Sailing Origami

What is origami?  Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes and sculptures.  It comes from the words ori meaning folding and kami meaning paper.  Origami has been practiced in Japan since the 6th century as a ceremonial practice.  It is also said that origami gifts would be given by Samurais to each other as a good luck token to guard against any future dangers they may encounter.  It wasn’t until the Edo period (1603–1867) when it was used for leisure and as a form of art.  In Origami square pieces of paper are used, plain on one side and patterned on the other.

The Health Benefits of Origami

By using the hands we are stimulating parts of the brain.  We bring into use the tactile, motor, and visual areas of our brains.  This, in turn, improves our hand to eye coordination skills, fine motor skills, and concentration skills.  It is used as a therapy for people that have suffered a stroke or brain injury.   Also stimulated are our memory skills, our non-verbal thinking skills, comprehension of dimensions, and imagination.  Once we have completed our particular origami challenge there is a sense of pride and satisfaction with our finished product.

It is a past-time that requires no tools and only our hands and paper.  It can be carried out almost anywhere by anyone.  You don’t need special paper any type can be used.  I’ve even made a sailboat out of an After Eight packet.  It can be used as a team-building or bonding exercise.  All in all, it’s a wonderful, gentle skill that can be learned easily and is great for group interaction.  Perfect for a boat.

Here are a few ideas for sailing origami to while away your time when you hit the doldrums.

Origami Sailboat/Yacht

I’ve tried this one, it’s easy and the finished boat looks great.

Origami Dolphin

I haven’t tried this dolphin, it looks a bit more complicated but very effective.

Origami Turtle

The turtle looks a little tricky but practice makes perfect.

Toilet Paper Origami SailBoat

Lastly, this is just a bit of fun and will brighten up a visit to the heads.

Here is my sailing origami effort…….

I hope you enjoyed this sailing origami.

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