DIY Paper Box - Paper boxes fold in 2 minutes

• Origami folding instructions
  • instructions video

With a detailed DIY guide on wrinkles may Origami not be unmentioned. We will give you a brief theoretical introduction to this special craft and then give you a guide for making a simple paper box according to the origami rules.

Origami - an introduction to the unique folding art from the Far East

With origami you need nothing but paper and your hands. No scissors, no glue or other utensils are needed. On the contrary, you should even consciously renounce the use of such tools.

The term "origami" is composed of the Japanese words "oru" ("fold") and "kami" ("paper") - it is therefore completely self-explanatory. However, origami is about more than just paper folding. Individual plastic objects of art, even real compositions, as they say in the technical language of origami, are created - every time. Therefore, all origami designs must be folded with the utmost concentration and caution. In fact, the combination of paper type, folding technique and concrete crafting process can be extremely complex. However, we would like to give you a pleasant introduction to this special art and show you below how to create a simple paper box (similar to our very first paper box of this guide) in the sense of origami.

Material:

• 2 sheets of colored paper in square shape (one must be about 3 to 5 mm larger than the other)

Origami folding instructions

Step 1: Take the smaller of the two leaves and start folding it once horizontally and once vertically. You will see a cross on your paper square.

1 of 4

2nd step: Now put the two diagonals on top of each other. What you can see on the leaf is a kind of star.

1 of 3

Step 3: Then fold the four corners with their tips towards the middle.

1 of 2

4th step: In this folded state, the top, then the bottom edge is folded to the middle.

1 of 2

Step 5: Open your fold. But only so far that the left and right tip still point to the middle. The other two tips, however, point in the upper and lower direction.

Step 6: Fold the right side to the middle, then the left one.

1 of 2

Step 7: Now open the paper square again so that it corresponds to the condition from step 5.

Step 8: Fold up the left and right sides at the first fold line. The tips of the two sides remain facing each other in the middle.

Step 9: Press your two index fingers against the prefabricated folds at the top end of your resulting paper box and fold the corresponding side gently inwards. You do the same with the bottom side. Follow our pictures best to understand the exact process. Illustrations truly say more than 1, 000 words in this case.

1 of 4

Step 10: The bottom of your origami paper box is ready. Repeat steps 1 through 9 with the larger square of paper to get the appropriate lid for the box. Great and Congratulations, you have just climbed the first rung on your origami career ladder!

1 of 2

Tip: In order to be able to skip the first steps - that of preparatory folding - it is best to use directly origami paper in your preferred color.

instructions video

Requirement: easy
Time required: low

Note: If you practice the art of origami regularly, it promotes your creativity and fine motor skills. In addition, it equates to a meditative work that calms both internally and externally. It is worthwhile to spend more time with origami - not least because it is a lot of fun to see things grow by simply acting on your own hands.

This should also be our last word. Tinkering paper boxes - whether with scissors and other helpers or without - has not only functional benefits, although it is very large. Rather, the purely practical aspect is complemented by the personal joy and spiritual development, the hobbyist learns in the activities. In short, broaden your horizons by folding a pretty paper box!

Tips for quick readers:

• Making boxes yourself costs little effort, time and money
• Often enough paper and scissors are enough for materials
• For origami only paper and own hands necessary
• Special folds help to create the boxes
• Many different box variants possible: heart, blossom, chocolates
• When working best always follow the illustration
• Faltkunst promotes creativity and fine motor skills