Did you know that the maximum amount of times you can fold a piece of printer paper in half is eight times? Even if you're not a scientist or mathematician, a quick try for yourself will make the reason obvious: After eight, the sheer thickness of the paper will prevent additional folds. While high school student Britney Gallivan broke the Guinness World Record for the number of folds in 2002, she used an extra-long sheet of tissue paper, not an 8 1/2 by 11-in. sheet of paper. Luckily, though, eight folds are more than enough for most paper-based projects.
If you're looking to create something useful, folding printer paper into 10 squares is a reliably achievable option that won't surpass the eight-fold barrier. By adding 10 squares on a single piece of paper, you can create a chore chart, a to-do list, coupons and more. You won't reach the folding limit for folding paper in half in a single direction, but you will create a fun origami paper craft that can be put to good use. Here's how it's done.
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Video: How to Fold a Sheet of Paper into 10 Rectangles
Things You'll Need
8 1/2 x 11-in. piece of paper
Ruler
Pencil
How to fold a single sheet of paper into 10 sections:
1. Fold lengthwise
Fold paper in half lengthwise. Your folded paper should now be 4 1/2 x 11-in. long.
2. Create guide marks
Measure 2 1/8 in. from left side of your paper and make a few marks with a pencil.
3. Fold at marks
Fold piece of paper on pencil marks.
4. Repeat fold four times
Flip piece of paper over and fold it equally on top of last fold. Repeat this step until you reach end of paper. You should now have five sections of the same size.
5. Unfold paper
Unfold layers of paper. You should now have 10 equally sized squares.
While you won't get extra credit in math class for this paper-folding project like Britney Gallivan did, and you likely won't exceed her record-breaking number of layers, you will get to put your folded paper to good use and admire 10 satisfying rectangles.