Hot Origami How-Tos

How To: Make a duct tape flower pen

In this tutorial, we learn how to make a duct tape flower pen. First, make three triangles the same size out of pieces of duct tape. Leave a sticky part at the bottom and color the rest of it red. You can also purchase red duct tape if you find it available. Now, wrap the pieces of tape around the bottom of the pen where there is no ink. As you wrap this, you will see a flower start to shape with the more tape you add. Continue to do this until you have no tape left, then you will end with a ...

How To: Fold a five-point paper barn star

This is a video tutorial in the Arts & Crafts category where you are going to learn how to fold a five-point paper barn star. You will need a square sheet of paper. Fold it in half to make a rectangle. Take the right folded corner and fold it up to the left edge of the rectangle. Place the corner about 1/3 from the top edge and fold the sheet. Next take the left corner and fold it over the edge you just folded. Finally take the flap on the right and fold it over to the opposite side. Now cut ...

How To: Make origami llamas

This is a video tutorial in the Arts & Crafts category where you are going to learn how to make origami llamas. Take a square sheet of paper and fold it in half. Open the fold and then fold each half further in halves. The sheet is now divided in to 4 parts. Next fold the outer flaps inwards so that they meet at the center. Flip the folded sheet and fold it in half to make it a square size. Next you fold the top back over itself in a triangular shape. Open up the last fold and watch the video...

How To: Make a modular origami fox

This is a video tutorial in the Arts & Crafts category where you are going to learn how to make a modular origami fox. First you make a lot of triangles of yellow, white and one black color. Join two yellow triangles as shown in the video to make a unit. Make 18 units and combine them in to a circle. Next you add another level but with 3 white pieces. Now add 4 white pieces on the 3 whites. Then you add 5 whites on the 4, 4 whites on the 5 and 3 whites on the 4. Fill up the body with yellow p...

How To: Fold an origami heart using paper money

Give your heart this year to your Valentine. But more than likely, your lady friend is looking for a little more than that. That's why this origami heart is perfect for a gift. It involves you putting effort into the present, it's symbolic of your love for her, plus— it's made out of MONEY!

How To: Fold an origami cherry blossom ball

Want to create a neat looking decorative item using just paper? Origami is the answer. The Origami Cherry Blossom paper ball created in this video by Tomoko Fuse requires papers, dexterity and a toothpick if the presenter is to be believed. The first steps consist of creating precreases on the paper. This step makes the subsequent folds easier to make as the fold lines also double up as markers. The second step consists of creating a complex shape. The same design is then repeated 30 times. F...

How To: Fold miniature 3D origami lucky stars from long paper strips

The smaller your origami gets, the harder it is to fold, but not in the case of the lucky stars. The miniature 3D stars are easy to fold, and you just need a long strip of paper. You could buy pre-made strips of paper, or cut your own with scissors, box cutter or paper cutter. On you fold these mini stars, you'll have to fluff it out for that 3D look and feel.

How To: Create an easy origami paper rose

In this video, we learn how to create an easy origami paper rose. First, take a piece of paper and fold it into a square. After this, unfold it and then reverse the fold the opposite way. Now, take the middle of the paper as you are folding and make a square out of it. Fold down the flaps from the middle down in the front and the back. Next, flip the paper over and push down all the creases. Then, fold the paper into a triangle on all sides and push the creases down. After this, pop up the mi...

How To: Quickly make an origami kusudama

In this video, we learn how to quickly make an origami kusudama. This only requires six pieces of paper to make. First, fold one piece of paper into a triangle, then open it up and fold it in a triangle on the opposite side. Open this back up then flip over. Bend in the edges to make a new triangle, then press down the creases on the side. Bend the middle of the triangle up to the point on both sides. Bend these back down, then fold over the side and make a crease. Open up the bottoms where y...

How To: Create an origami bird

In this tutorial, we learn how to create an origami bird. Start with a rectangle, then fold a triangle into the end of it. After this, fold a crease down the middle of the triangle and tear it off. Next, fold this triangle in half, then in half on the other side. Push down in the middle crease to make a diamond shape on both of the sides as well, then fold down to reach the bottom of the diamond. Fold the top up and the bottom up, then bring the edges into each other to create a pocket. After...

How To: Make a glossy wallet using magazines

Make a hip and functional wallet using the glossy photos taken from old magazines. Your wallet will be colorful, trendy and have pockets for both your bills and cards. All you need in addition to the magazines is a pair of scissors and some clear tape.

How To: Make an easy origami goldfish with tiny fins

Okay, so we have to admit something to you: This isn't actually an origami craft in the strictest sense of the term. Origami dictates that an object be folded into being from a single sheet of paper, but for this goldfish we take a bit of a shortcut, literally. Instead of folding to get all the pieces in place, we make a few cuts to facilitate the fish-forming process.

How To: Fold an origami box and lid by Dave Brill

The origami version of a box and lid may seem like one of the simplest origami projects out there, but you should consider this origami box and lid the hard mode version of an otherwise beginner origami craft. Rather than use two sheets of paper total - one for the box and the other for the lid - this origami project only involves one piece of origami tissue paper.

How To: Make a simple origami CD case for beginners

Whatever happened to the mix tape? A few years back, there wasn't a better and more meaningful gift to give someone than a mix tape full of jams specially tailored to his/her tastes. But with MP3s and internet streaming being the most popular forms of music listening these days, we suppose it's no surprise the mix tape has died out like the dinosaurs.

How To: Make a quick and simple origami envelope

Honestly, we're getting a little tired of purchasing mass-produced cards. Not that we don't adore Papyrus, with its often handmade-like cards and pretty details, but more and more we're finding we enjoy gifting our friends and family something authentic for special occasions.

How To: Make an origami crab for intermediate students

Summer is quickly coming to an end (oh no!), so bask in your last few glory days of sleeping in and playing all day by, well, sleeping in and playing all day. But you should also consider making this adorable sea crab, a sort of testament, if you will, to the summer months spent out by the sea.

How To: Make a cheerful origami penguin for beginners

We don't know where the penguin trend started, but for the past couple of years the arctic animal has been getting some serious loving. From "Happy Feet" to Club Penguin, penguins are flopping around everywhere in the public conscoiusness. And who can really blame our fascination with penguins, given their chubbiness and adorable waddling?

How To: Make a cute origami elephant for beginners

Is your best friend's baby shower speedily approaching and your mind out of ideas for a cute and cheap way to decorate the party? Then you've come to the right place. These tiny blue origami elephants would make great pieces of decor as centerpieces on the dining room table and placed on counters around the house to emphasize the baby theme.

How To: Create an inflatable origami cube for beginners

This origami project is fun if for no other reason than we get to blow into it at the end of folding and turn it from flat to so phat (sorry). This origami cube is simple and quick to make and is a great introductory project for origami beginners who are looking to increase their finger prowess.

How To: Make a quick and easy origami cup

While this paper cup can't hold water or other beverages, it is actually very useful as a container. Whether you're having a birthday party soon and wish to produce inexpensive favor boxes (just fill the cups up with candy) or need little cups to store your tiny treasured knick knacks, these will fit the bill.

How To: Make an origami flapping bird with large wings

Do you know how to fold an origami flapping crane? If you do, then great, because that's the only origami project you need to know how to fold in order to complete this origami bird. A variation of the crane, this bird has larger wings and you can make them flap by pulling on the tail.

How To: Make an elegant origami gliding swan

Watch this origami tutorial and in no time at all you'll transform an ordinary piece of paper into a fabulous, beautiful swan, unsuspectingly reenacting the classic gratifying story of "The Ugly Duckling." All you need are two hands with more or less dexterous fingers and a piece of white origami tissue paper or printer paper.

How To: Fold an origami bird in flight with Aeric

Think the crane is the end all be all of origami birds? Think again. While folding cranes is an excellent way to build finger dexterity for future projects, if you are already at an intermediate level in origami folding then it's time to start challenging yourself!

How To: Fold an elegant origami swan by Robert J. Lang

Origami is a lot of fun (okay, and also a lot of frustration), but what often turns beginners off from the Japanese art form is simply that it requires special origami tissue paper. While it's true that thin paper made exclusively for origami is preferable for any origami project, you can substitute plain old printer paper instead if you're low on money or just out of origami tissue paper.

How To: Fold a spinning paper helicopter

Tired of paper airplanes? Make a paper helicopter! You can download and print out a pattern off the Internet to make a toy helicopter with a real spinning paperclip propeller! Use colored paper and colored pencils on your rig, and hold contests with your friends.