Origami

Origami, art of folding paper to create three-dimensional figures of animals, people, objects, and abstract shapes. Origami is a Japanese word that combines the verb oru (to fold) and the noun kami (paper). The only material required for origami is a piece of paper. Almost any paper may be used, but folding is easiest if the paper is thin, strong, and able to hold a crease. Standard origami paper is usually cut into 15-cm (6-in) squares; it is generally plain white on one side, with a color or decorative pattern on the other. Some origami artists experiment with other materials, including cardboard, cloth, wire mesh, sheet metal, and even pasta.

To fold origami, a person only needs to learn a few standard types of folds. These folds are used to form bases, or starting shapes, for different figures. The four most common bases are the kite base, the fish base, the bird base, and the frog base. To these bases, paper folders add additional folds to create figures of virtually any shape, including animals, insects, people, plants, vehicles, and buildings. Some paper folders specialize in abstract shapes, while others focus on modular origami, making multiple copies