What is money origami? Money origami involves the art of folding paper money. This may not sound too difficult. After all how much could a person actually make with a tiny dollar bill? Well over the years many people have taken on the challenge of money origami projects. Using the same principles that apply to paper origami, individuals have learned how to make clever and unique objects using money origami.

Some of the objects that have been successfully created using money origami are a spider, a butterfly, a shirt, a sailboat, a ring, a serpent, a valentine, just to name a few.

What would cause a person to begin money origami? It could be a number of things. Perhaps while sitting in a restaurant waiting on the waiter, the customer pulls out a paper bill and begins playing around with it. Students who are bored in the classroom look for things to occupy their minds and time. Why not make something out of their lunch money? Why this idea was started we’re not sure, but money origami can certainly pass time.

What type of bill can be used in money origami? The answer is to this question is simple – any currency is suitable for money origami. So it doesn’t matter which airport or restaurant you are waiting in, you can always pull out a paper bill and attempt money origami. Instead of visiting the gift shops and spending money, you can sit back, play with your money and save in the process.

Money origami may not sound very interesting to some people but to others it is quite fascinating and a reason to continue looking for new objects to make with their money. For people who are familiar with the art of origami, money origami is not a new concept. However for those who know little about origami, they may be astounded to see what can actually be made from a single dollar bill. It’s amazing what a dollar bill can get you by simply making a few simple folds.

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For young children, there is often the satisfaction of being able to fold a piece of paper into a figure that they aren’t yet capable of drawing. Origami teaches children much more than just how to make cute toys. They learn dexterity, and they learn to listen and follow directions. Children learn creativity and perception and, surprisingly, they learn to relax. In a world where so much is rushed, sitting quietly and folding paper figures can bring a sense of balance and peace to even young children.

When doing origami with young children it is important to remember certain things:

1. Practice folding the figures you plan to teach them yourself so you can pick out the steps that may cause them problems.

2. Some figures may need to be slightly simplified for younger children. Maybe just leaving out the final finishing steps will help.

3. Have a light, friendly workplace for the children and plenty of materials

4. Be sure to explain each fold in simple words, showing them (possibly on a large piece of paper) what they need to do each step of the way.

5. Be sure the children understand what they need to do and make sure you give them enough time to work it out themselves – don’t jump in too quickly to help them.

6. Let them try to fix their own mistakes without too much assistance. Let them know they can “try again” as many times as they need.

7. Children enjoy the repetition and they need time and repetition to work things out

8. Praise, praise and more praise – if the figure is somewhat crooked or a little wrinkled, so what?

9. Let the child express what he thinks of his piece. Everyone has different taste and opinions as to what is nice.

10. Children and abstract forms don’t always mix well. If it helps to let them color or paint faces on their animals – let them!

Some tips for beginners – pick a well lighted relaxing area to work in, start with simple figures and work your way up (some figures will have both simple and advanced instructions for the same animal). Don’t use really good paper to start with and for true beginners one of the best pieces of advice is to start with a larger piece of paper than what is called for. Make your folds as sharp and precise as possible; press down on the center of the fold with one finger and then run a finger from your other hand across the fold in both directions.

You can give your piece a somewhat different look or create an entirely different piece just by making a fold in a slightly different place.

Information about origami can probably be obtained from a library. Since this activity is used by many people in society, the library will certainly carry some literature about it. Many articles that are written about origami have references provided that will lead to even more details about the activity.

Magazines are a great source or information about origami. There are many craft magazine publications, some printed on a weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc. basis. Browsing these various magazines, a person will likely find beneficial origami details. Other magazines that might have information about origami are mathematical and technical publications. Because this concept is used in many modern day situations, occasionally these magazines may print related articles.

If looking for information about origami, a person’s best bet is to search the web. The Internet provides a worldwide database for just about any subject imaginable. One great of advantage of searching the Internet is the search engine. There are different search engines provided on the Internet such as Google and Yahoo. Using either of these search engines a person could quickly find information about origami. Searching the relevant websites would educate people regarding the usefulness of the art of origami. They would learn that this popular activity is not just a form of art but a form of therapy, rehabilitation and education as well. When connected to an origami-related website there will likely be links provided to similar sites. If really interested in learning about this activity, an individual has ample opportunity if using the Internet. This resource can also put people in touch with origami information in the community.

Origami Dahlias

There are many towns and cities that host regular origami events, which include competitions. Art shows are also great places to look for details and examples of origami compositions. People who design origami compositions and create unique objects will frequently display them at art galleries and art shows. To learn what is possible in the world of origami, an art gallery would definitely be a great place to visit.

Robert Lang is a physicist and origamist in California. He understood that some engineering problems resulted from the need to fold a large piece of material, without cutting it, and make it fit a flat surface, which is what origami is all about. One day Lang was approached by a German engineering company. This particular company had a problem and was hoping he had a solution. They had a very large airbag that needed to be fit into a small compartment in the steering wheel. Lang already had designed procedures for a computer to follow to flatten a set of polygons. He then applied those procedures to a three dimensional simulation of a large airbag, resulting in a way to fold the airbag so that it would fit into the space allotted.

A professor of electrical engineering and computer science, Erik Demaine, is hoping that using computational origami to examine the way proteins fold will lead to a method of designing custom proteins that will fight diseases like Cystic Fibrosis. Although computational origami could be an effective tool in finding the hows and whys of proteins structures and their sequences, unfortunately, the computers available at this time do not have the speed and capacity that will be required to compare and map all the possibilities.

Cell phones keep getting smaller. More and more options are being added to cell phones. The cell phone is no longer just an instrument used to call for a tow truck. You can still make phone calls but you can also text message, take still photos, take video photos, listen to your favorite music or watch your favorite movie. One of the problems the manufacturer faced was that the consumer preferred the small size of the phones but didn’t want to have to watch a movie on a two-inch screen. Enter computational origami and the development of a small cell phone which has a screen that unfolds when the phone is opened and folds back up when the case is closed. The same technology is being applied to a portable DVD player. Another product that uses the origami basics is a small portable unit about the size of a camcorder that can be folded and pivoted in different ways to perform eight electronic functions including digital camera, PDA or a videoconference terminal.

All kinds of containers and shipping boxes are cut from a single piece of cardboard, shipped flat and folded into shape when needed. One company even makes chairs that are self-contained. The packaging is part of the chair. When it arrives, you unfold the packaging, which forms the frame of the chair, remove the cushions and covers that were packed inside, and you have a chair with no extra packing that has to be disposed of.

In Japan, from the early 1600’s through the late 1800’s, several forms of entertainment were developed for the common people; origami, having become an art form, was one of those entertainments. The popularity of origami was due in part to its simplicity and the fact that there was no need for special tools. The popularity of origami continued to grow through about the middle of the 19th century. Then, except for ceremonial usage, its popularity started to decline during the modernization of Japan.

It has been argued by some people that since paper was invented in China in 105AD, then logically paper folding must have followed shortly after. On the other hand, since there are no known records of Chinese paper folding and the oldest Japanese records only go back to the 18th century, some still believe that the invention must have been Japanese.

Buddhist monks brought paper with them to Japan in the late 6th century along with the art of paper folding. Although paper was very expensive, it was still used quite extensively in Japan, particularly in its architecture with paper screens, doors etc. The Shinto religion incorporated the use of origami in its ceremonies, and these shapes have remained unchanged for centuries.

Although the experts can’t agree on where origami originated, most of them agree that the Japanese are the ones who developed the traditional art form. This art form was passed down from generation to generation with nothing in writing. Due to all information being passed on orally, only the simplest designs were passed on. Around the year 1797 the first written instructions appeared. The publication they were in was called the Senbazuru Orikata (Thousand Crane Folding). It was followed nearly 50 years later with an encyclopedia that contained a full collection of these figures.

Modern origami has progressed to what it is today, in great part due to a man named Yoshizawa Akira who, in the early 1950’s, published books containing all new figures. In collaboration with San Randlett, an American, he developed the diagram symbols that are still used today. Today Yoshizawa is remembered as the grandmaster of origami and there are thousands of origami lovers worldwide. Thanks to the development of the diagram symbols it has been easier to record the instructions for the new shapes as they come along, ensuring future generations of the information.

Sequencing is part of the mathematical side of origami. This activity is used to work on individual’s mathematical skills. Through the various origami designs and patterns, people are able to work with geometry and also learn about problem solving. In origami individuals work with measurements, fractions and symmetry. These are great concepts to practice, particularly in the classroom. For this reason origami is often used by teachers to demonstrate various mathematical concepts.

There are numerous benefits of origami. Another great asset of taking part in this activity is the development of fine motor skills. Many people use origami to help them get both hands working well together. Some individuals, especially those who suffer from disabling conditions, have problems with their motor skills. Origami is a great way to improve these skills that are necessary for daily living.

The art of origami has been shown to help children and adults alike with essential issues such as self-confidence and social skills. Being able to complete an elaborate origami project allows the individual to feel proud and to experience the feeling of success. Realizing they were capable of finishing an origami composition, based on a set of written instructions is a huge accomplishment for some people. This procedure may be responsible for encouraging individuals to break out of their shell and become involved in group activities.

A good memory is needed for origami. Being demanded to recall specific sequences will help a person develop their ability to memorize details. Not only is their memory an important aspect of origami but it’s also essential for the individual to be attentive. In order to complete the perfect project a person must pay attention to what they are doing. Paying attention and concentrating demands patience. Origami is not an activity for the impatient individual. To achieve the intended result several attempts may need to be made. Without patience the repetitive steps and continuous attempts may become too much to handle.

Origami may be an inexpensive hobby or teaching tool, but it does require certain qualities in a person. As a teaching tool it can be used to work on these qualities. As a hobby origami can be used to challenge the individual and help them develop other skills.

Red and White Origami Columbine

As with any other craft origami has its own terms and techniques. Here are some basic horizontal and vertical folds. It is very important to keep all your folds crisp and clean.

The Book – fold a piece of paper (rectangular or square) down the middle vertically making certain the opposite edges line up one on top of the other. For many origami figures you will need to add another book figure – open the paper and make another fold across the middle horizontally again, making sure the edges lie one on top of the other. If you don’t open the book before making the second fold you end up with the handkerchief fold which gives you a small square with four layers of paper one on top of the other.

The Cupboard – using a square piece of paper make the book fold then open the paper and take each outside edge and fold it to the center line. By bringing each edge over to the next line you will end up making even more equal vertical strips.

The Fan – with either a square or rectangular piece of paper fold a Cupboard. Open the Cupboard; three valley folds (downward angles) divide the Cupboard into four equal sized strips. Turn the figure over; fold the edges onto the outer lines making two mountain folds. Turn the figure over and refold the Cupboard. Turn the Cupboard over once again and fold the edges into the middle line resulting in two mountain folds (upward angles). Fold up the figure and you have made an eight fold fan with alternating mountain and valley folds, also called an accordion fold.

The Lattice – make a Cupboard from a square piece of paper. Open the Cupboard and repeat the procedure folding in a horizontal direction. Open the paper and you have the Lattice. It is 16 equal sized squares used to make boxes, houses and simple animal bodies.

The Shawl – Make a diagonal fold down the middle of a square piece of paper making sure your edges and corners lay on top of each other. If you need a second diagonal fold open the sheet of paper completely before starting the second fold to get a more exact line.

The Envelope – using a square piece of paper make diagonal folds down the center in both directions. Open the paper and bring each corner up to the middle.

The Picture Frame - First make the Envelope. Open the envelope; turn each corner up to the outer diagonal line. Now fold the four corners inward and you have a picture frame.

Heaven and Hell – Fold an Envelope. Turn the Envelope over and fold each corner up into the center again. Turn the figure over and you will see pockets on the other side. Open these pockets. This figure was dubbed Heaven and Hell because it was usually made on red and blue paper. This particular fold can be used for making simple hand puppets and animal heads.

Origami can begin as a hobby but turn into an obsession. Some people get so involved in their projects and developing their origami skills. Once they begin to design their own origami compositions, people find themselves entering contests and competitions to showcase their work. Going beyond the point of using origami as a hobby can put a person in the category of a serious origami artist. This is great if that is what the individual wants and enjoys.

When a person chooses origami as a hobby, they are choosing an activity with plenty of hidden benefits. Unknown to them perhaps, they are choosing to develop skills in awareness, concentration, patience and creativity. This is a great hobby for children to be involved it. It helps them develop reading and writing skills, teaches them about sequencing, as well as teaching them to concentrate, be patient, be attentive and use their imagination. Because children tend to change their minds quite often, choosing origami as a hobby is a smart choice since it is relatively inexpensive. If the child tries it for awhile and decides they don’t like it, there is no big concern about the initial investment for materials. To get a child started with origami, using plain computer paper would be a good idea. Until you are certain it is something they’d like to continue, perhaps you should stick with using inexpensive paper.

If you think you’d like to try origami as a hobby, consider the inexpensive resources below to get you started:

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