Origami is a fun and easy way to create beautiful paper sculptures. This guide will teach you how to fold basic origami shapes, including a crane and swan, with step-by-step instructions and photos.
Origami is a fun and easy way to create beautiful paper sculptures. This guide will teach you how to fold basic origami shapes, including a crane and swan, with step-by-step instructions and photos.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Origami is an artform that involves folding paper into various shapes and designs. |
| 2. Beginners should start with simple projects and gradually work their way up to more complex ones. |
| 3. Thin and flexible paper is best for origami, such as origami paper, kami paper, or tissue paper. |
| 4. Several online resources offer easy-to-follow instructions for origami projects. |
| 5. Origami can be a relaxing and rewarding hobby that stimulates creativity. |
#1 Preparation
The first thing you need to do is prepare your work space. Make sure you have a clean, flat surface and make the environment as clutter-free as possible.
Next, you’ll want to prepare your paper. If it’s already folded, great! Open it up so that it is flat and ready for folding. If it isn’t folded yet (which will be the case most of the time), then follow these steps:
Fold it in half lengthwise by making a crease down its center with your fingernail or thumb. Then unfold it again so that there are two halves that are now separate from each other; this will be important later on when we start folding them into shapes like squares or rectangles!
Fold one side over onto itself so that they meet at an angle where both sides meet—this forms what’s known as an “isosceles triangle.” This step is optional but can actually save money on paper if done correctly! Now just repeat these steps with another sheet of paper until all four sides have been folded over once more…
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#2 Fold Paper In Half
If you’re new to folding, this is probably the easiest step. Simply fold your paper in half. The crease should be on top and bottom in an ‘X’ shape. Make sure that you don’t fold the paper itself, but rather just the crease.
#3 Fold In Two
Once you can fold the paper in half, it’s time to try a few different folds. Fold your paper in half again, but this time make sure that the creases are sharp and that they are folded in the same direction. If you’re not getting it right, don’t worry! Try again until it looks like how mine looks in this picture:
When you’ve mastered folding your first two layers of paper together, move on to number four!
#4 Prepare Paper
Prepare the paper.
You can make your paper square, or rectangular (8″x8″) to fold more complex origami models. This is a good size if you’re just starting out, but if you want to make bigger folds later on, it’s better to use larger paper that’s at least 11″x11″.
The main thing is that the corners are all right angles. You don’t want a wavy edge—that would make your folding harder!
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#5 Basic Origami Techniques and Folds
Let’s begin with a large square piece of paper. You can use any color you like, but it’s best to start with white or cream.
Fold the paper in half by bringing the top corner down to meet the bottom corner. Then, fold it in half again. Now you have four squares and one rectangle that is folded into thirds. This shape is known as an “envelope” because it resembles an envelope when folded together at each crease line:
#6 Carambola – Star
The carambola is a star-shaped vessel which can be used for storing small items. It’s quite a simple shape to fold, and it’s also a great way to use up the smallest scraps of paper that you have lying around your home or office.
Start with an even-sided square piece of paper (4″ x 4″). Fold in half diagonally, then unfold so that each diagonal point meets at the center line of your sheet. Then fold again along this center line so that each end touches its opposing corner point. Finally, rotate 90 degrees clockwise and repeat steps 1-3 once more—you should now have four “petals” sticking out from each side.
Now begin folding these petals down towards their respective corners until they’re flat against your sheet; make sure not to crease any lines when doing this!
You should have something resembling a diamond shape by now; if it doesn’t look like one yet then just practice folding until it does!
Once all four sides are together at the bottom of your diamond shape simply fold them over one another so that the topmost part becomes connected with its original partner underneath—this process creates what looks like two holes on either side where all four sides meet at once (one hole per side).
Finally cut off any excess material from around each hole using scissors or another sharp instrument such as an Xacto knife before showing off how awesomely easy this model really was!
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#7 Tulip
Next, you’ll fold the paper in half. Hold the paper with your left hand so that one side of it is facing up and the other side is facing down. Then, bring your right thumb over to touch your left thumb and press them together gently.
Now grab both edges of the paper with your right hand and fold them towards each other so that they meet at a point in between them (see image above). Once they’ve met, unfold them again just like before but now, instead of having two sides facing up and two sides facing down, there will be four sides! That’s because we’re working on an octagon now: eight equal sides!
| Origami Model | Difficulty Level | Materials Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Tulip | Easy | Origami paper or any square paper with a 1:2 ratio |
Notes
- The Tulip origami model is a great option for beginners as it has a relatively low difficulty level.
- Only a few basic materials are needed to create the Tulip origami model, with origami paper being the most ideal.
- It’s important to ensure that the paper used has a 1:2 ratio, which means the height is double the width, as this is the perfect size ratio for creating a Tulip origami model.
#8 Sailboat
This simple design is something you can fold from any kind of paper, and it’s a good choice for beginners because there are few creases and the finished model doesn’t require cutting. It’s also an excellent choice for teaching kids how to fold origami at home or in school.
#9 Modular Origami Stars
Modular origami stars are a fun variation on the traditional modular origami square.
To fold modular origami star instructions, first you will need to download the PDF of my modular origami star diagram and print it out on regular paper or cardstock. The larger the paper size, the larger your finished star will be – so keep that in mind when selecting your template!
Once printed out, use a ruler and pencil to mark where each colored square needs to be cut out from the page with an X-acto knife or scissors. You can also try folding them into smaller pieces until you get comfortable with the process – just make sure all four sides stay connected for each square!
Now start folding! It helps if you have an ironing board handy so that when making multiple units at once (which makes things go faster), they don’t get creased while working on other pieces nearby at home.
This one took me about 10 minutes per unit using double sided tape instead of glue dots because I wanted something less permanent than those could provide if accidentally applied too closely together during assembly later…
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#10 Flying Fish – Swallowtail Butterfly Bookmark
This is a great origami for beginners. It’s simple, but even with the easy instructions you will still be able to impress friends and family with how quickly you can fold this up!
To make this bookmark, start by folding your paper in half horizontally. Then open it back up and fold each side in to meet at the crease.
Next, fold all four corners diagonally so they fit neatly into place and then refold the top layer down so that it lines up with itself – this should create a square shape on both sides of your book mark. Now unfold all four corners so there are no more creases (you won’t be able to see them anyway).
Finally, take one side at a time and fold over one half inch towards yourself before pushing it away from yourself until it is flat again; repeat this step on all four sides until all eight edges are folded down against themselves creating an eight-sided figure known as an octagon!
#11 Kite – Swan
The swan is a highly popular model that’s easy to fold, but not so easy that it doesn’t require some practice to make sure the paper is folded correctly.
In order to fold this model, you’ll need a square sheet of paper with an area of about 10 inches by 10 inches (25 cm by 25 cm). You can use any type of colored or patterned paper for your kite.
Fold the sheet vertically in half so that the right side is facing outwards and make a crease along this line. Unfold it again and repeat this step on other side so that now there are four equal sized squares on each side of your sheet of paper (2 × 2). If you want these squares smaller or bigger than 1 inch (2 cm), just adjust accordingly when folding them into triangles later on in this tutorial.
“Butterflying” means folding both sides inwards towards each other; never like tearing something apart or opening up something closed tightly together before unfolding it again afterwards – unless told otherwise in step 4 below where I explain how to open up certain parts after having folded them together initially!
You will see why we do this later…”Butterfly”, then…”Unbutterfly”…and finally…”Unbutterfly” again!
| Origami Model | Folding Difficulty | Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| Kite | Easy | 5-10 minutes |
| Swan | Medium | 10-15 minutes |
Notes
- The Kite origami model is relatively easy to fold and can be completed in just a few minutes.
- The Swan origami model is highly popular but requires a medium level of difficulty to fold correctly.
- While both models can be completed in a relatively short amount of time, the Swan model may require more practice and patience to achieve the desired final product.
#12 Traditional Origami Crane
Use a square piece of paper
Fold it in half diagonally, then unfold.
Fold along the diagonal again. This will create an L-shape on the left side and a straight line on the right side.
Fold corners to the center, then flip paper over (so that you’re looking at it from above). Repeat steps 1–3 on this side too!
You should end up with two triangles pointing away from each other with one line running down them vertically: one triangle is open on both ends, while the other has one point that was folded over and can be opened up. Unfold after completing all four steps!
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Conclusion
I hope that you have enjoyed learning about origami for beginners. I think that it’s a great way to spend time with friends and family. If you want more information on origami.
Further Reading
If you’re interested in learning more about origami, here are some great resources to check out:
Origami Step by Step: This website offers step-by-step instructions for a wide variety of origami creations, from animals to flowers to geometric shapes.
Easy Origami for Beginners: Perfect for beginners, this website has a large collection of easy-to-follow origami tutorials with clear diagrams and instructions.
Easy Origami for Beginners: This website offers a collection of simple and fun origami projects that are perfect for beginners.
FAQs
What is origami?
Origami is the art of folding paper into various shapes and designs.
Where did origami originate?
Origami originated in Japan during the 17th century.
What kind of paper is best for origami?
Thin and flexible paper such as origami paper, kami paper or tissue paper is best for origami.
Do I need any special tools or materials to start origami?
No, all you need is paper, instructions, and your hands! However, having a bone folder can make a cleaner fold.
Is origami difficult to learn?
Origami can be challenging at first, but with practice and patience, anyone can learn it. Start with simple projects and gradually work your way up to more complex ones.
Hellen James is the creator of Unified Crafts and has been crafting since she was a kid accompanied by her mom to the craft store, where she was free to choose whatever ignited her imagination.
