Paper advice for a beginner please

[Cat.]

Hi

I took up origami a couple of months ago as something to keep me happy and occupied while I'm ill off work. I worked my way through some easier books (Origami for everyone, Boursin, and Essential origami, Biddle and Biddle) and then, rather optimistically, started on Lang and Weiss's Origami Zoo. I've quickly realised that the 6 inch paper that I was using for the other models doesn't work very well once you get past the easiest of these though. I tried supermarket baking paper for the lion and kangaroo, which worked pretty well but it was a nightmare to cut into reasonable squares. So, if I want to keep folding this sort of thing (I'm not sure I'll manage hardest in the book, but some have worked nicely and I've been making other things too and eyeing up new books...), what paper would it be best for me to get? Ideally I want ready-cut squares rather than fiddling around with rolls of things, and can't really afford to experiment too much with different things. I have seen origami-shop.com suggested a few times on here, and it looks great but I think it's a bit expensive for me at the moment, with delivery to the uk too.

What size paper is best, if I just want to get one pack to keep me going for a while?
Looking around online, I've found these. I guess people on here might have used some and know if it's what I want?
British Origami Society e.g. http://supplies.britishorigami.info/ind ... cts_id=141
Or Roze.com, e.g. http://www.roze.co.uk/same-coloured-pap ... 5872-p.asp
Or Amazon, e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Large-Origami-P ... m_office_2
Anything else? I looked for squares of baking paper but can only find white, which I don't really want.
Some of the models in Origami Zoo suggest paper backed foil - is this essential if I want to fold this sort of thing, or will normal paper give me passable results with most things if it's decent large paper? If not, any suggestions for what/what size of that would also be great please?

Any advice would be gratefully received
Thanks
Cat

[sandy5280]

Hi Cat-

I don't have the answer, but I have the same question.
I have been using 300 cm. tissue-foil paper for some Montroll and Lang models that I have been working on. However, often when I get to the feet, they are too tiny to fold (at least for me). I wish some of the models showed what size paper the folder started with.

[wriggles]

If you have anything to work on that glue doesn't adhere to (glass/plexiglass/picture frame/mirror,ect.), I recommend giving double tissue a try. You can buy packs of tissue at the dollar store, and get paper mache glue or even watered down white glue (I think) in many stores.
Double tissue is cheap to make, thin, easy to fold complex models with, and you can pick and choose your own front/back colors

[franz]

hi cat,

I´ve bought plenty of origami paper (in squares) here in vienna, austria in different shops: shops for handicraft; shops for paper, postcards, pencils, ...; shops for school-utensils; even book-shops offering them, ...

the biggest paper I bought so far is 20x20 cm / 70 gsm. this works well for many models, but I´m quite experienced in folding. if I discovered during folding, that the model is becoming too small, since I started with a paper too small (like 10x10, 13x13, 15x15 or so) i simply constructed a bigger square by using 4 squares and glueing them together with adhesive tape

what I also do is: If I discover some interesting wrapping paper (for example at christmas for the gifts; at birthday, ...) I take the paper after the gift was unwrapped. so I do have different sizes and forms of paper, hopefully with not too much wrinkles, and I´m cutting squares out of them. for example I´ve collected many papers of my wedding gifts, constructed many squares and folded with them many fluffys (marc kirschenbaum) and roses

[sandy5280]

Thank you, Franz, for the helpful advice on paper size. I am not an experienced folder, but I know that when the model gets too small, I cannot manage it. I have actually thought of taping four squares together, but I didn't think I could actually do it. Now I am really anxious to try it.
When you say adhesive tape, exactly what kind of tape are you talking about? It might have a different name where you live.

[Cat.]

Hi Sandy - Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I've been leaving our/simplifying the final leg and general body shaping steps of the things I've been making - they don't look as good, but I quickly realised that simple is better than a creased mess. I downloaded a couple of french free e-books from origami-shop.com yesterday that do have suggested paper size for each model (Origami Safari and one with flowers in by the same author). A little got lost in translation when I tried the crocodile and some flowers, but the general gist wasn't too hard to follow. The croc is perhaps more lizardy but still quite nice.

Thanks Wriggles but that's not possible for me at the moment. One to consider in the future though.

Thanks Franz, some of those ideas are great, I'd never thought of taping paper together but I'll certainly give it a go (do you mean what the English call 'sellotape' and the French call 'scotch' - just normal clear sticky tape?). Wrapping paper is also a great idea and hopefully a little easier to cut neatly than baking paper, and shouldn't be that hard for me to get hold of (a little late for Christmas and months until my birthday, but I can maybe get a cheap new roll in the post-Christmas sales).

[roodborst]

Where I live (netherlands) you buy these packs of 50 sheets with a range of colors for 4euro. Squares of 20cm. They sell them at book/magazine/siggaret combo stores. The paper ain't great but it are squares and alot of them. I used these alot when I first started doing origami. The other option is making tissue foil or double tissue yourself. Getting together a set of tools to make the paper (plexiglass plate, whitw glue, mc, paintrollers, pvc pipes etc.) Will looks costly at first but since tissue paper is like 20cts a sheet in the long run it is cheap, and you can decide you own colors and size.

[roodborst]

Baking paper or kraft can be usefull aswell btw. You can cut large squares and it is very thin. Not a lot of color though.

[Cat.]

Thanks Roodborst - you posted while I'm still waiting for my reply to the others to be approved and I didn't want it to look like I'd ignored you. I can't really get to the shops at the moment, and 99% of what I can find online is 15 cm squares, so I don't think you can get 20 cm paper here as easily as in the Netherlands unfortunately A friend is going to have a little look for me when she goes into town at the weekend though, so might find something. I have tried baking paper, and it worked pretty well, but it was really hard to get neat squares from (I saw squares online in a cooking shop, but they only come in white, and I didn't really want to make ghost animals!). I'll persevere with it though, as the animal worked well. Perhaps kraft paper/wrapping paper would be better. It seems that most people are recommending making my own square from rolls of cheap paper rather than buying them (which isn't what I ideally wanted, but I came here for advice and that seems to be it...!), so looks like I need to get better at cutting squares!

[origami_8]

If you are fine with 20cm squares, I recommend you to just buy a mixed colour bag of Printer paper and let them cut square at a copy shop. That's probably the cheapest option. If you want to cut them yourself, staple some together on one short side, but make sure they align properly. Take one additional sheet in the reverse direction of the others and use it to mark a square on the non-stapled end. Then take a steel ruler and a sharp knife (with break away blade) and cut your squares, by always going through a few layers at a time.

[Edg]

I've ordered from Roze.co.uk and they are very prompt and pretty good value. Haven't tried the paper in your link, though (they do 35cm sheets too, by the way), so can't vouch for the quality.
I've tried that paper from Amazon ( I only paid about £3, though) and found it a bit weak, but maybe I'm just too heavy handed/spoiled by stronger paper
If you're after something a bit special, this paper is very nicehttp://www.roze.co.uk/hand-made-paper-b ... 5983-p.asp Unlike some of the other Washi (Japanese hand made paper) found on the site, it is crisp enough to be folded without any treatment and it's thin and strong (and cut square!)
Personally, I don't like foil because its horrible to reverse creases (for me, anyway) and it takes skill and care to get a clean looking model, but it will hold together well and shaping is easier.
If you decide to try cutting your own squares, the kraft packing paper they have in the post office is good (you're in England, right?) I get a 5m roll for 80p, so its great for practicing.

[Cat.]

Thanks Anna, there's a shop that might do that near my parents' so I'll look into it.

Thanks Edge. That paper from Rose looks good and not horrifically expensive. The post office idea was super - there's a little one in my village and I managed to get there earlier. 90p for 2.5m, so more than you paid, maybe slightly different stuff, but certainly cheap enough to try. Going to see if I can carefully get 25cm squares out of it (and a 3x5 rectangle for the bear who's next in Origami Zoo). Thanks for your post on my other thread too (hope it's OK to reply here) that book looks like just the sort of thing that would interest me, one to spend some Christmas money on perhaps.

[Edg]

Looks like I was exaggerating, the rolls I get are 2.5m as well No wonder it ran out so fast! If you want to colour it, half decent acrylic paint works very well.

[sandy5280]

Thank you, everyone. I find this discussion of specific paper and sources very helpful.
Franz, I am experimenting with taping four squares together. What kind of tape do you use?
Sandy

[gadrick94]

Hi I'm new at buying paper online, I usually make my own tissue foil paper or use kraft paper but this Christmas I managed to save 15€ to spend on paper. The prizes of largue paper in origami-shop have seemed expensive for me but I have seen that there are some smaller paper that is cheap. I have interest in buy paper of around 30x30cm, maybe of 20x20-25x25cm but not smaller. I have think 4 different possibilities for now:
1- Buy the book "2011 Korea-Vietnam / Origami Interchange book" and 20 24x24 tant paper.
2- Buy the book "2011 Korea-Vietnam / Origami Interchange book" and 7 35x35 tant paper.
3- Buy 60 24x24 tant paper
4- follow your professional advice and buy the paper according to what you say.
I really don't have tried the tant paper before so i don't know if its nice to fold complex models.
Please help me to decide.
Regards,
Gadrick