Origami Birds and Insects

Origami is a challenging and unusual art. It requires square sheets of paper, which are formed into sculptures of animals or other objects by the process of folding.

Origami can be folded from almost any paper, but is most attractive when made from special paper called origami paper. Origami paper is square and usually comes in packets of assorted sizes and colors. Difficult projects are easier to fold if you use the larger sizes of paper. The back side of each sheet of origami paper is indicated by the shaded areas.

It is important that you follow the directions carefully. The standard folds, from which the animals are created, are explained in detail at the beginning of the book. The author has used the Randlett-Yoshizawa method of notation to indicate the folds. Eleven different projects include a vulture, ostrich, stork, robin, crane, swan, owl, moth, stinkbug, beetle, and grasshopper.

The following rules should help guide you through the metamorphosis of folding. Examine step one; if there are any creased-folds in the square, fold them first. Make all further folds according to the instructions provided by lines, arrows, and captions. Be aware of the instructions in the next step so that you know what each fold will become. Fold slowly and accurately and crease each fold with your fingernail to keep the folds crisp.