Start origami
Fold a plain square of paper into cups, boxes, birds and beyond, with no glue and no cutting. Start with a paper cup in five minutes. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first folds.
Space neededA clear spot on a table
First projectA paper cup in five minutes
Skill levelEasy to start, no limit
Good forAny age, a few quiet minutes
The video that hooks everyone
A NASA physicist's incredible origami
A short film about a NASA physicist and his origami, like the folded paper insect with wings and legs resting in the palm of a hand. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't. It's mostly paper.
Starter kit
01Origami paper, 6 in. (15 cm)A pack of thin, square paper, colored on one side. Fine for most models.
02Larger paper, 10 in. (25 cm)Bigger squares are easier to learn on.
03Printer paperCheap practice paper. Cut it into squares.
04ScissorsFor making squares. The models themselves are never cut.
05RulerMeasures and checks squares.
06PencilMarks a sheet before you cut it square.
07Bone folderA smooth tool for sharp creases. Your thumbnail works too.
08Clipboard or cutting matA hard, flat surface to fold on.
09A folder or boxKeeps finished models from getting crushed.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Sloppy first foldsA small error in the first fold grows with every fold after it. Line up corners and edges exactly before you crease.
- 2Soft creasesRun your thumbnail or a bone folder along every fold. Sharp creases make the next steps easy.
- 3Starting too hardPick simple models first. A cup, a box, a crane. Complex models come once the symbols feel natural.
