches her how to make it and Sadako begins her quest to make 999 more. This helps her take her mind off her illness and it attracts the attention of the staff and patients in the hospital, who learn how to make cranes from her and help her reach her target.

Is Sadako successful in making 1,000 cranes? Does she get well? For that you will have to make the effort of reading this rather touching and inspiring tale because I am not going to tell you ….

Beyond art

Over the years, it has been discovered that origami can be very beneficial for health as it provides both mental and physical stimulus with exercise. Origami helps develop hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and mental concentration.

In origami, many parts of the brain controlling both our physical and mental activities are used. Tactile, motor and visual areas of the brain are activated and brought into use. Memory, non-verbal thinking, attention,

3D comprehension and imagination are further stimulated by the brain’s exploration of origami.

These days origami is used in various therapeutic settings, including art therapy and in stroke and injury rehabilitation. This is also due to the emotional satisfaction and relaxation achieved at the end of successfully turning a simple piece of paper into a beautiful object.

Tips to practice origami

• Select good quality paper and cut it to the required size and form.

• Fold the paper neatly and carefully, especially at the edge of corners.

• Work on a hard flat surface. This will ensure that all the folds are as even as possible.

• Smoothen the creases of all the folds by moving your thumbnail along the paper edges. The more exact your fold, the better will your finished model be.

• Follow instructions carefully and in the right order.

• Lastly, concentrate and keep at it until you get the shape right. Good luck!

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