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Step-by-step instructions for an easy origami project
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A cube is a great project for origami beginners. The most common version is also called a “water bomb,” since once it’s finished, you can fill it with water and throw it like a water balloon! We talked to origami pros Robert Homayoon and Coco Sato to show you how to fold a classic origami cube, as well as how to fold a slightly more intricate, and more colorful, origami cube.
Steps
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Place a square piece of paper on a flat surface. “It doesn’t have to be special origami paper. It can be printer paper, copy paper, really any paper available,” Sato says. Place the origami paper on a hard, flat surface in front of you. If you don’t have a square sheet of paper, making one is simple:
- Orient a rectangular sheet of paper so that the shorter edge faces you. Fold the bottom right corner up to the opposite edge, then unfold.
- Do the same action with the bottom left edge of the paper.
- Fold the top of the paper down, creating a crease across the paper where the other 2 creases meet the paper’s edge. Use a pair of scissors to cut across this crease.
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Fold and unfold the paper in half diagonally, twice. Take 1 corner of the square paper and fold it so that it meets the opposite corner. Crease the fold with your thumb. Then, unfold it and do the same thing to the other 2 corners, creating 2 creases diagonally across the paper that form an “X.” [1] X Research source- If you followed our instructions to make a square piece of paper out of a rectangular sheet, skip this step—you already have these folds.
- Homayoon tells us that this version of an origami cube is also known as a “water bomb,” since you can fill it up with water and throw it like a water balloon.
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Flip the paper over, then fold and unfold the bottom edge upward. Flip the paper so that the creases point upward, like a tent. Then, grab the bottom edge of the paper and fold it up to the top edge. Crease it with your finger, then unfold it. [2] X Research source
- Sato recommends creasing with your fingernail, a ruler, or a butter knife to achieve a nice, crisp crease.
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Collapse the square into a triangle along the creases. Now, you have 3 creases: 2 diagonal, and 1 horizontal. Push the two halves of this horizontal crease together, so that they touch, and so the paper naturally folds along the diagonal creases, creating a triangular, tent-like shape. Flatten the tent-like shape along the existing creases. [3] X Research source Homayoon says, "I take the top edge and fold it down to the bottom edge, then I tuck the corners in."
- This is known as a “water bomb base,” and is the starting fold for many origami projects.
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Fold the topmost bottom right corner up to the top corner. Your triangle has 2 “layers” with flaps. Homayoon says to take the bottom right corner of the top layer and fold it up to the top of the triangle. This makes a smaller triangle in the center of your paper. [4] X Research source
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Fold the right corner of the resulting triangle to the center line. Take the right corner of this new small triangle and fold it to the left, so that the point meets the centerline of the paper. You’ve made and even smaller triangle now! [5] X Research source
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Slip the top flap into the new triangle. Grab the triangular flap at the top of your piece of paper. Bring it down toward the small triangle. Notice how this triangle has a pocket. Homayoon says to tuck this top flap into the pocket so that it’s snug, and gently crease it so that it stays.
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Repeat steps 5-7 for the left side. Repeat the last 3 steps, this time on the left side of the project, so that the left and right sides mirror each other. [6] X Research source
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Flip the paper over and repeat steps 5-8 on the other side. Turn the paper over and repeat the last 4 steps on the other side, so that your paper no longer looks like a triangle, but instead looks like a small hexagon, with 6 sides. [7] X Research source
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Fold and unfold the top and bottom triangular sections toward the center. Take the top corner of the hexagon and fold it down so the point touches the center, then unfold it. Do the same with the bottom triangular section, folding it upward, then unfolding it. [8] X Research source
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Pick up the paper and spread each flap. Hold the paper's bottom point and spread out the 4 edges so that they fan out, and your paper shape becomes 3D, says Homayoon.
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Blow into the hole at the bottom point until the cube takes shape. Now, gently put your mouth to the hole at the bottom of the 3D shape, and blow into it, like you’re blowing up a balloon. The paper with inflate, and your origami cube is finished! [9] X Research source
- You may need to pat and push the cube with your fingers to shape it up a bit after inflating it. Do this gently, without crushing the paper.
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Gather 6 square sheets of paper in 2+ different colors. This version of the cube is made of 6 different pieces of paper. Customize your cube by mixing and matching as many colors as you want. Sato tells us that if you don’t have square paper, “it’s easy to make a square from regular paper.” Just check out our tutorial.
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Fold 1 of the square papers in half, then unfold it. Take the first sheet and fold 1 edge over to the opposite edge. Crease it with your finger, then unfold it. [10] X Research source
- We’re folding each piece of paper into a separate, identical unit called a “Sonobe module.” Sonobe modules are used to make many different origami shapes, including a cube.
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Fold the edges toward this center crease. Now, take the same edge and fold it to the center, lining it up with the crease you just made. Do the same with the opposite edge of the paper, so that your paper is now an upright triangle. [11] X Research source
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Fold the top left corner down to the opposite edge, then unfold. Take the upper left corner of the rectangle and fold it down, so that the top edge lines up with the right-hand edge, making a triangle shape at the top of your rectangle. Crease it with your finger, then unfold it. [12] X Research source
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Tuck the top inner right corner under the right-hand flap. Your rectangle has 2 flaps, one on the left and one on the right. Take the top corner of the right flap, which rests along the vertical center line of the rectangle, and tuck it under itself, so that it looks like a triangle was cut out of the top of the flap. [13] X Research source
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Fold the triangle you made in step 4 under the right flap. Remember that crease you made in step 4? Fold the paper along the crease, recreating that triangle, but this time, tuck the triangle under the right-hand flap of the paper. [14] X Research source
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Turn the paper upside-down and repeat steps 4-6. Rotate the paper 180 degrees, then repeat the previous 3 steps on the opposite side. When you’re done, your paper will look like a rhombus with 4 sides, with cross-shaped creases in the center. [15] X Research source
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Repeat this process with the other 5 pieces of paper. Now, complete these folds for the remaining 5 pieces of paper to create the parts of your cube. [16] X Research source
- Each of these parts is called a “module.”
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Tuck the triangle flaps of 2 modules into the pockets of 1. Notice how each module has 2 triangles on either side. Each module also has triangular “pockets” near the center. Take a module, and tuck one of its triangular flaps into one of the pockets of another module. Then, tuck a third modular into the pocket on the other side, creating a long cross shape out of the 3 modules. [17] X Research source
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Tuck the center module’s flaps into 2 more modules. Place another module above the center module, and tuck the center module’s top triangle flap into this new module’s pocket. Do the same thing at the bottom, adding a 5th module to your creation. [18] X Research source
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Fold the paper inwards into the shape of a cube. See how you have 5 distinct square shapes made by creases and tucks in the paper, with a center square in the middle. Fold upward along the lines of this central square so that it creates a 3D box shape. As you do, tuck each triangular flap into the corresponding pocket that it meets as you fold it. [19] X Research source
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Add the final module to the top. Now, your cube is almost done, but there are still 2 triangular flaps sticking up out of the top. Take your find module, and tuck these flaps into its pockets, just like you did with the rest of them. Then, tuck this final module’s own flaps into the corresponding pockets on the sides of the cube, and you’re done! [20] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do I fold a sharp crease?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.I often employ a technique where I use my thumb and fingernail, with the tip of my pointer finger, to run along the crease line. It's not exactly pinching the fingernail together but rather using the fingernail and the tip of the finger to align and define the crease sharply. Simultaneously, I secure the paper with my other hand to prevent any potential shifting that might occur while dragging my thumb and pointer finger along the fold. This ensures precision and stability in the crease.
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QuestionAfter blowing, the cube is not taking shape. What did I do wrong?T. ChinsenTop AnswererThe paper used may either be too stiff or not stiff enough. Also, the folding needs to be precise, as it can affect how well it will shape out. With the help of a paper clip inserted into the hole, it is possible to nudge out the side walls and push it into shape.
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QuestionCan I attach string and a small origami box in such a way to make a hot air balloon or parachute? And would it be functional?Community AnswerThat would be a good way to make an origami hot air balloon. However, it would likely not be able to function because hot air balloons rely on fire, and paper is combustible.
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about origami, check out our in-depth interview with Robert Homayoon .
References
- ↑ https://origami.guide/origami-toys/origami-water-bomb-balloon/
- ↑ https://origami.guide/origami-toys/origami-water-bomb-balloon/
- ↑ https://draftsperson.net/origami/water-bomb-base/
- ↑ https://www.ms.uky.edu/algebracubed/lessons/origamicube.pdf
- ↑ https://www.ms.uky.edu/algebracubed/lessons/origamicube.pdf
- ↑ https://www.amnh.org/content/download/262065/4454040/file/waterbomb-origami.pdf
- ↑ http://www.fishgoth.com/origami/diagrams/water_bomb.pdf
- ↑ http://www.fishgoth.com/origami/diagrams/water_bomb.pdf
- ↑ https://www.amnh.org/content/download/262065/4454040/file/waterbomb-origami.pdf
- ↑ https://esp.mit.edu/download/49436ce9-f211-4beb-8885-65135a6fc9b3/X12490_Origami,+Shapes,+and+You!.pdf
- ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5754f47fcf80a16bffa02c45/t/5ca30e8b9308870001648c07/1554190010640/Handout-Sonobe_Unit.pdf
- ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5754f47fcf80a16bffa02c45/t/5ca30e8b9308870001648c07/1554190010640/Handout-Sonobe_Unit.pdf
- ↑ https://esp.mit.edu/download/49436ce9-f211-4beb-8885-65135a6fc9b3/X12490_Origami,+Shapes,+and+You!.pdf
- ↑ https://esp.mit.edu/download/49436ce9-f211-4beb-8885-65135a6fc9b3/X12490_Origami,+Shapes,+and+You!.pdf
- ↑ https://www.mathscareers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Cube.pdf
- ↑ https://www.mathscareers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Cube.pdf
- ↑ https://www.mathscareers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Cube.pdf
- ↑ https://www.professororigami.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Origami-Cube-PDF.pdf
- ↑ https://www.professororigami.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Origami-Cube-PDF.pdf
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8ruq5Zac0&t=263s
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"I'm going to send these as a buy-nothing gift to my family, and a poem written on the outside: "This is a very special gift that you can never see. The reason it's so special is it's just for you, from me. Whenever you are lonely, or ever feeling blue, just hold this gift close to your heart and know I think of you. You never can unwrap it, please leave the ribbon tied. The reason it's so special is, it's filled with love inside." With a paper ribbon around it, it's biodegradable, like me."
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