Ready to become a master folder? Check out our highly-rated book, Everyone Can Learn Origami!
Everyone Can Learn Origami is the ultimate book for beginners who want to learn how to make origami. In this book you’ll learn all the major folds and techniques and then practice them by folding 77 different traditional models. As you fold your way through the models in this book your skills will improve and you’ll be able to fold more and more complex designs.
The diagrams in this book are incredibly detailed and very easy to follow. If you start at the beginning and work your way through the entire book you’ll be an origami master in no time!
Intermediate-Level Books
These are intermediate level books. The models you’ll find in them look great and are a little bit more complicated but they’re not crazy difficult. These books are perfect if you know all the basics and you really want to improve your folding skills.
Origami Omnibus
This is one of my all time favourite origami books. There are diagrams for a wide variety of models ranging from pretty easy to intermediate difficulty. The diagrams are easy to read and throughout the book the author has quick little sections explaining some of the theory and math behind origami and origami design. Nothing too complicated.
This book has one of my favourite models to fold, a Chinese dragon that looks really great but isn’t too difficult. There are also a ton of models in this book. Every time you pick it up you’re probably going to find something new to fold. I highly recommend this book.
Origami for the Connoisseur
This book features a wide array of models from several different designers such as Jun Maekawa, Tomoko Fuse, David Brill and several more. You’ll find diagrams for animals, sea shells, shapes, dinosaurs, insects and more. This book also includes the diagrams for the awesome Kawasaki Rose! The diagrams are clear and there are photos of each model. You’ll also find little bits of origami theory and mathematics sprinkled throughout the diagrams as well.
Origami Zoo: An Amazing Collection of Folded Paper Animals
This is a book featuring 37 paper animals designed by Robert. J. Lang and Stephen Weiss. The models start off really simply and then get more difficult as you go through the book. You’ll find a section at the beginning showing how to make different kinds of folds, bases and how to do various techniques.
This is an excellent book for someone who’s just starting with origami but isn’t really a beginner any more. There are lots of great animals to practice on.
Origami Insects and Their Kin
Robert J. Lang is a master at designing origami insects and this book features 20 of his excellent designs with easy to follow diagrams. You’ll find a wide variety of insects and a few spiders. A couple of the models aren’t too difficult to fold but the rest will require you to have at least an intermediate level of skill with origami and some of them can be a bit complicated.
The Complete Book of Origami
This book features diagrams for 37 of Robert J. Lang’s early designs. The models range in difficulty from really simple beginner ones to more intermediate level ones. You’ll find a wide array of different kinds of models too from animals to insects, to people and objects. Robert J. Lang is one of the best origami designers out there so this book is definitely worth it if you’re starting out with origami and looking for some great models to fold that aren’t too difficult.
Animal Origami for the Enthusiast: Step-by-Step Instructions in Over 900 Diagrams
This is one of the best books if you’re looking for paper animals. It features sets of diagrams for 25 of John Montroll’s excellent animal designs. The book starts out pretty easy but some of the later models start getting more difficult. The crab later in the book is one of my favourite models to fold. It’s a bit tricky but not too hard and it looks amazing when it’s done.
Crease and Fold: Innovative Origami Projects Anyone Can Make
This is an excellent upper beginner/lower intermediate level book with 32 excellent designs. You’ll find several animals models as well as things like a masu box, a dress, a kusudama and an orchid. If you feel that you’re no longer an origami beginner and you’re looking for something a bit more complicated but still not too difficult then this is a great book to check out.
Origami Art: 15 Exquisite Folded Paper Designs from the Origamido Studio
This book starts off with a large section of text about the Origamido Studio and the recent history of origami in the United States. This is followed by another large section about all the various different kinds of origami paper and how to select the best paper for your project. After this is an excellent section on some of the fancier origami techniques such as back coating, colouring paper with acrylic paint and wet folding.
About 60 pages in the book gets to the diagrams which are great. There are 15 excellent models, mostly animals, that are an intermediate difficulty level. The final model in the book however, the American Crocodile, is incredibly difficult so you probably won’t be attempting that one for a while.
Dinosaur Origami
This book has a great collection of paper dinosaurs. The cover says there are 25 models but there are actually 30. This book includes most of the models from John Montreal’s previous Prehistoric Origami book plus a few more new ones. The diagrams have been re-worked and are more clear from the previous book as well. The models start out pretty easy but most of them are intermediate level.
Mythological Creatures and the Chinese Zodiac Origami
This is another excellent paper folding book with a ton of excellent models, especially if you’re looking for mythological creatures. The first half of this book has diagrams for all the different animals of the Chinese Zodiac. These are mostly regular animals like a rabbit, tiger, monkey etc. The second half of the book has diagrams for several different mythological creatures such as dragons, a unicorn, a griffin and much more. There’s even an awesome 3-headed dragon.
The diagrams are all very clear with two coloured paper and text instructions to go with most steps. The models in this book are all at an intermediate level and they’re quite awesome. This book is highly recommended.
Origami from Angelfish to Zen
This is another one of my favourite books. The book starts off with a large section about the history and theory of origami which may or may not be interesting to you. About a third of the way through the book though it gets into the models and there are a bunch of really awesome models in this book. Almost all of the models in this book are animals and they all look really great. The diagrams are detailed with two coloured paper and text instructions for each step and the difficulty level is intermediate to upper intermediate. This isn’t a beginner book but it’s great if you’re looking to improve your skills while folding some really awesome models.
Marvelous Modular Origami
Meenakshi Mukerji is probably the master of modular origami and kusudamas. In this book she shows how to fold several kusudamas from multiple origami units. The models are pretty simple and the diagrams are quite clear. This is an excellent book to get if you’re interested in getting into modular origami. This book also has a pretty big section at the end of the math and theory of modular origami along with suggested books and websites to check out.
Exquisite Modular Origami
This is another excellent modular origami book by Meenakshi Mukerji. This time there isn’t really any theory or anything like that, instead it’s just diagrams to fold several excellent looking origami kusudamas. The models are all pretty easy to fold and the diagrams are clear and everything is explained quite well. This book makes an excellent follow-up to Marvellous Modular Origami.
Ornamental Origami
This is definitely a must have book if you’re into modular origami. The book starts off with a little section about the theory and mathematics of modular origami and then get into several great looking kusudama models. The last section of the book details “Planar Models” which are a little bit different than the kusudama type models but still pretty awesome.
Advanced-Level Books
These books are for more advanced-level folders. The models in them are very difficult to fold and some of these books really go into the theory and mathematics about origami and origami design.
Origami Design Secrets: Second Edition
This book is essentially a textbook on origami design. Robert Lang takes each chapter to describe a different technique used for designing models and ends each chapter with diagrams for a few models that illustrate the technique discussed. This is a fantastic book for anyone really into paper folding who wants to learn more about how to create their own models. This book also helped me understand how crease patterns work a lot more too.
There are a bunch of diagrams for some excellent models ranging from not too hard to very advanced. There are also several crease patterns as well.
Works of Satoshi Kamiya 1995-2003
This is one of my all time favourite books mainly because it has Satoshi Kamiya’s Chocobo (Yellow Bird) model in it which is awesome and not too difficult to fold. You’ll also find diagrams for a ton of other awesome models ranging in difficulty from intermediate to very advanced such as his amazing Ancient Dragon and the Divine Dragon Bahamut also from Final Fantasy.
Works of Satoshi Kamiya 2, 2002 – 2009
This is a sequel to the first Works of Satoshi Kamiya book and has diagrams for a bunch of awesome models by Satoshi Kamiya that are hard to find or not available. These are some of his newer designs. The diagrams are excellent, very detailed and have instructions in both English and Japanese. There are also some beautiful photos of the models at the start of the book along with crease patterns for all the models.
This is definitely an advanced book and the models are quite difficult to fold but the models are awesome, especially the Phoenix, Cerberus, Sleipnir and Tree Frog models.
Origami Insects II
Robert J. Lang is probably “the” expert when it comes to designing paper insects and this book has a ton of his awesome insect models in it. The difficulty of the models ranges from upper intermediate to more advanced. The diagrams are very detailed with text in both English and Japanese and there are crease patterns for each model as well. If you’re interested in folding some of the most awesome looking insects out there then definitely pick up this book.
Mind Blowing Modular Origami
If you’re a fan of Byriah Loper’s incredible 3D modular interlocking origami shapes or even just modular origami in general then you need to get this book. It starts out with a few simpler kusudama type models to introduce you to the basics and then gives you instructions for 12 amazing and super complex wireframe projects. As far as I know this is the only book that has instructions for models like these. You can read my full review of the book here.
Passion Origami Books
This is a collection of really excellent origami books published by Nicolas Terry of Passion Origami. He partnered with some of the world’s top designers to create these books. They’re all really great and have high production values. These books are for intermediate and advanced level folders.
Passion Origami
This is Nicolas Terry’s first book and it’s unfortunately no longer available in physical form. You can however buy it as an eBook. There’s a variety of different models here from several different designers. All the diagrams are very clear and have text instructions in both English and French. Most of the diagrams in this book are intermediate level with a few that are pretty easy and a few that are quite advanced. This is definitely an excellent collection of origami models.
Origami for Interpreters
Roman Diaz is a master at designing paper animals, probably because he works as a veterinarian and this book is a collection of 25 of his excellent animal designs. The book opens up with a text section where Roman Diaz discusses how an origami designer is like a composer and folders are like interpreters and he encourages folders to put their own spin and touches on the models they fold. He has lots of tips and techniques to help folders with this.
After this section the book gets into the diagrams which are clear, detailed and have text instructions in both Spanish and English. The diagrams start off quite easy and get harder throughout the book. The last few models in the book are quite complex. If you like folding paper animals then you should definitely pick up this book.
Licence to Fold
This book is a fantastic collection of models from 19 different designers. You’ll find animals, insects, a ship, cartoons, people and more. The first couple of models start out pretty easy but they get harder throughout the book. The last few models are very difficult. The diagrams are all very clear with 2 coloured paper and English text instructions to go along with the steps. There are also some interviews with the designers at the back of the book where they talk about designing origami and other interesting things.
Origami Essence
This is sort of a follow-up to Roman Diaz’s first book Origami for Interpreters. It contains 33 more excellent sets of diagrams, mostly for animals. The models start out pretty easy and gradually get harder. The last few diagrams get very difficult. All of the diagrams are high quality and well explained. If you enjoyed Origami for Interpreters or are looking to fold some awesome looking paper animals then you should definitely check out this book.
Origami Sequence
Quentin Trollip is another fantastic origami artist who has also designed a ton of awesome and realistic looking paper animals. This book is mostly a collection if his animal designs but also has some other models like a clown and a skull. The models in this book are all an intermediate difficulty level and there’s nothing too complex here. The diagrams are clear with English instructions and two coloured paper. This is another fantastic book to get if you’re interested in origami animals. It’s also great if you’ve been folding for a while now and you’re looking for a bit more of a challenge.
VOG: 50 Hours of Origami+
This is an amazing book that features exclusively designers from Vietnam. Vietnamese origami has a bit of a different visual style. I think the models look like they have more curved than straight lines. This book has a collection of diagrams from 14 different Vietnamese origami artists and pretty much all the models are awesome. They start off pretty easy and get more difficult throughout the book. The last several models get quite complex and then there are a couple of crease patterns for some very complex models. Most of the models are intermediate to advanced level though. Pretty much everything in this book is awesome so you should definitely check it out.
Eco Origami
Bernie Peyton is an expert at designing life-like paper models. This book features 35 of his designs divided into four categories: the Arctic, the Pacific Coast, the Desert and a Tropical Forest. Each category has several plants or animals that would be found in those locations. The diagrams are all either an intermediate or advanced difficultly level and they’re all explained very well with text in English to go along with the steps. There’s also advice on what kind of paper to use for each model as well.
This is another excellent book especially if you’re interested in folding origami animals and other things found in nature. This book also comes with a CD that has some bonus content and diagrams on it.
VOG 2: Origami.vn
This is a follow-up to the excellent book VOG: 50 Hours of Origami+ and once again features an amazing collection of origami models designed by artists from Vietnam.There are 33 models diagramed in this book as well as 2 crease patterns. Most of the models are intermediate to quite difficult. At 208 pages this is the largest book in the Passion Origami collection. If you’re pretty skilled at origami and you’re looking for an awesome collection of models to fold definitely check this book out.
Origami-Shop.com offers a 30% discount if you get multiple Passion Origami books right here.
Tanteidan Convention Books and Magazines
The Japanese Origami Academic Society (JOAS) publishes a yearly book as well as a bi-monthly magazine both of which contain exclusive diagrams for special models that aren’t available anywhere else.
Every year the Origami Tanteidan Convention is held in Japan and along with each convention they release an awesome book with diagrams for tons of exclusive models. Many of the really awesome looking models you see in our blog are diagrammed in the Tanteidan Convention books.
The Japan Origami Academic Society also publishes a bi-monthly magazine called the Origami Tanteidan Magazine. Each issue is full of paper folding articles (mostly in Japanese although some are translated), a few diagrams usually of an intermediate and advanced level difficulty as well as a crease pattern challenge.
These books and magazines are not for beginners. there are some intermediate level models but most are quite advanced. These are for people or are looking for a challenge or who want to fold something awesome. The instructions for a lot of amazing models are exclusive to these books and magazines and you won’t find them anywhere else. Unfortunately these books and magazines are very difficult to find and a lot of them aren’t available to purchase anymore.
Where to Get the Tanteidan Convention Books
The easiest way to get the Tanteidan Convention books is through origami-shop.com. They tend to stock lots of copies of the current year’s book right after the convention. Sometimes they have a few older books but when they sell out they don’t usually get more.
The only other place I know of where you can get these books is from the Origami House website. This website is in Japanese though so it’s a bit tricky to navigate. If you can figure out how their site works it’s possible order the convention books and pay with PayPal. They have the last several years of books available.
If you’re looking for any older volumes then you’re pretty much out of luck as they’re no longer in print. You can try looking for used copies on sites like eBay but that’s more or less your only other option.
Where to Get the Tanteidan Magazines
JOAS now has an English version of their subscription page so you can subscribe and pay with PayPal. If you become a member of JOAS you get the Tanteidan Magazine subscription plus bonus issues.
On the same subscription page you can also buy back issues of the magazine going all the way back to issue #61. They only come in packages of 6 issues at a time though so there’s no way to purchase individual issues.
origami-shop.com will also sometimes stock collections of the magazines as well.
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