Don't be discouraged if your first few attempts at origami are less than perfect. Like any other art form, mastering origami requires patience, persistence, and lots of practice.

Through my work at About Origami, I've had a chance to speak with well known origami artists throughout the world. Here are my favorite origami tips for beginners from these amazingly talented individuals:

• Dr. Robert J. Lang- "You should never make a crease sharp unless you know it's forming in the right place, and you should only make a crease as sharp as its circumstances and context require."
• Peter Engel- "New folders have a tendency to jump into a complicated book and tackle the model that most appeals to them. If they get frustrated, they feel like they just don't have the skill. But developing the capability to fold an intermediate or complex model takes lots of practice, and you should expect to get a less than perfect result the first few times you fold anything. No one sits down at the piano the first time and flawlessly executes Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata. When you start folding, try the equivalent of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and work up slowly from there."
• Joel Cooper- "When you're just starting out, precision is the most important. Simple things like folding the creases straight and making sure that a fold that is supposed to go to a corner goes right exactly to that corner, make a big difference. Take your time to do it right with the very first folds or you'll just end up getting frustrated before the model is finished."
• Benjamin John Coleman- "It's hard to learn at first, especially folding new models. Some models took me hundreds of hours and more than a month to master, but they're worth it."
• Leyla Torres- "Start by becoming familiar with simpler models. Be patient as you fold. Practice a lot. Folding the same model several times and paying attention to the process will teach you a lot. Do not give up when you cannot fold a model the first time you try. Come back to it and try again."
• Nick Robinson- "If possible, try to fold alongside some with more experience, you will progress much more quickly."
• Philip Craik- "I like to perfect one model and then be able to make it from memory, so persist in folding each model you like making till you have it nailed."