They feel it is their design and their expression and it is meant to be seen and appreciated not mass produced. Also since every folder has a slightly different touch and technique an artistic origamist's piece would be almost impossible to duplicate. Many of the Origami models back in the Edo era were made possible only due to the use of Washi. Likely initially used as a decoration or simply a way to kill a few hours, origami has been transformed into an activity that has many magnificent uses. There are books written about the art of origami and its benefits for various situations. The Internet has loads of information about the origami. If you'd like to learn more about this great activity, log onto the worldwide web and start learning. If it helps to let them color or paint faces on their animals - let them! Some tips for beginners - pick a well lighted relaxing area to work in, start with simple figures and work your way up (some figures will have both simple and advanced instructions for the same animal). Don't use really good paper to start with and for true beginners one of the best pieces of advice is to start with a larger piece of paper than what is called for. There wasn't a lot of origami just as an art form at that time. In Japan from the early 1600's through the late 1800's, several forms of entertainment were developed for the common people; origami, now as an art form was one of those entertainments. The popularity of origami was due in part to its simplicity and the fact that there was no need for special tools. However using instructions and diagrams there are many objects a person can make including objects such as a six-pointed star, a flower, animals and many others. The more practice a person gets doing origami projects, reading diagrams and understanding instructions, the better equipped they are to take on more advanced origami projects. Each and every day, whether at school, at work, at home or at the grocery store, people need to practice patience. This is difficult for some individuals, especially for the child who is waiting their turn for the swing for example. Origami can be used to instill this importance of patience in both children and adults alike.