Here’s a guide to folding a traditional box.
This box has been made and passed down through the generations for centuries.
As you’d expect from something with such a long history, the folding technique is simple.
Not only is this box easy to make, but it also has many uses.
Folding Instructions
First, fold it into a square twice, then fold it into a triangle twice to create creases, and open it up.
Next, fold the corners toward the center, one by one.
Next, fold the top and bottom edges along the center line, then unfold them.
Once you open it, fold the left and right sides toward the center in the same way.
Now let’s open it.
Open only the top and bottom.
Leave the sides folded.
Now, fold the left and right sides along the creases so they meet at the center.
Next, fold along the dotted line, making a valley fold.
Then, fold the top part over so that it covers the bottom.
Since there’s already a crease, I think it will be easy to fold.
Now, let’s fold the other side in the same way.
And there you have it—the box is complete.
This is a view from above.
We’ve ended up with a sturdy box.
How to Fold the Lid
The box is finished.
Now you’ll probably want a lid, too.
You can make a lid by simply changing the size while using the same folding method.
There are two ways to make a lid.
After folding the four corners to meet at the center, leave a small gap instead of folding them exactly on the center line.
Leave a gap of about 5 or 6 millimeters.
If you continue folding in the same way, the piece will become slightly larger, allowing you to use it as a lid.
Second, cut the origami paper into slightly smaller pieces.
With this method, you can make several small boxes.
You can choose whichever method works best for you at the time.
When I made it using 15-centimeter origami paper, I ended up with a palm-sized box.
This is a box made by folding a 15-centimeter sheet of origami paper into quarters.
The folding technique itself is simple, but because it’s so small, it’s actually quite challenging.
But that’s what makes it so great.
I like folding small origami because it feels like I’m using both my fingers and my brain.
Watch a video tutorial on how to fold it
You can watch a video tutorial on Instagram.
On Pinterest, we show you how to fold it in a video.
Other simple boxes
This is a simple box made from a single sheet of origami paper.
This is a box with pleats made using a ruler.
In Conclusion
There is a quiet joy in the sound of paper folding.
Join me in this peaceful craft, where we transform a simple square into something extraordinary, one fold at a time.