The Japanese art of paper folding dates back hundreds of years. We move from simple shapes such as boxes, to more complex shapes such as the traditional origami in the shape of a crane. There are many types of origami flowers, some more difficult than others: here we illustrate a few to get you started.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Origami Lily with Stem
Step 1. Put together what you need
For this flower, you will need two 6 '' x 6 '' squares of origami paper and some ribbon. One of these pieces of paper will form a stem, so you'll do well to choose a brown or green sheet.
Step 2. Take the piece of origami paper you want to use for the flower
Place it on the table with the colored side facing down. Fold the paper in half diagonally to form a large triangle. Bring the lower left corner to the lower right, making a smaller triangle. Reopen this smaller triangle.
Step 3. Fold the petals
Take the left corner of the triangle and fold it up from the crease in the center. This corner will extend beyond the edge of the original triangle and will be approximately at the same height as the top corner. Repeat this crease on the right side. Try to create this crease symmetrically to the one on the left side. Set the flower aside.
Step 4. Arrange the piece of paper you want to use for the stem with the colored part or the pattern facing down
Fold the paper in half diagonally. Roll out the paper and position it so that it looks like a square diamond.
Step 5. Push the right corner towards the central crease
Match the right edge of the paper with the crease in the center, making sure the bottom corner is also aligned. Repeat with the left corner. When you're done, the card should look like a kite.
Step 6. Fold the left and right sides towards the center
Make sure the bottom point is precise and sharp. The seam in the middle should be tight.
Step 7. Bring the top right corner towards the crease in the center
Repeat with the upper left corner. The seam between these two flaps should also be tight.
Step 8. Fold the top of the kite down so that the fold is two-thirds from the bottom
Fold the left side over the right, matching all edges. The shorter and wider triangle will form the leaf.
Step 9. Rotate the stem so that the points face upwards
Take the leaf and gently pull it out away from the stem.
Step 10. Put the flower together
Cut a small piece of paper from the bottom of the flower. Insert the tip of the stem into the hole.
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Attach the flower to the stem to prevent it from falling.
Make an Origami Flower Step 10Bullet1
Step 11. Finished
Method 2 of 3: Simple Origami Flower
Step 1. Take a 15cm x 15cm piece of origami paper with the pattern up
Fold diagonally in both directions, being careful to line up the corners and crease sharply. The folds should form an "X".
Step 2. Flip the card up
Fold from left to right and reopen. After that, fold from top to bottom. The card should be a rectangle.
Step 3. With the flaps open at the bottom, gently push the top left and right corners of the paper
A wrinkle will rise in the center of the paper. All four corners will meet at the bottom. You should now have a square diamond shape. Flatten this figure. Make sure there is an upper flap on the left and another on the right.
Step 4. Rotate the diamond 180 degrees, so that the open flaps are on top
Step 5. Fold both bottom edges of the diamond towards the center
This will form a fold that looks like a kite. Flip the diamond over on the back and repeat the folds made on the front side.
Step 6. Open your petals
Grab the top tip of the kite. Pull and fold down about 3/4 of the way down the kite. With your thumb and forefinger, pinch the center of the flower to secure the fold.
Step 7. Refine the other petals
Arrange the side petals until they are in the position you want. Touch-ups can be made by pressing at the base of the flower near the stem.
Step 8. Use scissors or trimming shears to round the edges or make them scalloped
The former will make the flower look like a pansy, while the latter will give the idea of a carnation!
Method 3 of 3: Making Other Types of Origami Flowers
Step 1. Make a simple origami lotus flower
This beautiful aquatic plant recreates itself well in paper. It's tasteful and elegant, yet it's simple and surprisingly easy to use.
Step 2. Make a kutsudama flower
Kutsudama is the Japanese practice of sewing or gluing individual folded units together to form a spherical pattern. They were initially used to collect incense, but today these flowers perform a color function.
Step 3. Try tropical flower origami
These flowers have rounded edges to give a relaxed and tropical feel. They are fun, easy and painless to do!
Step 4. Create bluebells
This beautiful origami mimics a delicate flower, native to Scotland. Also called bluebell, you can fold it into blue card for an authentic look!
Advice
- Try origami paper in different colors or patterns for cool effects.
- Practice makes perfect when it comes to origami. Making precise and clean folds is the key to most origami structures.
