Origami is the art of folding paper into decorative models. These may be animals, boxes, bags, decorations and a huge range of other items dictated purely by the whim and skill of the designer. Many people who start folding will use a packet of special paper cut into squares of one or more sizes and sold as origami paper. However there are different kinds of packaged paper sold for origami, and many other types of paper are also suitable.
Packaged Paper for Origami
The average pack of paper sold for folding origami models in beginner's packs contains sheets which are coloured and/or patterned on one side and white on the other. However, there is a huge variety of papers which are packaged for origami.
Duo Papers
Duo papers may be found which are one colour on one side, and a different colour on the other. Some of the combinations can be rather garish but it's worth watching for packs of paper which contain black/red and blue/green or red/green combinations.
Patterned papers can also be found which are coloured rather than white on the reverse and are also categorised as "duo" by paperfolding afficionados. Yet another variation on this theme is where the pattern appears on both sides of the paper, but different colours are selected.
Washi Papers
The famous handmade washi papers from Japan are occasionally used to create special gifts and to fold certain types of traditional model, such as the connected cranes from Rokoan's Senbazuru Orikata of 1797. These papers are often quite thick and soft, but can be used to create spectacular results.
They can be bought packaged as origami paper squares, origami paper rectangles for cutting to the size required and in large gift wrap sized sheets. Professional Japanese gift wrappers will use whole sheets of washi to create wonderful wrappings.
Foil Papers
Foil is another style of paper which is ideal for many kinds of origami model. Foil is malleable and can be bent and twisted into different shapes not possible with ordinary paper. It also "remembers" creases very well and if a lot of inaccurate creases are made the shiny surface of the paper will be spoiled. It is important to choose a foil which will allow creases to be turned from valley to mountain folds and vice versa; not all foils reverse well, so when a good one is found it should be treasured.
Care must be used when selecting foil paper because quite often it can be rather plasticky and may not hold its shape well. The kind of foil paper required for origami is the Japan foil and thicker American foil available from www.origami-usa.org and www.passionorigami.com. Foil is usually coloured on one side and white on the other, but occasionally foil which is coloured on both sides can be found. This is usually very thick and suitable only for very simple models. Occasionally also foil paper with a coloured paper reverse can also be found which is great for bicolour models.
At Christmas time a huge range of coloured foils comes onto the market, and it is always worth buying a few rolls to try and see if they might be suitable for folding origami. Not all will be, but there will be some which work well and which can be cut to the desired size to make any number of folded decorations.
Gift Wrap
Wrapping paper can be great for origami! It comes in a huge range of colours and styles too numerous to describe here. However, be prepared when going down the route of choosing wrapping paper for some papers not to be suitable for folding. They may crack, tear easily or not hold their shape well when folded. These can be put to one side for when gift wrap is required, so need never be wasted.
Photocopy and Writing Paper
80 gsm photocopy paper is also very good for origami. It is slightly thicker than the usual packaged papers but works well for many different origami models. Be careful when buying it though because many models requiring A4 paper will use European photocopy paper which is A4. American letter paper is not A4.
Newspaper and Magazines
Newspaper is often used for traditional hats and simple toys. Magazines have also been cut up and used for origami, and can be very effective. Models containing hundreds of tiny pieces slotted together have been made up of paper cut from magazines, and the effect can be most exciting.
Imaginative use of paper can make or break an origami model, but there is such a huge range of papers available that selecting something suitable should never be a problem.
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