Origami

The path

1. 1
   Level 1Free

   First Folds

   A crane, a box, a cube and a string of stars

   15 Steps, about 32 minutes each. Anyone with a pack of paper and some patience. No crafting experience needed.

   1. Chapter 1: Folds and bases. Clean valley and mountain folds, a cup, a jumping frog, the square base and your first crane.
   2. Chapter 2: Classic models. A masu box with its lid, a lily, a model folded from diagrams alone, and three neat cranes.
   3. Chapter 3: Modular and gifts. Lucky stars, a six-unit Sonobe cube, and a finished gift set of your best pieces.

   1. 1
      Fold a paper cup

      Fold a paper cup that stands up and holds its shape.

      Origami is the art of folding paper into shapes without cutting or gluing. A paper cup is a perfect first model: a few folds, and it really holds water for a little while.

      Every origami model starts with a precise first fold. Small errors at the start grow with every fold that follows, so accuracy matters most at the beginning.

      The detail beginners miss is lining up corners before creasing. Bring the corners together exactly, hold them in place with one hand, then press the crease flat from the middle outward with the other. Creasing first and adjusting later leaves a crooked fold.

      Here's an example. A 15 cm square, colored side down. Folded corner to corner into a triangle, corners lined up exactly, creased sharply with a fingernail. One side corner folded across to touch the opposite edge, so its top edge is level. Other corner folded across the same way. Top flaps folded down into the front and back pockets. Opened: a cup that stands up.

      Right is a cup that stands up and holds its shape. Paper edges can give small cuts; run your fingers along folds rather than edges. Standard 15 cm origami paper is cheap, but printer paper cut square works too.

      Origami.me
      Show your group
   2. 2
      Learn the basic folds

      Fold practice squares with valley folds, mountain folds, a squash fold and a reverse fold.

      Origami.me
   3. 3
      Fold a jumping frog

      A frog that hops when you press and release its back.

      Origami.me

   See all 15 Steps

   1. 4
      Fold the square and bird bases

      A neat square base, then a bird base folded from it.

      Origami Resource Center
   2. 5
      Fold your first crane

      A traditional paper crane, wings out, that stands up.

      Easy Paper Origami
      Show your group
   3. 6
      Fold a masu box

      A square, open masu box with neat corners.

      Paper Kawaii
   4. 7
      Give your box a lid

      A lid that fits snugly over your masu box.

      Paper KawaiiOrigami Resource Center
   5. 8
      Fold a lily

      A four-petal origami lily with curled petals.

      Origami.me
   6. 9
      Fold from diagrams alone

      One model you've never folded, made from the diagrams with no video.

      Origami Resource Center
   7. 10
      Three neat cranes

      Three cranes in a row, including one from small paper, all without the video.

      Origami Resource Center
      Show your group
   8. 11
      Fold lucky stars

      Five puffy lucky stars from paper strips.

      Easy Origami and Crafts
   9. 12
      Fold six Sonobe units

      Six identical Sonobe units, in three colors, ready to assemble.

      Origami.me
   10. 13
       Assemble the cube

       A six-unit Sonobe cube that holds together without glue.

       Wikipedia
   11. 14
       Fill a jar with stars

       Twenty lucky stars, enough to fill a small jar.

       Easy Origami and Crafts
   12. 15
       Make a gift set

       A gift set: a masu box with a lid, filled with stars, plus a crane and your cube.

       Origami Resource Center
       Show your group
2. Level 2Unlocks after Level 1

   Intermediate Models

   A dragon from a single sheet

3. Level 3Unlocks after Level 2

   Modular and Tessellations

   A 30-unit ball and your first tessellation

Where it ends: models you design yourself

Free lessons in First Folds come from Origami.me, Origami Resource Center, Easy Paper Origami, Paper Kawaii, Easy Origami and Crafts, Wikipedia. We link to their work and never copy it.