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Origami

A square of paper, a few folds, something you'll keep.

3levels, ending in models you design yourself
20 mina Step, on average
$12to start Level 1
FreeLevel 1, always

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.
      Show your group
    2. 2
      Learn the basic folds
      Fold practice squares with valley folds, mountain folds, a squash fold and a reverse fold.
    3. 3
      Fold a jumping frog
      A frog that hops when you press and release its back.
    See all 15 Steps
    1. 4
      Fold the square and bird bases
      A neat square base, then a bird base folded from it.
    2. 5
      Fold your first crane
      A traditional paper crane, wings out, that stands up.
      Show your group
    3. 6
      Fold a masu box
      A square, open masu box with neat corners.
    4. 7
      Give your box a lid
      A lid that fits snugly over your masu box.
    5. 8
      Fold a lily
      A four-petal origami lily with curled petals.
    6. 9
      Fold from diagrams alone
      One model you've never folded, made from the diagrams with no video.
    7. 10
      Three neat cranes
      Three cranes in a row, including one from small paper, all without the video.
      Show your group
    8. 11
      Fold lucky stars
      Five puffy lucky stars from paper strips.
    9. 12
      Fold six Sonobe units
      Six identical Sonobe units, in three colors, ready to assemble.
    10. 13
      Assemble the cube
      A six-unit Sonobe cube that holds together without glue.
    11. 14
      Fill a jar with stars
      Twenty lucky stars, enough to fill a small jar.
    12. 15
      Make a gift set
      A gift set: a masu box with a lid, filled with stars, plus a crane and your cube.
      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.

Cover photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash