How to Make Paper Origami Flowers

Cardstock works well for creating beautiful origami

Origami paper crafts can create an array of shapes, from swooping cranes to blossoming flowers. These flowers take only a few folds and are a good choice for beginners. After you have made the folds, open the flower to reveal its luscious blossom. You can decorate it or leave it plain. Pick a colorful paper for creating your flower to add charm to the design. Quickly create origami flowers of your own.

Things You'll Need

• Paper

Instructions

1. Turn a square piece of paper face-down on the table. Fold the paper in half from corner to corner and crease it. Press firmly so you can see the crease line when you unfold the paper. Repeat this with the other two corners after unfolding the first fold.

2. Turn the paper right side up. Repeat the same procedure as in Step 1, except fold the paper in half by bringing one side to the other instead of folding one corner to the other. When you open up the paper, you should see one horizontal crease, one vertical and two diagonal.

3. Turn the paper so that one corner is at the top, making the paper diamond shaped instead of square. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner and hold it. Fold the left and right corners in towards the bottom corner. You may need to push on the creases you created so the paper will fold in and the corner will sit snugly over the bottom corner. You should now have a smaller diamond shape.

4. Fold the right corner of the top flap down to the bottom corner and crease. This will make a crease in the middle of the diamond. Unfold the right flap back into place. Insert your finger underneath the right flap, in between the edge and the crease you made. Pull it up and flatten it out across the middle of the diamond.

5. Repeat Step 4 with the remaining left and right flaps until you have a triangle shape that is open at the bottom. Fold the right half of the triangle over the left so the bottom is no longer open but now pointed.

6. Lift the bottom point of the triangle up and fold it down. Turn the triangle around and lift the bottom point on the back side up and fold down.

7. Turn the triangle upside down so the two flaps you folded down are now at the top. Pinch the center of the triangle inward and gently pull down on the flaps. The origami flower should open to reveal several petals. Pull and arrange these petals as you like.

Tips & Warnings

• An easy way to make a square from a rectangular piece of paper is to turn it horizontally and fold the top right corner down until it meets the edge. Crease the paper and cut the unfolded strip of paper away. Unfold the triangle you have left and it will be a perfect square.

References

• Origami-Fun: Origami Flower Pattern