How to make an easy origami rose
Learn how to make an easy origami rose and origami leaf with our brilliant step-by-step tutorial (with pictures).
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There are lots of tutorials online that claim to show you how to make an easy origami rose, but you find later on that they involve complicated twists or advanced folds. Here at Gathered, we like to make craft accessible to everyone – so when we say we have a tutorial for an easy origami rose, we mean it!
In this tutorial, how to make an easy origami rose, we show you how to make both an origami rose and a matching origami leaf. Both will lay flat, so they make the perfect toppers if you’re looking for easy card ideas, or how about using them as a decoration for DIY napkin rings?
There are no tricky folds involved, just mountain folds (fold the paper back, so the fold resembles a mountain) and valley folds (fold the paper forward, so the fold resembles a valley). Double-sided paper works best for the easy origami rose; one side will form the petals and the other side will form the centre of the flower.
If you like this article, how to make an easy origami rose, you might like some of our other paper flower tutorials, like how to make a paper rose (with free templates!), or how about learning how to make quilled flowers – choose from daffodils, bluebells or tulips, or why not make all three! Or, have a look at our round-up of the best DIY paper flowers to make tonight.
Are you keen to try out more origami? We’ve got you covered. All of our origami articles feature easy-to-follow step-by-step photos and are perfect for the beginner (or rusty) origamist. We love this origami rabbit and origami butterfly, or how about learning how to make a traditional origami crane or an origami swan? We love these (super easy) origami cats and this adorable origami owl! Or, why not keep it simple with this origami heart (and there’s a second tutorial for when you’ve mastered the easy one!). Want one more? How about learning how to make an origami duck?
If you fancy boosting your stash, check out our pick of the best origami paper, or why not browse our pick of the best origami books? If you’re on the hunt for more easy origami projects, we have them all collated here, in our easy origami for beginners article.
We love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to share your origami projects with us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, too!
Buy a paper creaser
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Back in the day, paper folders (or paper creasers) were called bone folders as they used to be made from, yes you guessed it, bone! The leg bone of a cow or deer, to be precise. It was also common to find bone folders made from ivory and were highly polished to allow the creation of smooth folds. Thankfully, there are modern alternatives that do not require you to have part of a dead animal in your craft room.
Teflon, like the non-stick coating you might find on a frying pan in your kitchen, is a brilliant alternative. This paper creaser is ideal for scoring, burnishing and creasing, so the folds in your easy origami rose can be as crisp as possible, and the folder is super-smooth to use. And being non-stick Teflon, means that if you’re using your paper creaser for sticky projects, none of the glue will be picked up and transferred to other projects.
How to make an easy origami rose
This easy origami rose can be made quickly, and simply. No complicated folds are required, and the end result is fantastic. If you want to give your easy origami rose a touch of luxe, try experimenting with different types of paper. We used textured paper for our origami rose, but we’d love to see if anyone makes one with handmade paper, so be sure to tag us on Instagram if you do!
For the purpose of this step-by-step tutorial for this easy origami rose, we have used paper that is pink on one side and yellow on the other.
Total time:
Step 1
Start with a piece of 15 x 15cm origami paper. Fold it in half (this is called a book fold) along both the vertical and horizontal, to give four quadrants.
Unfold.
Step 2
Fold each of the corners into the centre to create a square diamond.
Step 3
Working on the same side (don’t turn the paper over), fold each of the corners into the centre again, to create a smaller square diamond (the second image is zoomed in).
Step 4
Next, fold each of these corners into the centre, for the final time. So, you should have folded the corners into the centre a total of three times.
Step 5
Now we’re going to create the outermost petals. Fold the top layer in one of the quadrants back on itself, leaving approximately a 7mm ‘lip’ at the edge.
Step 6
Repeat for each of the other quadrants. Your origami rose is starting to take shape!
Step 7
Next, we’re going to repeat steps 5 and 6 for the next layer of petals. So, working on the next layer, fold the paper back in one of the quadrants.
Step 8
Repeat step 7 for the other quadrants.
Step 9
Next, we’re going to reveal the centre of the origami rose! Peel and fold back the paper in the smallest quadrant, in the centre.
Step 10
Repeat for the other quadrants in the centre of your origami rose.
Step 11
To complete your super easy origami rose, all you need to do now, is shape the large petals. So, fold the tips back to soften the corners and create a more rounded look to your origami rose.
Step 12
Repeat for all the outer petals, and that’s it! Is this not the easiest origami rose tutorial on the internet? If you fancy, add some definition to your easy origami rose by curling the petals slightly.
You can leave it there, or take it one step further and add an origami leaf. Like the origami rose, this origami leaf is super easy, and looks pretty realistic, too! If you’d prefer to just cut out a leaf using a pair of scissors, head over to our tutorial, how to make a paper rose, and you’ll find a downloadable pdf paper leaf template.
For the purpose of this origami leaf tutorial, the paper we are using is green on one side and yellow on the reverse.
Read on for how to make an origami leaf.
How to make an origami leaf
Step 1
To keep the origami leaf in proportion with the easy origami rose, you need to start with a piece of paper that is half the width. We used a 15 x 15cm piece of paper for the origami rose, so the origami leaf is made from a piece of paper 7.5 x 7.5cm. (This equates to one-quarter the area of the origami rose.)
Step 2
Fold in half along the diagonal. Make sure that the colour you want on the outside of your leaf, is inside the fold. We want this leaf to be green, so the green (at the moment) is hidden.
Step 3
Fold a thin section to one side of the crease, making sure the fold meets at the top and widens slightly towards the base. This will be the leaf stem!
Step 4
Next, we’re going to add some veins to the origami leaf. You can either go free fold, and just concertina the leaf (skip ahead to step 9 to see what it should look like), or you can utilise halves for perfectly spaced, even veins.
So, for perfectly-spaced veins, turn the paper over and fold the leaf in half, lining the straight edge up. Unfold.
Step 5
Using the crease you just made, fold the bottom of your origami leaf up to meet this crease.
Step 6
Fold the top of your origami leaf down to meet the same crease. Unfold.
Step 7
Turn the origami leaf back over.
Step 8
Next, we’re going to fold each of sections made from the creases we just made, in half. This will essentially create your concertina fold. Start by bringing the bottom of your origami leaf up, so that it meets the top-most horizontal line. Unfold.
Step 9
Repeat for the other sections, so that your origami leaf looks like this.
Step 10
Rotate your origami leaf so the stem is vertical.
Step 11
Now let’s begin to shape the leaf. Fold one of the corners in, roughly creating a vertical line at the edge of the leaf parallel with the stem.
Step 12
Next, soften the edge of your origami leaf a little more, by folding the bottom section inwards.
Step 13
Repeat at the top.
Step 14
Turn your origami leaf over and repeat steps 11 to 13 on the other side.
Step 15
Open up your easy origami leaf to reveal!
Step 16
Add your easy origami leaf behind your easy origami rose, to finish.
