Fold an Origami Envelope
Have you ever wanted to send a letter to somebody, perhaps a small gift or hidden message? Of course, it is best to have something attractive to put it in! To make the gift more personal, you can make an origami envelope. Not only are they simple to make, this nifty design allows you to dip into your creative side.
Steps
Gift Package
- Take a square piece of paper with the corner facing you. If you want a colored envelope, make sure the colored side is facing down.
- Fold the paper in half, from corner to corner across the square.
- Take the top corner of the first layer and fold it down to the bottom edge.
- Fold the right corner one third over to the left. You do not have to be exact, just try to be as accurate as possible.
- Take the left corner and fold it over to the other end. Now the bottom portion should be square shaped.
- Fold the point of the flap over the other flap back to the left edge of the model.
- Fold the point of the flap up to the top corner of the flap. Unfold. This is a crease to help guide the next step.
- Turn the model 180 degrees. The point of view in the photo will now change.
- Open the folded portion of the flap.
- Make a squash fold on this flap. Make sure you flatten it well, as this will help secure the envelope closed.
- Change the position back so it is "upright." Or turn it back 180 degrees.
- Fold the very top point down to the bottom edge. Or, the bottom edge of the square you formed by "squashing."
- Put the top flap (the portion you just folded down) into the "pocket" that was formed by the squash fold.
- Flatten the model. Ensure that the model can hold itself together.
Hidden Message
- Take a plain piece of printer paper and write or type your message.
- Fold it in half hamburger style so it looks like this. Make sure the message is on the inside.
- Unfold the piece of paper.
- With the writing facing you, take one side of the paper, and fold it at a right angle so that the edge is touching the first crease.
- Do this with the other side.
- On one side of each right triangle, there is an open space. With one side, fold that space over so that it is touching the right triangle.
- Do this with the other side.
- Then take one side and fold it over at a right angle against the first crease.
- Do this with the other side so it looks like this.
- Then take one of these last triangles. You'll see a small flap under the tip of it. Slide the tip of it underneath the little flap.
- Slide the tip of the other triangle underneath the flap found under it. Now it's done. It should look like this.
- If you plan on mailing the envelope, you can write the address on the back.
Tips
- Use larger pieces of paper to make larger envelopes. For bigger envelopes you can use wrapping paper or any paper, as long as it is easy to fold. If the original sheet of paper is not square shaped, you may have to Make-a-Square-Sheet-of-Paper.
- When folding the flap in Step 4, you may also use a ruler. Measure the length of the paper at the longest fold. Make three equal divisions, either with or without a pencil, and fold. You may have to use Divide-and-Multiply-Fractions to get the folds just right.
- Sharp creases make the envelope crisper and more secure. To make a sharp crease, pinch your fingernails together and drag it along the crease.
- Pick a sheet of paper that has a different color on the front than on the back. Larger sized envelopes are great for Make-a-Birthday-Cake-Pop-up-Card-(Robert-Sabuda-Method).
- If you don't have access to real origami paper you can make your own by painting one side of a square piece of any paper.
- Use a bone folder to make the creases really sharp.
Things You'll Need
- 1 square piece of paper The envelope will end up approximately half as wide as the original square and a third as tall.
- Ruler (optional)
- For method 2, a piece of printer paper, any color
