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1 A crush-fold is called for whenever there’s a pocket created by another fold. Narrowing the stem of this leaf created two pockets. We’re going to crush-fold the pocket on the right.
2 All you do is crush the pocket with a finger.
3 Notice that the pocket on the right has been flattened.
How to Make a Pinch-Fold
A pinch-fold is required whenever there isn’t an easy way to make the fold. A pinch-fold, in this book, will always be made on an existing fold line. I also use the same symbol to denote pushing the paper (see the next section).
You will find a detailed explanation of the pinch-fold on page 43.
How to Make a Collapse and the Push Symbol
A collapse is a complex fold where your model folds into itself. The most familiar item you’ve seen collapse-fold is an umbrella. The fold is made up of pre-installed folds which set up the collapse. This fold will seem impossible at first, until suddenly your square collapses!
You will find a detailed explanation of a collapse on page 45.
How to Make a Book-Fold
We call it a book-fold because it’s just like turning the pages of a book. This fold always involves a shape that has several layers. The layers are usually connected to an axis, just like a book’s pages are connected to its binding. The layers can be rotated just like turning the pages of a book.
In this example, a flap is being book-folded from right to left. Notice that after the book-fold there will be three flaps on the left and only one on the right.
The Zoom Symbol
The zoom symbol means the scale in diagrams has changed between steps. As I fold a model it will get smaller, so I will increase the size of the diagrams so you can see them more clearly.
The zoom symbol indicates that the diagram scale has increased.
Mountain and Valley Folds
No origami book would be complete without an explanation of mountain and valley folds. The most important thing to remember is that almost every fold prescribed in this book is a valley fold. Valley folds are denoted by a green dashed line. On the rare occasion when there is a mountain fold, it will be denoted by a red dashed line.
Notice that the paper moves up on each side of a valley fold, and down on each side of a mountain fold.
Fold Quality
The quality of your folds is important. Most people think that a flap should be folded so that its edge lands as closely as possible to the reference line without going beyond it. In fact, most flaps created early in a model’s folding pattern will become components of other flaps and points yet to be completed. Experienced folders have learned that it is important to leave a small gap, preferably about as wide as the thickness of two sheets of paper, between any edge and its reference line.
Always leave small gap between the edge of the surface being folded and the fold or edge it is being folded to.
If a fold needs to be reversed, always sharpen it. You can use a popsicle stick to sharpen folds on origami paper, but for painted paper you should use a wallpaper seam roller (shown in background).
Symbols Used in This Book
The fold symbol
The fold and then unfold symbol
The crush-fold symbol
The pinch-fold symbol
The collapse symbol
The flip symbol
The fold on both sides symbol
The book-fold symbol
Tools and Supplies You Will Need
1 Newspaper
2 Latex gloves
3 Paper, either US 8 ½” x 11”, or A4
4 Hot melt glue gun
5 Shallow pan, approximately 11 x 17 inches, or 28 x 43 centimeters
6 Assorted acrylic paints
7 Wood glue
8 A large quantity of white acrylic paint
9 Small, shallow cups for mixing paint
10 A wallpaper seam roller or a popsicle stick
11 Tools, including pliers, wire cutters, scissors and tweezers
12 Assorted brushes
(not shown) Artist’s medium bodied matte acrylic emulsion
The Web and Other Resources
There is a vast amount of origami-related information available in books and on the Web.
