How to Make a Paper Iris Flower

Origami is a Japanese art form that consists of creating artworks solely by folding paper into objects. The origami Iris flower is one of the more complicated origami crafts, but the end result is well worth the time. To make an iris flower out of paper, you only need your hands and a little imagination. Once you make a paper Iris, you will want to do it again and again to impress your friends and family.

Things You'll Need

• Square piece of paper
• Flat surface

Instructions

1. Place the square piece of paper in front of you so that it looks like a diamond. Fold the bottom corner of the diamond until it touches the top corner. Crease the paper well. The paper should now look like a triangle, with the top pointing away from you. Fold the right corner of the paper so that it is even with the left corner.

2. Lift the corner up so that it is standing straight up, and then open the paper where it is folded at the point, then press the crease flat against the table so it makes a small square. The rest of the paper should still be folded underneath the square. Turn the paper over so the square is now against the table and the other triangle is standing up like a shark fin. Do the same with this triangle, opening the fold and pressing the crease flat against the table to form a square. The paper should now be folded into a small square. Turn the square so that it looks like a diamond in front of you again.

3. The diamond should have a line running vertically down its center. Lift the left side of the paper up, so that it again looks like a shark fin, then open the "fin" and press the center crease down flat towards the table, as you did in the previous step. It will now look similar to an ice cream cone, with 2 isosceles triangles that mirror each other at the top.

4. Fold the top corner of the triangle on the right so that what was the top of the triangle is now even with the inner side of the triangle. Do the same thing with the other triangular flap. The paper should now look like a kite, on top of a square. Unfold the 2 flaps that you just folded, then lift up the bottom cone part and fold the flaps inward, creating another small kite that is facing the opposite direction. Fold the top, or smaller, part of the kite back downward, away from your body. Do this with the other 3 sides. When you are finished, the project should resemble a kite on all sides.

5. Turn the kite over until it is smooth on the top, and the right side can be folded inward. Fold the right side of the kite so that the top right slant is even with the center crease of the kite. Do the same on the other side of the crease. Do this on the other 3 even sides of the kite.

6. Fold each of the top points backward completely, then lift them up and curl them backward over your pointer finger for a moment. They should curl back like the petals of an iris.

Tips & Warnings

• With every fold, be sure to make a very good crease. This will help the flower stay together, and will make it easier for you to execute further folds.

• The first time you make an origami iris flower, use paper that is a different color on both sides. This will help you see your folds a little better.

• If you are not using precut square paper, make sure the paper is perfectly even on all 4 sides. If not, you will have trouble folding the flower.

References

• A video tutorial on how to make an Iris flower out of paper