Quick and easy origami gift box tutorial

I'm still on a high, and the air feels different in a good way.

As part of the U-Handbag 2nd birthday celebrations I thought I would create a tutorial and I would do a giveaway.  Here is the tutorial.  It's a very easy origami lidded gift box which you and/or the kids can whip up in less than 10 minutes.  This box would be perfect for packaging smaller Christmas presents like jewelery, or you can use these boxes as dividers within a larger box (which is great for keeping our crafting supplies under control).

I have a stash of origami paper to (just about) rival my fabric stash...

Nice to have, nice to look at; nicer to covet than to use...(bit like how I feel about my fabric stash).


Origami was my first craft hobby.  The first model I ever made was this very box (I must have been 10 yrs old), from then on I was hooked. Here is a star I made recently...

An example of modular origami.

For my tutorial for a pretty origami lily flower click here.

Here is the lidded box.  I made a padded flower to put on the lid.  The flower can use be used to lift the lid off the box, or you can make a ribbon bow, or maybe a fabric yo-yo with button center, or stick some dried flowers on, or not!

 

To make the flower I followed JuJu's excellent tutorial.


1. Start with a square of thick paper or (best) light card (mine is 25cm square, which makes a box that measures 9cm (W) x 4.5cm (H).  Fold the paper in half diagonally, both ways.  Ensure all of your creases are sharp by running finger nail along each crease for every step of this model.

Fold diagonally, ensure that the tips meet perfectly.  It's best to be anal about being precise when paper folding!

2. Open paper out and you will see that you have folded a cross.  Take one of the corners and fold the tip of the corner to the very center of the cross.   Take your your time to be as precise as possible.  Origami works best when your creases are sharp and your folds are precise anal.

Repeat with the other 3 corners, and open out paper.

3.  Take one of the corners and fold the tip of the corner to the opposite crease that you made in step 2.

Repeat with the other 3 corners and open out paper.

4.  Take one of the corners and fold the tip into the fold you have just made in  step 3. 

Repeat with the other 3 corners.  Right, that's boring bit over with.  All we have been doing up to now is making crease lines which will form our guidelines for following steps.

5.  Take your paper and using the crease lines as a guide fold in the corners to the center of the cross as shown in the photo below.

Now fold in the side edges (using our crease lines as a guide) to 90 degrees as shown in the photo.

6. Turn the model over and make a diagonal crease in the 1st square from the left (as explained in the following pics).

Model is now turned over.  Notice how there are 4 squares on the bottom edge of the model?  We are going to make a diagonal crease in the 1st square from the left by following the next photo...

Hold the 1st square (from the left) in the same way as I am in the pic, and press your thumb down to make the beginnings of a diagonal crease (running from the bottom left to top right corners). Ensure the corners of this square meet each other perfectly, make the crease nice and sharp, repeat this step on the opposite of the model, and what you'll get is this...

Making these diagonal creases allow for the sides of the box to be formed.  Repeat this step with the other 3 corners of the box in the way, and what you'll get is this...

See?  It's all taking shape nicely.

7.   Fold the flap down into the box to finish the one of the sides (as explained in the following pics)

Pinch one of the flaps as shown in the pic, and start folding the flap (on the ready made crease) down away from you..

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..fold the flap down way from you and into the box...

...flap is completely folded into the box.  The triangular tip of the flap should now lie flat on the bottom of the box to form a cross.  Repeat with the other side of box and you're all done!

If you like you can put some pretty paper at the bottom of the box to hide the cross. 

To make a lid for the box you need to use paper that is 1.5 cm square larger than the paper you used for the bottom.

Pop some tissue paper into the box, add your Christmas/birthday/treat pressie to the box, present to lucky person, and make 'em smile!

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For my tutorial for a pretty origami lily flower click here.