How to Make a Square Sheet of Paper

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

In origami it's very important to start off with a perfectly square sheet of paper. Unless you already have one, you'll have to make one. The more square your paper, the better your origami will turn out. This article shows how you can make a square-shaped paper out of any shaped sheet.

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square Sheet of Paper
    This can be of any size, standard size however is 8 by 11 . You may only do this for one sheet of paper at a time. [1]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square Sheet of Paper
    Bring it down until the paper forms into a right-angled triangle. [2] Make sure all the corners touch each other exactly. There should be a small rectangular section left at the bottom.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square Sheet of Paper
    [3]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Square Sheet of Paper
    [4]
    5. Advertisement


Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What if I don't have scissors?
    Community Answer
    Try folding the paper and then ripping it along the seam of the fold.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 79 Helpful 144
  • Question
    Should the square be the same size as oragami paper?
    Community Answer
    Origami paper comes in many different sizes. You just need to make sure that the paper is a square, no matter what size it is.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 58 Helpful 131
  • Question
    What are the dimensions of the paper square?
    Community Answer
    That depends on the size of the sheet of paper you have. If you are using standard copy paper (8.5 inches by 11 inches), then your square would be 8.5 by 8.5 or smaller.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 95 Helpful 64
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • If you do not have a pair of scissors, you can crease the rectangle along the side of the half-square. Run your fingernail over the crease repeatedly to make it sharp, put the folded paper on a hard surface, and tear off along the crease.You can also lick the edge and then tear the paper.
        Thanks
        Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
      • You can also just take a second piece of paper and rotate it 90 degrees, line up the long edge of the top sheet with the short edge of the lower sheet. Fold the extra bit of paper on the lower sheet over and cut off with scissors. Your square piece of paper is "fresh" this way with no folds.
        Thanks
        Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Take printer paper and fold over the triangle like normal. Take that rectangle and fold it over to the back side. Then, unfold the whole sheet and cut along the crease by the rectangle.
      • Try folding over the small rectangle and licking the fold. That way, the paper will tear apart more easily if you don't have scissors.
      • If you're trying to make a square that's a specific size, measure your sheet of paper first to ensure you have enough.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • Paper
      • Scissors

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Make a Square from Rectangular Paper
      How to
      Make an Origami Heart 2 Different Ways
      How to
      Fold a Paper Into Thirds
      How to
      Create a Cone from Paper: 2 DIY Methods
      How to
      Make a Cone
      How to
      Make a Paper Chain
      How to
      Laminate Paper, Cards, & Documents
      How to
      Flatten Crumpled Paper
      How to
      Cut Out a Star
      How to
      Get Wrinkles out of Paper
      How to
      Fold Paper for Tri Fold Brochures
      How to
      Adhere Paper to Wood
      How to
      Cut Paper Straight with Scissors
      Paper Restoration: How to Restore and Preserve Paper Documents
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://origamijapan.net/rectangle-paper/
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPxi1dIWRws
      3. ↑ https://origamijapan.net/rectangle-paper/
      4. ↑ https://origamijapan.net/rectangle-paper/

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 151,084 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Anonymous User

        Nov 18, 2020

        "Not only was this helpful for me, it was helpful for my whole class. I was doing a project and I forgot how to make ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement