Easy origami for beginners: 29 projects to get you started
Craft an intricate design with your favourite patterned papers in your stash with our selection of easy origami for beginners, which include birthday party boats, heart bookmarks, mini succulents, card toppers, and a divine floral wreath.
All the origami ideas featured are designed to be easy to follow and fun to make, so why not dive in today?
Before getting started, top up your stash with beautiful papers from C&T Publishing’s 333 Origami Sheets series. Each pack includes double-sided coloured paper and step-by-step folding instructions—ideal for beginners and experienced origami artists alike.
Discover the full collection from C&T Publishing:
- Kawaii Designs – playful and cute patterns
- Astro Magic Designs – dreamy, celestial motifs
- Alcohol Ink Designs – bold and fluid abstract art
- Mandala Designs – intricate and calming patterns
Origami for beginners - 29 exciting projects to try
1. How to make an origami swan
This traditional Japanese origami swan is easy to make and looks great with double-sided paper. This simple swan uses one piece of 15 x 15cm paper and shows a peek of the reverse with detail for the wing. It’s a stable model, so will stand up on its own without support.
This origami swan is an ideal first origami project, as it only takes a few minutes to make and uses simple folds – learn how to make an origami swan, right here on Gathered!
2. Origami crane tutorial
If you could have one wish, what would it be? There is an ancient Japanese legend that says whosoever folds 1,000 paper cranes will be rewarded with a wish from the gods.
Learn how to make an origami crane with our easy to follow step-by-step tutorial – so grab a piece of 15x 15cm paper, and let us show you how.
After more bird-based origami ideas? Check out our collection of origami bird tutorials. There's 16 to choose from!
From origami ideas to paper ideas
How about getting your glue gun and making this realistic paper rose?
3. Easy origami owl
Make this easy origami owl following our step-by-step tutorial! Grab a piece of your favourite 15 x 15cm paper, and learn how to make an origami owl right here on Gathered.
Why not add some charms or buttons as the eyes and colour the beak, as we have done?
4. How to make lucky Stars
Learn how to make an origami lucky star. These cute little origami stars are made with strips of paper and are very easy to make! Get the tutorial over at Paper Kawaii.
5. Easy origami hearts tutorial
These simple origami hearts are a lovely origami for beginners project – and make great gifts, too! Use on cards as toppers or add to gift-wrapped presents for that extra special touch.
6. Origami necklace
Make your own origami necklace with origami expert Esther Thorpe's free tutorial right here on Gathered. Esther shows you how to make an origami necklace in this really simple tutorial.
7. Origami paper lampshade
Make an origami paper lampshade with Zoe Patching's origami lampshade instructions – you can resize the origami lampshade template for lamps big and small, and it makes a real statement piece in any room.
8. Origami flower wreath
Create a beautiful door decoration for your home with our origami paper wreath, perfect for adding some summer brightness to your living space all year round.
9. Origami vase
This beautiful origami vase is made from folded paper and hides the real vase beneath the paper! Find the full tutorial over at Love Decorations.
Craft more delicate florals
Make more beautiful floral designs with our paper flower bouquet tutorial.
10. Origami pen pot
Okay – so this isn't technically origami, but it's such a lovely project we just had to show it off.
Freshen up your workspace with Suzie Attaway’s paper folding project. She'll be showing you how to make these playful polyhedron pots which are great desktop tidies! There's a free template, too.
11. Origami plant tutorial
Give your craft room a little green-fingered update with these adorable mini origami succulents, crafted by Paper Kawaii.
Visit their website to find all the instructions and materials needed to make your own mini origami succulents.
12. How to make an origami cat
Craft an adorable cat companion for your craft desk with these easy origami cats – they only take a couple of minutes to make!
Embellish the cat with sequins, a little bow, and gems for a sparkling finish. This is the perfect origami for beginners project.
13. Origami rabbit tutorial
Learn how to make this easy origami rabbit following the instructions over at Origami Tutorial. It uses one sheet of origami paper and we love it.
14. Origami fairy lights
Transform a string of plain white fairy lights with these beautiful origami fairy lights. Dress them up in pretty pastel flowers to make these lights summer-ready – they’re perfect for hosting a garden party or just adding some colour to a room.
Just be sure to use paper-safe fairy lights when you make this project!
Try your hand at quilling
If you like this article about origami for beginners, why not check out some of our paper crafts – like these cute quilled flowers.
15. How to make a ninja star
Who made these as a child? They were great for throwing across the classroom when the teacher's back was turned (of course, we never did that…) and they teach kids about maths. Win-win!
Find the tutorial over at What Do We Do All Day.
16. Easy origami butterfly
These beautiful origami butterflies are the perfect easy origami project for beginners. Delicate and perfect for adding to cards or as home decor, they're a great introductory project.
17. Make an origami jumping frog
Make this traditional jumping frog from one sheet of green origami paper. There is a brilliant, and very clear tutorial over at Origami.me – how far can you make yours jump?
18. Origami dinosaur
Learn how to make this roarsome origami dinosaur with this brilliant video tutorial from PPO crafts on YouTube.
19. Origami heart bookmark
Bookmark those must-try craft projects with this fancy origami heart bookmark. We reckon your bookworm bestie will love ’em, too.
Crafted with pretty patterned paper, find out how to make this heart bookmark by visiting The Idea Room.
20. Origami kite, dog and heart card toppers
Send smiles through the post with these adorable origami card toppers. They only take a few minutes to make but will add so much fun to your papercraft projects.
Fold the kite, heart and dog toppers with spare papers from your stash, then ink the edges for a colourful twist.
21. Origami cubes
Learn how to make these simple origami cubes – they're made from six pieces of origami paper and hold together without the need for tape or glue!
22. How to make an origami star
Here’s a simple origami star tutorial for the whole family that you can whip up using paper scraps or sparkling gift wrap
Easy to make and beautifully festive, why not make and fold a whole bunch of origami stars to decorate your home with?
23. Origami boat mobile
Create a shipshape origami boat mobile by folding darling paper ships and clouds to adorn your living space. Or, you can easily scale the instructions up to create a larger origami boat if you wish.
24. Kirigami Christmas star mobile
Create a minimal masterpiece with Sarah Louise Matthews's kirigami star mobile! Kirigami is similar to origami, but if you cut the paper that's what makes it kirigami. ("Kiru" means "to cut".)
25. Origami Christmas tree
Now it's time for some festive origami for beginners! Use Mollie Makes' tutorial to make this adorable little origami Christmas tree.
26. Origami Christmas decorations
Want more origami? Take a look at our round-up of all the best origami Christmas decorations, including these brilliant origami crackers!
27. Origami Easter eggs
Get ready for Easter with Paper Kawaii's fun origami ideas! They have a huge collection of easy origami projects including these colourful eggs.
28. Origami ideas for kids
Try your hand at one of our easy origami for kids projects where we show you how to make this fun fish! The tutorial also includes a cat and frog project.
Origami for beginners: supplies
You don’t need much to get started with origami—just some quality paper and a tool to help you crease your folds. A bone folder works beautifully, but a ruler will do in a pinch! If you’re ready to dive into the world of paper folding, check out these standout supplies from C&T Publishing.
333 Origami Sheets – Assorted Designs
C&T Publishing offers a wide range of origami paper books designed to spark creativity. Each pack includes 333 double-sided sheets and easy-to-follow folding instructions, making them a perfect pick for beginners and experienced folders alike. Choose from Kawaii, Astro Magic, Alcohol Ink, and Mandala designs to suit your style and projects.
333 Origami Sheets – Mandala Designs
For calming, meditative paper folding sessions, the Mandala Designs pack offers intricate patterns inspired by traditional motifs. With 333 sheets in a range of colors, you’ll have plenty of options for everything from cranes to kusudama balls.
333 Origami Sheets – Kawaii Designs
Packed with playful prints in cheerful colors, the Kawaii Designs collection brings a whimsical touch to your origami creations. The double-sided paper adds visual interest to every fold—ideal for crafting cute animals, stars, and gift toppers.”
Also available in Search Press UK or your favourite local crafts or book shop.
More Origami supplies
1. Origami paper
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This pack of origami paper comes in traditional designs with a great price point. There are 24 different designs and 300 sheets. They’re double-sided, too so if you’re looking to get into the hobby without splashing too much cash, this is a great option.
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2. Botanical origami paper
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This collection of botanical-inspired origami paper features beautiful designs of leaves and feathers in a palette of greens and blues. We love the peacock feathers! Just imagine all the easy origami projects you could make with this paper...
If you want more peacock inspired prints, why not download our free peacock printables?
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3. Plain origami paper
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Coloured on one side and white on the other, having a stash of plain origami paper is great for practising models. There are 50 different colours in the pack and each sheet is 20 x 20cm, just a little larger than the traditional 15 x 15cm square sheets.
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4. Origami lucky stars paper
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Origami stars are made easy with this collection of pre-cut origami star paper! There are over a thousand strips – if you buy this, we challenge you to use them all!
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5. Bone folder
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Get nice, crisp creases in your origami projects by using a bone folder. You can use a ruler, or anything with a straight edge, but as you work through these origami ideas it's nice to have the right tools.
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6. Amazing Origami kit
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This is just a lovely origami book that we like! It has 144 sheets of traditional origami paper, plus instructions for 17 models, so you can get folding straight away.
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Master your favourite easy origami project
Once you've made one of these origami projects, remember that practice makes perfect, so try seeing if you can make it again from memory.
Normally repeating the process a few times is all it takes for your brain to remember the folding sequence, then you can be one of those amazing people who just 'know' how to make an origami swan.
Go further with paper folding
Gathered is here to help you become a paper-folding master, so after finishing your origami, try taking your folding skills to the next level with these free book folding patterns.
