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Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into different shapes and objects, both simple as well as complicated. The art requires quite a bit of training and patience, you can enroll for origami lessons at any local community craft lessons, or search the yellow pages or the internet for origami classes at a location near you. One of the objects which you can make using origami is a simple dragon. All it requires is a single sheet of square paper and you can follow the steps listed below to get started on your own origami dragon.
Step 1:

Materials you will need. Any kind of paper can be used, but if you're intending to put the dragon for a festive or decorative use, then using glossy color paper is the right way to go. Of course, you should practice with plain paper to get some experience. If the paper being used is not already square-shaped, use a pair of scissors to cut out a perfect square shape. How you can do this is fold the bottom right edge of the rectangle over the top left edge. You will be left with some unfolded area of paper, which can be cut out. Unfolding the paper will leave you with a square sheet of paper.

Step 2:

Making folds on the paper. On the square sheet of paper, make creases by folding and unfolding each of the paper's edges to the opposite edge. The paper should have octagonal-shaped creases once you've completed this exercise.

Step 3:

Using the ‘bird base'. This is one of the basic bases in origami from which many kinds of birds or other objects can be created. To get the bird base, fold the bottom right hand corner to meet the top left hand corner. Next, fold the bottom left edge to meet the top right hand edge, creating a smaller triangle. Open out the top flap and press down to form a square of the folded paper. Turn over the square and repeat the action on the other side. The next action is to create creases by folding the top tip and the top right edge at an angle towards the centre. Repeat with the bottom tip and lower right edge and then flip over the square and do the same with the left top and bottom edges.

Step 4:

Making the wings and legs. Make crimp folds from the top corners down towards the bottom. The folds must be even on both sides and pressed well to form perfect creases. The wings can be folded into position just above the legs, Legs should be folded into position by creating ears and bend them towards both front and back.

Step 5:

Cautionary tips. While folding and creasing the paper, don't pull it too hard, else you may end up tearing the paper. Always use clean hands, especially if working with color or glossy paper. There are many ways to make a paper dragon, browse through and select easy designs to begin with. You can choose the more complex designs once you've gained some expertise.

Origami is a craft which will imbue you with patience and develop dexterity in your hands and fingers. Over a period of time, you will find that, with constant practice you can create more intricate and multi-dimensional designs and objects, making origami a very useful hobby to cultivate.
About this Author:
Garrett has recently discovered the joy of grilling chicken like a confident, pro griller, and wants to share the article with all you readers out there.
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