How to make an origami party boat
Set sail for origami fun with these paper birthday boats, which are sure to spread some party joy!
Published:
Whether you want to create an extra-special birthday card for a little boy or girl, celebrate a newborn baby, or make colourful table decorations or upcoming parties, these little origami boats are just the thing!
The basic boat shape is created using some clever folding but don’t worry if you haven’t attempted origami before – our handy step-by-step guide will steer you in the right direction and stop you from veering off course!
Then comes the really fun part – choosing how to decorate your make! With paper sails, twine rigging, and wooden skewers for masts, creating these charming little makes is plain sailing all the way! So hoist the mainsail, weigh anchor and set sail for papercraft shores!
Shopping List:
- Patterned papers
- Coloured card
- Wooden skewer
- Paper toppers
- Sentiment stamps
- Eyelets and eyelet setter
- Baker’s twine
- Straws
Step 1
Take an A4 piece of paper – with the short edges at the top and bottom, and the pattern facing upwards – then fold it in half from top to bottom. Fold in half again, side to side, then undo this fold.
Step 2
Fold down the two top corners, so the edges meet the centre line. Fold the rectangular strip at the bottom upwards, then flip over the paper and fold the other side upwards, too.
Step 3
Fold the front rectangular strip back down then fold each corner upwards, to form a small triangle, as shown. Fold the strip back upwards. Repeat with the rectangle on the other side.
Step 4
Hold the paper so that one of the thin edges is facing you then pull open the bottom edges, so the two bottom corners are pushed together to form a diamond. Crease all the folds flat.
Step 5
Fold the bottom half of the diamond upwards, on each side, to form a triangle shape. Take your time when folding to ensure the edges line up neatly and folds are burnished flat.
Step 6
Repeat step 4 to make another diamond shape, then pull the top corners away from the centre, to open up the shape and form your basic boat shape, ready to embellish.
Step 7
Fold two rectangles through the centre and stick the top halves together. Insert into the crease on the bottom of the boat, to help it stand upright. Embellish and decorate with toppers, string and sails.
Authors
Kat designed extensively for Papercraft inspirations magazine, alongside working on the Dies to Die for and Lili of the Valley Design Teams. She has now discovered a new craft and fallen in love with cross stitching. You can see what she is getting up to on her instagram, where she shares as CatkinandLillie
