Some ideas look better on paper than in reality, but in this case the two are one and the same: a zany Canadian named Yee has crafted a model four-stroke V12 engine... out of paper. The very impressive creation is made from no less than an entire tree 1,978 pieces of paper (don't tell our tree-hugging friends at AutoblogGreen), plus some supporting sticks, tape, a dozen LEDs to substitute for the spark plugs and a few basic electric parts to make it move. Yeah, that's right, it actually moves: each little paper piston oscillates in its little paper cylinder, turning the engine at about 13.5 rpm.

The paper is acid-free so it won't yellow with age, and as you can see from the images, it looks absolutely stunning in pure white with no paint needed. The best part is that this isn't a one-off creation. You can actually order one and assemble it yourself for $95 Canadian (plus shipping), but plan to set aside more than a rainy afternoon: the instruction manual, fittingly enough, is a Tolstoy-rivaling 595 pages long.

Check out the images in the gallery below and the pair of videos after the jump to see the origami engine in all its glory. Mad props to German for the tip!