APPRENTICE: The Origami Crate

Description

Origami is one of those things we all think we know what there is to know about it. Boy, were we wrong! When we started looking into it, there was so much more than imagined. Come with us as we travel in time back to the Edo period in Japan from 1603 to 1868 when you open this crate! There are some things about that time that you’ll want to know.

Emperors ruled Japan during that time, but they had little real power. The power was in the hands of the Shoguns and under them, the Samurai… Samurai would never consider working on a farm like a peasant or in a business like a merchant. It was, however, considered proper for them to give their time to the arts and literature. Learn how origami came into being!

The Origami Crate Contains:

Instructions and Patterns

Easy Origami – This book is by John Montroll, a former math teacher, well-known origami artist, and prominent author of origami books. Montroll began doing origami at the age of 6! We’ll be teaching the symbols you need to know in a handy-dandy reference page you can keep beside you as you work!

Folding Bone – This hard tool makes it far easier to appropriately fold and crease paper. We chose one that can also score paper to make it easier to fold an awkward fold, giving you two tools in one.

Wood Ruler – For measuring distances to fold and for measuring paper strips or squares.

Micro-Scissors – These allow you to make tiny snips and cuts wherever you need them.

Small and Large Paper Clips – When you wish you had three or four hands because you need to hold a fold closed, use these, but be careful not to push them too far on where they might mark the paper.

Mini-Clothespin – Use this when you need to hold a fold ever-so-gently. Be careful, though. These are very fragile and easily broken.

Washi Tape – This is the easiest way to stick together two sheets of paper when you need to.

Chopstick – The traditional tool for poking out folds and corners.

Tweezers – When the chopstick just isn’t enough and you need to grab a tiny edge.

Tye-dyed Origami Paper – We suggest you start with this paper. It’s easier to see your folds and lines on paper without a pattern. Like all our paper, this is high-quality paper made especially for origami by a Japanese-American art and publishing house.

New in 2025: Ukiyo-e Bird Print Origami Paper – This large paper is printed with paintings of birds in the ukiyo-e style of the Edo period. Larger paper is easier to fold, so this is a great place to start once you are done practicing.

Hokusai Prints Origami Paper – This is a good next step, once you’ve developed some skill. We’ve given you several sheets of 8 inch square paper with prints by the famous Hokusai (if you don’t know why that’s really cool, go back and read the introduction like you were supposed to!). They are larger than normal, which makes folding easier, which should help with the challenge of folding a paper with a design for the first time.

Hiroshige Prints Origami Paper – These are incredibly interesting once folded into origami art. The complexity of the paintings, when folded into origami, add an entirely new dimension to the art. Japanese artists speak of having to get up their courage to begin to fold it because it means so much to handle the paintings of a master like Hiroshige. Yet, it is highly appropriate to use prints of the Edo period as origami paper. We think you’ll be stunned by how attractively it turns out.

Enjoy!

Subscribe to Craftsman Crate Apprentice to have one of these amazing crates delivered to your house every month complete with the tools, supplies, and lessons to help you teach your 6-12 year old the skills of an artisan! Use Craftsman Crate Apprentice as a gift, a hobby, or a curriculum – it’s fun, it’s rewarding, and it’s authentic. Click to learn more!