How to Make Japanese Boy Paper Dolls

Introduce children to Japanese culture through the art of paper folding, or origami. On Doll Festival Day, or "Hinamatsuri," celebrated every March 3, families display emperor and empress dolls on an altar decorated with peach blossoms, as a way of wishing health and happiness to the young people in their lives, according to the Kyoto National Museum. Substitute paper origami dolls for elaborate "hina" dolls, and make the project appeal to boys by allowing them to fold and decorate male emperor paper dolls.

Things You'll Need

• Origami paper (square)
• Glue or stapler
• Decorative paper scraps
• Black marker

Instructions

1. Place the origami paper on your work surface with the colored side down. Bring the bottom right corner up to meet the upper left corner and crease along the diagonal.

2. Open the paper and position it in a diamond shape, white side up. Fold the top and bottom corners in to the center crease.

3. Flip over the resulting kite shape and fold the top and bottom corners in to the center crease from this side. Turn the folded point up. You should now have a diamond shape with the folded, white side up, and a longer, colored side pointing towards you.

4. Turn over and bring the long point up toward--but not touching--the top point. Make your crease for this fold about 1/2 inch below the right and left corners of the diamond shape.

5. Fold the tip of the point you just folded up back down so it is even with the bottom of the paper. Fold the top point down along the same fold line. This point should extend slightly beyond the bottom of the paper.

6. Flip the paper over and turn it so the point is on top, this will be you doll's head. Fold the squared-off corners on the right and left down to meet at the center--these are the sleeves of your doll's kimono.

7. Apply a dab of glue or tape where needed to keep the doll from unfolding or staple through the center. Cover the staple with the closed-fan shape the emperor traditionally holds. Color the point of his head with black marker for his peaked cap and draw on a face.

Tips & Warnings

• To make an empress doll, simply tuck the point of the head back and draw hair on the head and embellish her with an open fan.

• Use gold foil sticker material as the fans to hold the sleeves closed.

References

• Japan Society: About Japan-A Teacher's Resource: Origami Hina Doll Instructions
• Kyoto National Museum: All About Japanese Hina Dolls
• Japan Society: About Japan-A Teacher's Resource: Hinamatsuri Dolls