Origami glossary

This glossary gathers the words that come up again and again in our videos and tutorials. For each term, a link takes you to a tutorial where you can see it in action. The basic folds are explained on video on the Getting started page.

Diagram symbols

In books, each fold is drawn with conventional lines and arrows. The video "Diagram symbols" on the Getting started page presents them one by one.

Valley fold

The paper folds towards you: the crease forms a hollow, like the bottom of a valley. It is the most common fold. See the video on the Getting started page.

Mountain fold

The opposite of the valley fold: the paper folds away from you, and the crease forms a ridge. See the video on the Getting started page.

Squash fold

You lift part of the paper, then press it flat to create a new shape. The kotobukizuru has six of them in a row. See also the Getting started page.

Petal fold

A more elaborate fold that raises a point while folding the sides in, giving a long, narrow shape like a petal. See the video on the Getting started page.

Rabbit ear fold

You pinch the paper from two creases to form a point that you fold to one side, like an ear. See the video on the Getting started page.

Preliminary base

The starting point of many models, continued with further folds. The vase by Toshie Takahama starts from it: its shape changes with the height of the next fold.

Bird base

Another classic base, from which many models start. You will find it in Shining Alice and in the geta.

Frog base

A base close to the bird base: the lily can be folded from either, with the same result.

Windmill base

A base that can serve for other models. It needs many preliminary folds, as for the traditional star or the first method of the paper chicken.

Waterbomb base

A triangle-shaped base, the one used for the traditional water bomb. The sweet box by Katrin Shumakov begins with it.

Modular origami

A model made of several sheets, or units, folded the same way and then assembled, with or without glue. Example: the diamond. See also our Modular origami page.

Sonobe

A family of units invented by Mitsunobu Sonobe. The same unit gives the cube, the diamond or the Christmas bauble.

Kusudama

A decorative ball made of several origami pieces joined with thread or glue. See the traditional kusudama, or the flower kusudama, assembled without glue.

Kirigami

Folding that involves a few cuts with scissors, so not origami in the strict sense. Example: the box with cranes.

Orizuru and senbazuru

The orizuru is the paper crane, probably the best-known traditional model in Japan. The senbazuru is an assembly of a thousand cranes. See the crane.

Washi paper

Traditional Japanese paper, often decorated with patterns like those on kimonos. It looks lovely in the traditional kimono.

Duo paper (two-coloured paper)

Paper whose front and back are different colours. The Taiji makes perfect use of it, and so does the winged heart.

Masu

A square wooden box once used to measure rice in Japan, here in origami form, with a lid and dividers. See the masu box.

Noshi

A traditional Japanese envelope in which a small gift is placed, usually banknotes. See the noshi and the noshi kabuto.

Kabuto

A samurai helmet. The kabuto is a very simple traditional fold.

Going further

Free diagram websites, paper-folding associations and a paper shop are gathered on our Links page.