How to make origami

Origami is the art of folding paper into a shape representing an object. There are many folding techniques that you need to learn to form a shape out of a piece of paper. Two most important techniques are valley-fold and mountain-fold. At least, you must know what they are and you will have no problem of folding a simple origami model by using only these two folding techniques. But in order to learn how to make all kinds o f origami models, you need to master the following folding techniques shown below.

Origami Bases

When you are making some origami model, you will be doing the same set of folds in the beginning stage even though the final outcome is different. These set of folding in the beginning stages is called "base" and you need to know a few bases since they are coming over and over depending upon models of origami you are working on.

Balloon Base

The relationship between square base and balloon base is like the one between valley-fold and mountain-fold.

Bird Base

As the name implies, this base is for making an origami crane.

Kite Base

Kite base is a simple base in origami but used in many important origmai models such as origami bird and swan.

Fish Base

Initially you will be applying a kite base for two times and then applying two outside reverse-folds. This fish base is abundantly being used for makeing origami fish.

Fruit Base

This fruit base is derived from the well-know square base. This base can also be derived from balloon base.

This frog base is derived from fruit base. The fruit base is come from the well-know square base. You can also find the instruction of making a frog base from traditional origami frog up to the step #27.

Lily Base with Six Petals

As the name says, this base is needed when you fold an origami lily with six petals. Real lily has six petals. So if you want to have a six petals lily, you need to start with a regular hexagon paper.

Calyx Base

This base is needed when you fold a flower calyx. A various kinds of calyx can be maded from this base.

Calyx Base with Five Sepals

This base is needed when you fold a flower calyx with five sepals.

Calyx Base with Six Sepals

This base is needed when you fold a flower calyx with six sepals.

3x3 Matrix Base

From this instructional pages, you will be able to make a base with 3x3 matrix cells.

4x4 Matrix Base

From this instructional pages, you will be able to make a base with 4x4 matrix cells.

square

From this instructional pages, you will be able to produce a base with 6x6 matrix cells.

8x8 Matrix Base

From this instructional pages, you will be able to produce a base with 8x8 matrix cells.

12x12 Matrix Base

From this instructional pages, you will be able to produce a base with 12x12 matrix cells.

16x16 Matrix Base

16x16 matrix base will let you make a base with 16x16 matrix cells. If you have already learned how to make a 8x8 matrix base, you can skip to the step #7, i.e., the page 5.

Masked 8x8 Matrix Base

From this instructional pages, you will be able to produce a base with masked 8x8 matrix cells. The name "masked" is given since it would be the exactly 8x8 matrix base without the masking of four corners.

Masked 16x16 Matrix Base

From this instructional pages, you will be able to produce a base with masked 16x16 matrix cells. The name "masked" is given since it would be the exactly 16x16 matrix base without the masking of four corners.

6x8 Matrix Base

This 6x8 matrix base will let you make a base with 6x8 matrix cells.

Shape of Origami Paper

When you are working on an origami project, the most of time you would work with a square paper. There are times that you need to rely on a different shape of paper such a pentagon, hexagon, or circle. Here I am showing how to make such odd shape paper out of a square one.

Regular Pentagon

Level	Beginner
Copyright	Hyo Ahn

Regular pentagon paper would be very useful for producing a model such as five-pointed star and five-petals flower.

Regular Hexagon

Level	Beginner
Copyright	Hyo Ahn

Regular hexagon paper would be very useful for producing a model such as six-pointed star and six-petals flower.

Regular Octagon

Level	Beginner
Copyright	Hyo Ahn

If you want to make a eight-pointed star or a flower with eight-petals, you need a paper with regular octagon shape instead of square. This page shows how to make an origami regular octagon from a square paper.

Regular Hexadecagon

Level	Beginner
Copyright	Hyo Ahn

If you want to make a flower with sixteen-petals, you need a paper with regular hexadecagon shape instead of square. This page shows how to make an origami regular hexadecagon from a square paper.

If you want to report any bugs on the pages, please email to me at Hyo Ahn's email .

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How to make origami

Origami Bases

Shape of Origami Paper

When you are working on an origami project, the most of time you would work with a square paper. There are times that you need to rely on a different shape of paper such a pentagon, hexagon, or circle. Here I am showing how to make such odd shape paper out of a square one.

How To Make Paper

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