How to make origami shapes out of fabric and have it look nice?

[satokenta]

I like to do origami. I also like to make hats (out of felt) for Barbie dolls. I'd love to make origami out of fabric to put on the hats. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to do this. If anyone has any advice like what fabric I could use, how to do this, etc... I'd be grateful. Thank you.

[Tyrien]

Starch and iron it prior to folding?

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by satokenta

I like to do origami. I also like to make hats (out of felt) for Barbie dolls. I'd love to make origami out of fabric to put on the hats. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to do this. If anyone has any advice like what fabric I could use, how to do this, etc... I'd be grateful. Thank you.

Traditionally they use silk or chirimen crepe silk and starch it to blazes with rice starch. I've managed a few pieces in my time and I used cheap nylon satiny stuff I ripped out of some old packaging. As long as it's thin you can work with it. The main drawback is you really need to make or get good nori glue or rice glue to hold it together, or else buy a glue gun, and the smaller you work, the harder it is. Also the smaller you work, the thinner, finer material you need. The pro's use silk that's practically see-through it's so fine.

Try googling "kanzashi". There's lots of tutorial videos and information, which I think you could adapt to fabric origami.