How to Make an Origami Eiffel Tower

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Standard sheet of origami paper

  • Scissors

  • Pencil

The Eiffel Tower is a famous tower in Paris.

Origami is a Japanese paper-folding craft that began in the 1600s. Traditionally it has involved making paper animals or objects, but as it has become more popular, origami has come to include pop culture icons and famous characters. The Eiffel Tower is a famous iron structure in Paris designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel in the 1800s. Folding a paper Eiffel Tower can be easy, and only requires a sheet of origami paper, a pencil and scissors.

Advertisement

Making an Origami Eiffel Tower

Step 1

Fold your sheet of standard origami paper in half horizontally. Unfold.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Fold the top half of your paper to the horizontal crease. Unfold.

Step 3

Fold the bottom half of your paper to the horizontal crease. Unfold.

Step 4

Fold each of your 4 sections in half, creating 16 rows.

Step 5

Repeat Steps 1-4, folding vertically this time. You should end up with a 16-by-16 grid.

Advertisement

Step 6

Cut off one row and one column with your scissors, leaving a 15-by-15 grid.

Step 7

Draw a dotted line down the center two rows and the center two columns. This will make it easier for you later on.

Advertisement

Step 8

Fold your grid in half diagonally. Unfold. Fold your grid in half diagonally the other way. Unfold.

Step 9

Fold the fourth row from the bottom in half. With your pencil, draw a dotted line across this crease.

Advertisement

Step 10

Fold the fifth row from the bottom in half. Draw a dotted line across this crease as well.

Step 11

Rotate your paper 90 degrees and repeat Steps 9 and 10. Do this for each side.

Step 12

Keeping the center square flat, pinch in the corners of your paper. You will have four flaps.

Advertisement

Step 13

Pleat one of the flaps by folding the first column of the flap in half over itself. Unfold, and reverse fold over the crease that has been made. Repeat this step again, pleating the second column.

Step 14

Repeat Step 13 with the other three flaps.

Advertisement

Step 15

Press in your folds. You should now have a 2-by-1-by-1 rectangle in the top center of your paper. You will also see that the dotted lines you made before are now two squares around the center rectangle. Fold your paper down at the creases of the smallest square (the one closest to the center) making a platform.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Step 16

Repeat Steps 13 and 14 on your second layer.

Step 17

Press in your folds. You should now have a 3-by-3-by-2 platform underneath the center rectangle. Fold your paper down at the next crease over from your platform, creating a third layer.

Step 18

Pleat one of the flaps by folding the first column of the flap in half over itself. Unfold, and reverse fold over the crease that has been made. Do this for each of the four flaps.

Step 19

Fold your paper up at the next crease over from your platform on each side. You will have three platforms and a flat square base.

Step 20

Fold your paper down at the next crease over from the crease you folded up. This will create a fourth platform. Push in the center of each side of the fourth platform, making four inward arcs. This will be the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

references & resources