How to Make a Origami Marigold

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Being able to make beautiful art with scrap paper is one of the benefits to knowing origami. But even if you've never even folded a paper crane, by following some simple instructions and using the right kind of paper, you could fold your own paper flower in minutes. Your first attempt might look a little rough around the edges, but with a little practice, you'll soon be folding paper tulips like a pro.

1. 1

   Use a square piece of paper. Most origami designs require you to being with a square piece of paper of equal length on all sides.^[1] You can buy specialty origami paper at most craft stores, or you could always make your own origami paper.

2. 

   2

   Begin with the colored side of your paper facing up. ^[2] Traditional origami paper is colored on one side and white on the other. If you are using paper colored on both sides or white paper, it will not matter which side faces up.

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3. 

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   Fold your paper in half top to bottom and left to right. ^[3] This should form the shape of a cross that passes through the middle of your paper. You will need to crease the paper along the seam of the fold well for best results. Specifically, you should:

   • Fold your paper in half from left to right.
   • Crease the paper well and unfold it.
   • Fold your paper in half bottom to top.
   • Crease your fold and unfold the paper.

4. 

   4

   Fold an X on the back side of your paper. ^[4] Turn your paper so that the reverse side is facing up. The lines of the X you will fold will run through the middle of your paper, similar to your previously folded cross. To do this, you should:

   • Fold the bottom right corner into the upper left corner.
   • Crease the fold well and unfold the crease.
   • Fold the bottom left corner into the upper right corner.
   • Crease the fold well and unfold the crease.

5. 

   5

   Collapse the sides to form a triangle and complete the base. ^[5] At this point you should have folds folds forming a cross and an X on your paper, with the reverse side should facing up. Collapse the base by:

   • Tucking the left and right sides into the middle.
   • Pulling the top and bottom together to sandwich the left and right sides.
   • Creasing the resulting fold to form a triangular shape.

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1. 

   1

   Fold the outside flaps to line up with the center crease. ^[6] There should be a fold that you can still see running down the center of your waterbomb base. Take the right corner and fold it until it lines up with the center crease. Repeat this fold with the left corner as well.

   • Then, turn your paper over and perform this fold one more time.
   • After you have completed the fold, your paper should be in a diamond shape, with the bottom point of the diamond facing you.

2. 

   2

   Fold the outside corners of the outer flaps inward. ^[7] You can do this by taking the left flap and pulling it over to the right side. Now take the leftward facing point and fold it straight inward until it reaches the crease at the middle. Then fold the rightward facing flap, so that both flaps meet evenly at the middle crease.

   • Repeat this fold for the two flaps on the right side.

3. 

   3

   Join opposite side flaps together. ^[8] The flaps that you've just folded on both sides to meet in the middle should have slightly different edges. One side should have a fold of the paper, creating a kind of pocket, while the other should have the open sided tips of your paper. Join the paper by:

   • Tucking the open ended edge into the pocket formed by the fold of the paper.

4. 

   4

   Blow up your tulip bulb. ^[9] Next you'll need to inflate your tulip bulb by blowing air into it, but you'll have to use your forefinger and thumb to hold the overlapping seam where you tucked your flaps together. Air can escape easily from this seam, so hold it firmly. Then:

   • Put your lips to the center of the X shape that forms the base of your tulip bulb.
   • Exhale steadily until your tulip bulb feels fully inflated.

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   5

   Peel the petals of your tulip back for a realistic effect. ^[10] The top of your now-inflated tulip bulb should have "petals," or extra layers of paper, on each of the four sides of your bulb. Peel these petals back about ¼ of the way down from top where each petal comes to a point.

   • You may want to crease your petals for effect.
   • You may leave your petals uncreased and slightly pulled back from the tip of your tulip bulb to give a more natural appearance.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can I put a stem on the flower?

  

  Yes. To do so, just get another small piece of paper, roll it up tightly and glue it onto your flower.

• Question

  How long does it take to make the flower?

  

  A flower that is fairly simple should only take around five minutes; a medium-complexity flower may take 15 to 20 minutes; and a hard flower can take up to 30 minutes.

• Question

  What if I don't have colored paper?

  

  Make white flowers or color your paper with paint, pencils or coloring pens. If you use ink pens or paint to color the paper, make sure it is dry before you begin making your flowers.

• Question

  Could I make it three steps?

  

  No, creating origami flowers is delicate work that can take many steps.

• Question

  The last step doesn't make sense; mine didn't come out like that. Any advice?

  

  It's very hard to blow; just prep it a bit and blow.

• Question

  Why can't I make the petals for my paper flower?

  

  If you are using a thicker paper it will be harder to do; I had to use duct tape to tape mine down.

• Question

  Will I still be able to blow the flower up if I make it with printer paper?

  

  Yes. The printer paper would probably work better than colored paper. Just make sure you don't get spit on the bottom, or it will rip.

• Question

  What do I do if my paper flowers break when I blow into them?

  

  I would attempt to refold and use some tape or glue to keep the parts together.

• Question

  What do I do if my paper flower didn't work?

  

  Keep trying! It gets easier if you practice. Just make sure you go through the steps carefully and crease your folds really well.

• Question

  How do I easily fold the paper when making paper flowers?

  

  Good creases help you the most––if you don't crease it hard enough, you can have difficulty folding the paper (depending on thickness).

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Video

• You may want to use a bone folder, which is a blunt tool used in paper folding, to help make your creases.^[11] Some makeshift bone folders include:plastic caps, paperweights, or you can purchase this tool at your local craft store.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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• Be sure to use a flat surface and use your fingernails, or a bone folder, to make each fold as crisp as possible.

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Things You'll Need

• Origami paper
• Bone folder (optional)

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To make a paper flower, fold a piece of origami paper in half from left to right and from bottom to top, and then on both diagonals, so you end up with folds in the shapes of a cross and an "x." Tuck the sides in and collapse them to form a triangular base. Now fold the outside flaps to line up with the center crease, then fold the outside corners of the outer flaps inward. Join the opposite side flaps together and then gently blow air into your tulip. Finish it by peeling back the "petals," or extra layers of paper. For tips on how to make your tulip petals more dramatic or more natural-looking, read on!

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How to Make a Origami Marigold

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Fold-Paper-Flowers

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