How to Fold an Origami Box

This box is called Tsuzura (wicker clothes-box) and is the first box in Tomoko Fuse's book "Origami Boxes". It makes a nice little gift box.

You will need a total of 4 pieces of square paper (Origami Paper works best, but other paper can be used), all the same size. Don't use paper that is too small or else your box won't hold anything but a pea, and it will be difficult to put together (to start use a minimum of 5" square - that makes a 2" x 2" box). Two papers will be used for the top, and two for the bottom. They do not need to be the same color, but if you are just starting out, make sure you use plain colors, patterns can be hard to see.

Origami paper will give you the two different colors (white on the one side), but I find it a bit flimsy for origami boxes. I find them much sturdier with a photocopier style paper, but it's very difficult to find paper that only has color one side.

If you have a Folding Bone or a hard object that you can use to make those folds nice and sharp that would be good. A finger nail will work if you don't have a folding bone.

These are drawings I have done, so understand that they are not to scale and may be out of proportion to some degree.

1. With the white side up, fold your paper in half.



2. Then fold the top flap only in half again and then unfold.



3. Fold the section with the original fold in half, and then open your paper so you can see the white side again. You should have a pleat in the middle of your sheet.



4. With the pleat facing up, make two corner folds, fold the bottom fold in half, and then fold the first fold backwards.





5. Close up the form so you see the colored side of the paper.

6. Create a nice straight fold where those corners start, and aligning the top edge of the piece.



7. Fold the remaining portion of the unit in towards your last fold.



8. Place folded line "a" against the edge of the paper "b". The edge of the box will bend up while you do it, so make sure you let it do that.



9. Unfold the unit back to #6

10. Make a diagonal fold by matching up points "c" and "d", an then unfold



11. Open your model so that you see the white side again. Make sure those two diagonal folds are valley folds (you will have to switch one).

12. If you fold on those two valley folds, the model will kind of sit up a bit, that's okay.



13. Close that flap so you don't see the white side, and again the model will sit up a bit.



14. Make a pleat along lines you already have. Make note of which one is a valley, and which one is a mountain fold.



15. Fold a little tab along the center line, and then start over with your next sheet of paper.



Once you have folded your two lid pieces you should be able to slide them together. The edge with the last little tab you folded in should slide inside the pocket of the other unit.

1. Fold your paper in half and then unfold it.



2. Fold the bottom half of the paper in half again and unfold it.



3. Fold sides "a" and "b" up against folded line "c"



4. Turn your unit to the same orientation as the drawing. You are going to create two straight lines from the intersection of two different points as marked by the "x". Fold these and then unfold.



5. Fold a straight line through the two intersecting points as marked by the "x". It is easier to see this if you pull the top portion of the paper downward and see the folded intersections on the back. Your new line must go through both these points, oh yeah, and then unfold it again.



6. Fold up the bottom right edge



7. Fold down the top left edge



8. Fold the two bottom corners up as shown



9. Now this is where the magic starts to happen. pull open that flap, and your model will start to sit up.



10. Then pull down that inner bit, and it should all just turn into a three sided box. Set this model aside and get a new piece of paper and do it again.




Once you have both halves of the base completed, slip them into the pockets as described, and you should have a pretty decent box.

I used my fun copier paper for this little example, took pictures of it and then my kids stole it. Good thing I can make more. Sometimes I will make a box with a really great lid and then pair it with a plain white base. I guess it just depends on what look you are trying to create.

If folding isn't your forte', then you can order pre-folded boxes. Have a look at my Etsy Shop and see if there is something you like there. They are extremely affordable!