3D Origami Tutorial: Part 1 - Supplies
I've decided to make a tutorial to show how I do 3D Origami. I've been doing this for a couple of years now and have learned a few things after some unfortunate mistakes.
I'm going to cover the following supplies that I use. These include:
Paper Cutter & Scissors
Glue
Paper
Hair Ties/Rubber Bands (optional)
Beads (optional)
1. Paper Cutter & Scissors
The first order of business is having a good paper cutter. I use a standard scrapbook paper cutter. I tried using a larger industrial paper cutter but the cut wasn't straight enough and resulted in uneven pieces of different sizes. I use the one below, along with a basic pair of scissors. The scissors don't need to be anything fancy but they should be fairly comfortable. You are (potentially) going to be cutting a lot of paper with them.
Edit: I should mention that the paper cutter is optional. If you don't own one, or can't afford to buy one, or you just don't want to use one, there are other methods. This is just the one that is most comfortable for me. You could use just scissors, a box cutter + cutting mat, or even a knife if you wanted. I'll go over cutting methods in the next part.
2. Glue
You will need glue. I glue ALL of my models. I made the mistake of avoiding this step in the beginning and all of those models eventually fell apart. 😑 I tried out some pretty generic ones, like Elmer's White Glue and their clear glue.
My preferred choice, though, is Elmer's No Run Gel Glue.
As its name implies, it doesn't run. This means less glue on your hands in the long run. The other two previously mentioned types of glue would always run before I could place the pieces on top of them. I can only find this particular glue at my local craft stores now.
3. The Paper
As you may have guessed, Origami requires paper. This is the most important component of 3D Origami. There's a couple of things we need to cover first.
Paper Weight
When you go to buy a ream of paper, it should have a number indicating the paper’s weight. For example, the regular white printer paper that most of us use for everyday use is most likely 20 lbs. If you look at the bottom left corner of the image below, you should see 20 lb.
This paper is weak, flimsy, and prone to tearing under pressure when used for this type of origami. I still use it for my models, just cause it's cheaper.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have cardstock. Never use this. Ever! Cardstock varies from 50 lb to 110 lb. Even if it feels bendable, it is too much of a pain to use for this craft because of its thickness. Just don't. Save yourself the money. Stick to paper weights of 20-24 lbs.
Paper Brands
The paper that I use the most comes from a brand named Astrobright. They have pretty much every color in the rainbow, in several shades.
That color in the bottom right corner called Jupiter Java is the only brown paper I can find anywhere. The reason I prefer this paper, besides the awesome color choices, is because their paper weighs 24 lbs. It's slightly thicker than average paper and stronger, so it tears less. They are also very smooth with no textures. This makes it easier to fold and it looks better.
The only downside to this brand is that they don't have a good selection of pastel colors. For those, I go to Xerox Pastel Papers.
I usually buy Astrobright and Xerox from an office store like Office Depot. If they don't have it then I buy it online.
Paper Size
The most common size I use is 8.5 " x 11". For this size, you just cut the paper in half 5 times to get the average size piece.
However, sometimes I use scrapbook paper because they have patterns that would look good on a model. For example, when I made my Jacob Seed model I used camo paper for his jacket. Scrapbook paper comes in various sizes: 12" x 12", 6" x 6", etc. You have to get a little creative cutting these papers. The final piece should be 2 1/8" x 1 3/8x.
Of course, if you want a bigger model all you have to do is skip the last cutting step.
4. Hair Ties or Rubber Bands (Optional)
These aren’t absolutely necessary but I use them to keep all the cut pieces from a single project together until I can fold them. I started off using hair ties because they were cheap and I had a lot of them, but rubber bands are preferred. These just make your life easier.
5. Colored Beads (Optional)
For a lot of my character models, I use 8mm round beads for the eyes. Black works fine but using the characters actual eye color can really help make it look better. I buy my beads at Michals or Hobby Lobby, my local craft stores.
That's pretty much it for basic supplies. Of course, you can get creative and add other accessories to your models. You are only limited by the scope of your imagination.
Next Tutorial: My Cutting Method
Tags: @wolfgangvonkilligan
