Origami: The Art of Paper Folding

Welcome to the Origami Collection, an Open Library collection dedicated to books on origami, the ancient and amazing art of paper folding.

Origami consists of folding paper without using scissors or glue to obtain figures of various shapes. You don't need previous experience to start enjoying origami. Browse through the books we have selected for you and discover all the possibilities origami has to offer. Watch this video from the librarians at the Allen Public Library to see origami in practice.

Most books in this collection are in English, but remember that even thought the language may be foreign, the symbols are the same as in English books, so you should be able to follow the instructions. You can read or borrow a book if the bar underneath the cover says "Borrow" or "Read." If a book says it is "Not in Library" or "Checked Out," a copy might still be available! Click on the book's cover to see if you can borrow one of the other editions. Enjoy!

Image credits: Origami by Kendime ait (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Looking for origami that floats? Learn how to make paper sailboats.

Looking for specific models? Learn how to make paper birds, paper dinosaurs, paper insects (including paper butterflies), paper marine animals or paper reptiles.

Looking for holiday decorations? Learn how to make origami for Christmas, Halloween, and other holidays. You may also be interested in making paper flowers to decorate all year round.

Looking for a particular use? Many people love origami boxes and origami cards (e.g. for gift boxes and greeting cards).

Looking for less complex designs? Find easy origami and intermediate origami level books. Origami for children includes many simple designs for beginners.

Looking for fun designs to make with kids? Find out how to make paper monsters and paper toys.

MEET THE AUTHORS (see all)

Akira Yoshizawa · David Mitchell · Didier Boursin · Duy Nguyen · Eric Kenneway · Florence Temko · John Montroll · Jun Maekawa · Kunihiko Kasahara · Megumi Biddle · Michael G. LaFosse · Nick Robinson · Nicolas Terry · Paul Jackson · Rick Beech · Robert Harbin · Robert J. Lang · Samuel Randlett · Steve Biddle · Tomoko Fuse · Toshie Takahama · Toshikazu Kawasaki · Vicente Palacios · Yoshihide Momotani

BROWSE BY SUBJECTS

Action origami · Advanced origami · Aerogami · Decorative origami · Dollar bill origami · Easy origami · Erotic origami · Geometric origami · History of origami ·Intermediate origami · Kirigami · Kusudama · Mathematical origami · Modular origami · Napkin folding · Origami cards · Origami in education · Paper animals · Paper airplanes · Paper birds · Paper butterflies · Paper dinosaurs · Paper insects · Paper marine animals · Paper monsters · Paper reptiles · Paper sailboats · Paper toys · Paper vehicles · Practical origami · Origami for kids · Towel folding · Traditional origami

LINKS (outside Open Library)

• USAOrigami. The largest origami organization in the United States.
  
• Origami Canada. A federal non-profit organization in Canada, devoted to the art of paper folding.
  
• British Origami Society. A registered charity in United Kingdom, devoted to the art of paper folding.
  
• Origami Australia. Find local origami groups around Australia.
  
• Find other organizations around the world: in Argentina, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore or Spain.

Want to donate a physical book to make it borrowable? See the Internet Archive Book Drive.

Curated by Open Librarians.