How to Make Origami Roses?

Give an origami rose to evoke feelings of love.

Origami, which means "to fold paper" in Japanese, ranges from the simple to the utterly complex. At its inception, origami was strictly for ceremonial use, but somewhere around the 17th century, origami became an acceptable form of recreation. Today, thanks to a written system of folding instructions and patterns, anyone can learn to create beautiful pieces of origami. To practice this art, try making a rose. The rose is a symbol of love, and although an origami rose will not have a sweet smell, it still says "I love you."

Things You'll Need

• 6 by 6 inch square piece of paper, red
• 4 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch square piece of paper, red
• 3 by 3 inch square piece of paper, red
• 6 by 6 inch square piece of paper, green
• Glue

Instructions

Create the Rose Petals

1. Fold the largest piece of red paper into a square base. Simply create two valley folds along the diagonals, or corner-to-corner, then create two mountain folds along the horizontals, or side-to-side. Next, collapse the piece of paper, using the fold lines to create a square.

2. Place the square in front of you. Fold the left corner in toward the center of the square, then unfold it. Fold the tip of the edge in toward the fold you just made, then refold the original fold into the center. Repeat this step with the remaining three corners.

3. Open the square up and gently flatten the bottom.

4. Fold the two remaining red squares in the same manner as the first.

Create the Stem

1. Fold the green piece of paper into a water balloon base. To create this base, make two mountain folds along the diagonals, or corner-to-corner, then create two valley folds along the horizontals, or side-to-side. Collapse the piece of paper to form a triangle, which will result in a water balloon base.

2. Place the base in front of you and lift one of the corners. Collapse the corner in a squash fold by opening the folded corner halfway, then flattening or "squashing" the space that you have just created. This will make the newly folded part longer and narrower.

3. Complete three more squash folds on the remaining three corners. The piece should resemble a kite.

4. Open the larger side of the piece up.

Put the Rose Together

1. Nest each of the rose petals inside of one another, largest to smallest.

2. Place a couple dabs of glue to hold the pieces together, if you'd like extra stability.

3. Fold the petals outward gently in order to show the rose in bloom.

4. Place the rose inside of the top of the green stem.

5. Place a couple dabs of glue on the inside of the stem to hold the rose in place, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Absolute beginners to origami may wish to learn about the most widely used folds. The basics include the mountain fold, which causes the colored side of the paper to arch up; the valley fold, which causes the colored side of the paper to arch down; and the squash fold, which collapses the space of a half open, previously made fold.

References

• Origami-Instructions: Origami Rose
• PBS: Between the Folds
• Origami-Instructions: Origami Lily