Art of Origami as a Fun Hobby

Art of origami is an ancient idea that began in the early 1600's. This activity began in either China or Japan. The exact location is still unknown. However Japan is recognized for its highly developed origami art. What originally began as a pastime has been transformed into a form of art that is admired by many. So, are you looking for a new and interesting hobby? Have you tried crafts such as knitting, cross-stitching, building model cars or paint-by-number? Are you finding your current hobby isn't challenging you or perhaps it's too expensive to continue? There are many reasons people decide to choose a new hobby. One enjoyable and inexpensive hobby to consider is origami.


Origami involves making a given number of folds and creases in a single piece of paper. This can be achieved in basic origami projects such as a paper airplane or demonstrated in complex origami projects such as spaceships. How deeply involved in origami as a hobby an individual would like to become depends totally on their interest. Origami as a hobby can be time-consuming if a person gets into the advanced forms of the art.

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, the Internet is a great source of information regarding this activity. There are hundreds of sites filled with valuable tips and advice about choosing and completing origami projects. There are sites which provide free origami diagrams and instructions for you to download and print. There are sites where you can buy origami materials and order books written by serious origamists. Using search engines such as Google and Yahoo can quickly link you to a world of beneficial information about the art of origami.