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Craft
Fun at Kat's Craft Corner >>> Origami
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What
is Origami?
Origami is the Japanese Art of
paper folding, but It actually got started in China.
about 2,000 years ago, along with the development of paper
making.
Its
beginnings were quite simple, but today Origami is used for a
wide variety of purposes. It is often used in elementary schools
to teach children many different skills, such as motor skills,
following directions, behavioral skills, cooperative learning,
and math skills including geometry and algebra.
Origami is also a very useful physical therapy aid for people
who suffer from arthritis or hand injuries. Folding
Origami helps to strengthen the muscles in the hands and relieve
pain. It also helps to relieve stress too!!!
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Anyone
can do Origami, from small children to the elderly. You
don't have to be a world class athlete or have any superior
knowledge. It knows no race, religion, gender, or
nationality. All you need to do it is a piece of paper and
a set of hands!
To
do Origami, you generally use a square piece of paper. The
paper is usually very thin, yet strong enough to hold the
creases and not tear as the paper is manipulated into
shape. You can buy pre-made paper at most arts &
crafts stores. If you don't have any, that's ok. You
can use almost any kind of paper you can find like, wrapping
paper, wallpaper, aluminum foil, wax paper, newspaper, or even
pages from magazines. If the paper you're using
isn't a square, don't worry, you can make
it square by following these directions. Once you have a square
piece of paper, then you'll need to learn
how to fold the paper.
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