How cool would it be to memorize origami designs and at any random point in your life, and at a moment’s notice, you could fold a regular piece of paper into an origami masterpiece!
But how would one go about this? The first step would be to learn all of the traditional origami bases, and in this guide, you will learn just that!
Let’s get to it!
What Are Origami Bases?
So what are origami bases?
Origami bases are essentially “starting points” upon which many designs are built. Once memorized, they can reduce the steps required to remember other designs.
For example, the origami crane and crow both start by folding the bird base. After the base has been established, different steps are required to fold each bird.
For some folds, this can reduce the steps dramatically. If you learn the bird base, that is about half the steps already required to fold the crane all ready memorized!
With that, let’s look at the traditional origami bases!
The Kite Base
The kite base is the easiest origami base to fold and gets its name from its strong similarity to a flying kite!
It only requires three valley folds and can be easily completed within a minute using a single sheet of paper. This base is also used to make the more complicated diamond base.
Learn how to fold the kite base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Kite Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
The Helmet Base
The helmet base is one of the easiest origami bases and consists of only three valley folds.
Its name stems from its keen resemblance to the origami samurai hat—which, funny enough, is made using this base.
To fold this base, you’ll need a single sheet of paper, and it can be easily completed within a minute.
Learn how to fold the helmet base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Helmet Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
- The Samurai Hat
- The Cicada
- The Chicken
- The Rabbit
- The Fox
- The Tulip (modified)
- The Cat Face (modified)
The Blintz Base
The blintz base is named after its close similarity to the Russian pancake-like dish called the “blintz.”
This base is straightforward, consists of only six valley folds, and can be completed within a minute. Basically, it’s nothing more than a sheet of paper with all four corners folded to the center.
Learn how to fold the blintz base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Blintz Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
- The Masu Box
- The Pajarita
- The Sunflower
- The Fortune Teller
The Square Base
The square base—named after its square shape—is another easy origami starting and is even used to make the more complicated bird base.
This base can also be referred to as the preliminary base and be folded in two different ways—the easy way and the fast way.
Learn how to fold both the methods of the square base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Square Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
The Waterbomb Base
The waterbomb base—also known as the ballon base—gets its name from is its use in folding the origami waterbomb (a paper square that holds water).
Folding this base is very similar to folding the square base, however, the last step folds all the edges together rather than the corners.
Learn how to fold the waterbomb base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Waterbomb Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
The Organ Base
The organ base gets its name from its use in making the notorious origami piano.
This easy design can be completed within 3 – 5 minutes and only requires 6 valley folds and 2 squash folds.
Learn how to fold the organ base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Organ Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
The Diamond Base
The diamond base is an easy design that consists of only five valley folds and gets its name from its diamond-like shape.
It can be folded within 2 minutes and a continuation of the origami kite base.
Learn how to fold the diamond base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Diamond Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
The Bird Base
The bird base is used to fold many of the most popular flying origami creations, including the infamous paper crane.
It is said if you fold 1000 cranes, you will be granted a wish or have enteral good luck!
This versatile fold consists of only 11 steps and starts with the origami square base.
Learn how to fold bird base with our step-by-step guide here!
The Bird Base can be used to fold the following origami designs:
Final Thoughts
Learning origami bases not only makes designs easier to fold but can also simplify other designs and make the art of folding much more enjoyable!
I hope that you enjoyed the guide and if you would like to learn more about origami, consider checking out our growing collection of easy origami guides!
Thanks for reading and happy folding