Origami (折り紙, ori [to fold] + kami [paper]) is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. It was thought to have been discovered in the 17th century, and today origami is recognized worldwide as beautiful and practical paper art.

“True” origami — as purists define it, is folded from a single piece of paper and does not use cuts or glue to hold the paper form together. Origami that use cuts or adhesives is sometimes called sculptural origami or modern origami. Origami that is made up of sections (like the kusudama or paper ball) is called unit origami or kusudama origami.

Origami paper is cheap, pretty, and plentiful — but not easy to find. If you have trouble tracking down a pack of origami paper locally, you can always print them on your own using scans originally made from origami paper sets. Download the full set here, and enjoy!