Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. Known in Japan as 折り紙?, The word comes from ori meaning “folding” and kami meaning “paper”. Origami began in the 17th century and became popular outside of Japan in the mid 1900s. Since then it spread across the world as a modern art form. The purpose of this craft is to reconstruct flat pieces of paper into intricate sculptures through folding techniques. There are few folds known in the craft, but combined they create a variety of complex designs. One of the most common origami models is the Japanese origami paper crane, which is used to symbolize honor, loyalty, peace and hope.

Origami Crane

Throughout the years, origami expanded beyond the traditional Japanese designs. The influence of origami can be seen in jewelry, napkins, puzzles, toys and more. You can create endless numbers of paper sculptures by folding paper. Origami enthusiasts transformed the art by using shaped pieces of paper, going beyond the practice of using traditional square and rectangle pieces. You can find designs done with circular, triangular and other geometric shapes.

From beginner to expert in this fascinating paper art, come browse the arts and crafts section at any Bookmans location. We have shelf upon shelf of craft books, many focusing on paper crafts. New books and supplies come into our stores everyday, so our inventory is always changing. Stop by and see what we have today.