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The Basics of Origami: A Complete Guide

Origami is a craft where a single sheet of paper, with no special tools required, becomes a finished piece. Here are the basic folds and terms worth knowing first.

Valley fold

A fold that creates a crease shaped like a valley, or V, when viewed from the side. It is typically shown as a dashed line in origami diagrams and is the single most basic fold.

Mountain fold

The opposite of a valley fold -- the paper is folded to form a peak, or mountain, shape. Flip a valley fold over and it becomes a mountain fold, so the two are really the same crease viewed from opposite sides.

Inside reverse fold

A technique where part of the paper is tucked inward along a crease that was already made. It is commonly used to shape the head and tail of a crane.

Outside reverse fold

The opposite of the inside reverse fold -- instead of tucking the paper inward, this technique folds it so it wraps around the outside.

Blintz fold (cushion fold)

A technique where all four corners of a square sheet are folded in toward the center, shrinking the square. It forms the base for many models, including traditional star-shaped figures and decorative kusudama balls.

The bird base

Folding a square along its diagonals and center lines and then collapsing it forms the bird base, which serves as the starting point not just for a crane but for a wide range of other origami models.

What age can kids start enjoying origami?

Simple triangle and square folds can be enjoyable even for young children, scaled to their fine motor development. More complex models are usually better saved for when a child is a bit older.

Tips for a clean finish

Pressing each crease firmly with a fingernail, and lining corners up precisely before folding, are the basic habits that make the biggest difference in how clean a finished piece looks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need special origami paper?

You can fold anything cut into a square, including copy paper or a flyer, but dedicated origami paper -- thin and easy to crease -- generally gives a cleaner result.

I do not understand the dashed lines and symbols in a diagram. What should I do?

Most origami diagrams use a shared set of symbols -- a dashed line for a valley fold, a dash-dot line for a mountain fold, and so on. Diagrams for a specific model usually include a legend explaining the symbols, so it is worth checking that first.