Origami Basics – Mountain Fold
The second basic fold is the Mountain Fold. The mountain fold is the inverse of the valley fold. While for valley fold we crease the paper up, for mountain folds, we fold and crease the paper down. Here’s a quick tutorial:
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As with the valley fold, start with a square piece of paper which is coloured on one side and white on the other. The coloured side will be on the top. The size of my square is 6 inches. For the purposes of the tutorial, the mountain fold is going to divide the paper unevenly. |
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Take one of the horizontal edges and fold towards (but not upto) the other horizontal edge.Ensure that the folded part goes under the remainder of the paper. To do this, you will have to lift the paper up to allow the paper to fold underneath. Align the edges at the top and bottom correctly to get a straight crease. When you are happy with the size of the fold, press down and crease well. Unfold and let it lay on the work surface. The paper will lift up, like a mountain or an inverted ‘V’. The mountain fold is complete If you do find it difficult to make a mountain fold, turn the paper over, so that the white side is up and fold just like a valley fold! |
The mountain and the valley folds are the very basic origami folds. And with just these folds, a lot of simple origami can be completed.
A valley fold is easier than a mountain fold but, at times, I have found mountain folds to be more useful than valley folds. For example, when folding to an existing crease, I find it easier if the crease is a mountain rather than a valley fold. Mountain folds are easier to see than valley folds, so that gives a greater accuracy.