Workshop no. 17: Taking Shape: Origami Wet-Folding with Taro Yaguchi

The Joys of Origami

Think of origami, and images of intricately folded and angular swans and flowers often come to mind. However, during last month’s workshop, we learned that it can be so much more. On a bright and sunny Saturday in August, we hosted origami expert Taro Yaguchi for a hands-on demonstration of origami ‘wet-folding’.

Wet-folding is a somewhat advanced technique that consists of wetting specialized origami paper so it can be manipulated more easily. The technique, developed by legendary origami expert Akira Yoshizawa, results in pieces that have structural integrity and can hold curved forms.

How To Wet-Fold

To perform wet-folding, it is advised to use slightly thicker paper (in our case we used special “Tant Origami Paper” that is thicker and more textured than typical paper) in order to prevent tears and fraying once wet. To help the paper hold its form, a small amount of water-soluble adhesive (in our case methylcellulose) is added. The ‘sized’ water is added to the paper and can be folded normally from there. Once the figure begins to take shape, the paper can be structurally manipulated and frozen in place with a quick blast of warm air from a hairdryer.

Thank you to Taro Yaguchi for sharing his love of origami, and to our amazing customers who came out to try wet-folding firsthand. Keep up with our workshops here, and be sure to join us for the next one!

About Taro Yaguchi