Paper Treating Kit

Learning to treat your own paper is a necessary step in transitioning from intermediate to complex origami. If you have always felt burdened by the types of paper sold in the stores around you, or unable to purchase super fancy papers, then this starter kit is for you. The goal for me was to find affordable yet high quality products. When I was young, I certainly could not afford these but over time, saved up and acquired each part. If you seek to level up your origami, definitely consider these tools.

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Items

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Methyl Cellulose

The magic behind treated papers and wet-shaping complex models. Methyl Cellulose (MC) strengthens paper fibers which often gives the "crispy" trait to desirable origami paper. This bottle has MC in powder form. I normally fill a regular plastic cup 75% with water and insert a large spoonful of MC.
Price: $10

Paint Roller

Paint Rollers have been the best tool for applying methyl cellulose on paper in my experience. They make much more even layers and won't tear the paper as easily as brushes.
Price: $13

X-Acto Knife

Your best friend when cutting out squares. The sharper the knife, the better the cut, and this knife is super sharp. Be careful when using this tool and be responsible. If you are under 13 years old, ask your parents before using these.
Price: $5

Metal Ruler:
1 m

Cutting out a perfect square from treated papers can be a hassle. A metal ruler is a must-have for making this process easier. It is both safer and more reliable as you can even tape down the ruler to keep it from shifting. Wooden rulers would wear out from that process.
Price: $8

Blick Cutting Board - Transparent, 24'' x 36''

Cutting Mat
60x91cm

This will be one of the best investments in origami you can make. Having a reliable surface to both treat and cut papers on is such a blessing. I like to even treat papers and leave it stuck to the surface to make cutting perfect squares extremely easy. Blick Art Materials has an amazing deal on this size
Price: $30

Giant Cutting Mat
91x122cm

This is the same as the other cutting mat but much larger. While the price is very steep, it will offer you much more flexibility to treat large papers like Wenzhou Rice paper. If you are thinking about making Ryujin sized papers, this will be what you want.
Price: $86

Paper Options to Start

Tissue Paper 100pk
50x66cm

This Tissue paper is extremely affordable ($0.14 a sheet). This bundle of various colors is great for first learning to make double tissue as you will have many sheets to practice with. There are tons of other colors of tissue paper that are easy to acquire as well, but this specific bundle's price is hard to beat.
Price: $14

Lineco Acid-Free Tissue - 30'' x 40'', Unbuffered, 12 Sheets

Large Tissue 2x12pk
76x101cm

This is on the more expensive side of tissue paper but it is rare to see this size available for purchase online. Making even double of this specific tissue can lead to folding much more complex models. If you are quite comfortable making double tissue and want to make them larger, this is for you. *Disclaimer: The link says its a 12 pack but it comes as a set of two 12 packs.
Price: $12