How to Make an Origami Flower

Co-authored by Robert Homayoon

Last Updated: February 18, 2024

The art of Japanese paper folding goes back hundreds of years. Designs range from simple shapes such as hats and boxes to more intricate designs such as the traditional origami crane. There are many kind of origami flowers—some more difficult than others—here are a couple to get you started.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Origami Lily with Stem

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For this flower, you will need 2 6"x6" squares of origami paper and tape. One of these pieces of paper will form a stem, so you may want to choose a brown or green sheet. If you do not have 6x6 origami paper, then you can use a regular piece of paper. Make it into a triangle and cut the rest off and then you have your 6x6 piece of paper.
Lie it on the table pattern or color side down. Fold the paper in half diagonally to form a large triangle. Fold the bottom left corner to the bottom right corner, making a smaller triangle. Reopen this smaller triangle.

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Take the left corner of the triangle and fold upwards from the center crease. This corner will extend beyond the edge of the original triangle and be at approximately the same height as the top corner. Repeat this fold on the right side. Try to make this fold symmetrical to the fold on the left side. Set the flower aside.
Fold the paper in half diagonally. Unfold the paper and position it so it looks like a square diamond.
Match the right edge of the paper to the center crease, making sure the bottom corner is also aligned. Repeat with the left corner. When you are done, your paper should look like a kite.
Be sure the bottom point is precise and sharp. The seam in the middle should be tight.
Repeat with the upper left corner. The seam between these two flaps should also be tight.
Fold the left side over to the right side matching all of the edges. The shorter, fatter triangle forms the leaf.
Take the leaf and gently pull it out and away from the stem.
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Assemble the flower. Cut a tiny piece of paper off the bottom of the flower. Stick the tip of the stem into the hole.
- Tape the flower to the stem to prevent it from falling apart.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Simple Origami Flower

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Fold diagonally in both directions, making sure to align the corners and crease sharply. Your creases should form an "X."
Fold from left to right, and reopen. Then, fold from the top down to the bottom. Your paper should be a rectangle.
The crease in the center of the paper will lift. All four corners will meet at the bottom. You should now have a square diamond shape. Flatten your diamond shape. Make sure there is one top flap on the left side and one top flap on the left side.
This will form a fold that looks like a kite. Flip the diamond over to the backside, and repeat the folds you made to the front side.
Grab the top tip of the kite. Pull and fold it down approximately 3/4 of the way down the kite. With your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the center of the flower to make the crease firm.
Arrange the side petals until they are in the position you want. Adjustments can be made to any of the petals by pinching the base of the flower near the stem.
Rounded edges will make the flower into a pansy, while scalloped edges will give you a carnation!

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Other Types of Origami Flowers

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Make a simple origami lotus flower . This beautiful aquatic plant translates well into paper. Tasteful and elegant, yet simple and surprisingly easy to use.
Make a kusudama flower . Kusudama is the Japanese practice or sewing or gluing individual folded units together to form a spherical model. They were originally used an incense holders, but today make a color statement.
. These flowers have rounded edges to give a relaxed, tropical feel. Easy, painless, and fun to make!
. This beautiful origami mimics a tasteful, delicate flower that is native to Scotland. Also called bluebell, fold it in blue paper for an authentic look!

Expert Q&A

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Question

What advice do you have for someone who's trying to get started doing origami as a beginner?

Robert Homayoon
Origami Expert
Robert Homayoon is an Origami Expert known for his engaging YouTube videos and accessible instructions. He has been teaching origami on YouTube since 2009. His channel has a following of over 676,000 subscribers, and his videos have garnered over 211 million views. Robert uses his channel to highlight his passion for teaching people origami, crafts, and how to solve puzzles. He graduated from SUNY Albany in 2007 and earned his D.M.D degree from Temple University Dental School in 2013.

Robert Homayoon

Origami Expert

Expert Answer

Get a couple of simple books. They teach you the basic folds, valley folds, mountain folds, working on your hand coordination skills, and being precise. Take your time and try to be as accurate as possible with the instructions. It does require a certain precision, an artistic touch, and a lot of practice.

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Is it easy to do origami even though you are not Chinese?

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It does not matter where you are from, although origami originated in Japan, not in China.

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How do you make a rose using origami?

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The article How to Make a Rose shows a few ways you can make a rose, including using origami.

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Tips

To make beautiful origami always be sure to make your creases straight.

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Try different colored or patterned origami papers for cool effects.

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To Crease put the paper in between the index and thumbnail, hold with your other hand and pull. You'll get a sharp crease.

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