Origami wreath tutorial

A little paper ornament - simple to make, perfect for popping inside a Christmas Card. Want to have a go? I promised a tutorial, so here's what to do.

You'll need to begin with a rectangle of paper 4cm wide by 8 cm long.  Choose paper with a bit of body - really lightweight stuff won't hold the folds as well or appear 3 dimensional when finished. I'm using some nice old sheet music.

Fold your rectangle in half lengthwise ( keep the prettier side out if your paper is only patterned on one side) to give you a folded strip 8cm by 2cm.

Fold in half crosswise so your piece is now 4cm by 2cm (like the one on the left). You then need to fold down the corners at each end of the strip.

Hold your folded strip with the open edges to the top. Grab both layers of the top right hand side and fold them at 45 degrees to meet the bottom edge. Then do the same with the top left hand side.

You will be left with shapes like this. Each wreath takes 8 of them to complete.

Hold the first piece by the points. If you look carefully at the top edge, you'll see that there are two little pockets formed between the layers of paper. If you imagine they are numbered 1 2 3 and 4, you need to slide one folded point of the next piece, between layers 1 and 2 and the other between layers 3 and 4.

I wish I could just show you, it'd be a lot easier! But try it, it's simpler than I am making it sound.

Push the second piece down into the first until the tips touch the bottom of the pocket.

Then go on with the third piece in exactly the same way.

Continue round. The eighth and final piece gets the tips of the first piece tucked into its pocket to complete the circle.

Fiddle with them to adjust so the wreath looks an even shape.

I added a hanging loop by threading a bit of embroidery cotton through one of the tips using a needle.

You could go to town with fancy Christmas papers, upcycled glossy magazines, text from an old book - the origami wreath world is your oyster.  And if you have a go, do leave a link in the comments - I'd love to see them.

 

Comments

[SmilynStef]

Thanks for the easy to follow tutorial. I used my wreath (made from a vintage magazine page) on a holiday card. I used dimensions of 1 1/2" x 3" for my paper strips.

http://ingeniousinkling.typepad.com/ingenious_inkling/2008/12/origami-wreath.html

[asnipofgoodness]

I love this, and I love that you used sheet music! My girls will love this!!!

[Debbie]

here's my go...

[Debbie]

here's my go at it--(referenced your blog-

http://www.flickr.com/groups/foldingtrees/

[asnipofgoodness]

I did it, and it was great fun! Check it out on my blog Dec 4! Thanks for the terrific idea, and tutorial!

[jeanie]

Hey, this is great! Looks pretty after completion. Can i just suggest, maybe you can put a tiny picture in the middle-- since there's space to stick it in. Perhaps you gotta cut it up a bit, so the face stays in the middle. Put it in before you close it up, perhaps?

Anyway thanks!

[melissa]

thanks, ali- these are fantastic! i made some for our house, and also did the activity with a class of 6 year olds at arlo's school. wonderful. x

[caireen]

I love these, just saw the link on Melissa's blog and thought I wonder what they'd look like made with music paper,... and voila! Very inspiring will definitely try a few. Thank you. Caireen xx

[celine]

hi, i am coming here via Tiny Happy and I love your blog. And you are UK based!!
We have tried your origami tutorial, its so simple yet sooo effective.
I love all your stamps. Where do you get the stuff to make them?

[Content in a Cottage]

I posted about this today and linked back to you. Thanks for a great tutorial.
♥Rosemary
http://contentinacottage.blogspot.com/2008/12/origami-wreath-paper-craft-tutorial.html

[Kay]

Found this tutorial today and have already finished my first three wreaths ;)

[Stacey Lokovic]

REally cute idea! Thanks for sharing!

[greenolive]

fantastic - I'm gonna try this out! Thanks for the tutorial.

[Kathryn Dooling]

You saved our lives. My son needed an extra credit project for his geometry class and we have looked all over for some kind of Christmas ornament to make and voila we found your wonderful site. In fact I love these so much I am going to have my book club make one when they come to dinner next week. Thank you so much, Kathryn

[jen]

amazingly simpe and yet ... WOW!!
Thank you for sharing!

[Stephanie Lichlyter]

Thanks for posting a tutorial! My daughter and I had fun making these. We used patterned scrapbook papers.

Pictures of our finished products: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slichly/3093736686/

[Eurolush]

Hi Ali!

I finally made my wreath today...and it turned out so nicely. I love it. I made mine with old antique ledger pages. I plan to make several more big wreaths, as well as some smaller ones, to hang up together in front of the mirror in the dining room. (There's a photo up on my blog for you to see.) Hopefully there'll be more there soon. Thanks for such a fun and simple idea!

[Rosie]

I made some today out of a scary old Christmas picture book I found at the op-shop.
http://thinkingchair.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/origami-wreath/

[kristin]

just got mine in the mail...thanks so much Ali!! love it. :) and it looks so pretty on my tree. xx

[April]

Hi

I have now posted about my success in making 25 wreaths!

www.cakemakestheworldabetterplace.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-origami.html

[Michelle]

Hi

Great tutorial :o)

I tried this out today ... first using a paper bag (not so good) but then with wallpaper, which works great :o) I also made mine with 5 pieces rather than 8, not just because I'm impatient ... ok maybe just a little.

http://michellemadethis.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the great tutorial !

[Tammie]

Thank you for sharing the how to on this! I had great fun making one last night and sense that I will take supplies to share this with everyone for xmas day fun.

[alice]

I gave these a go:

http://peapods.typepad.com/peapods/2008/12/origami-paper-wreath-decorations.html

Thank you so much for the instructions! :)

[Nancy]

Here are my versions on my blog. Once you start going with these, they're dangerously addictive. Every piece of paper I've come across today makes me wonder what it would look like as a star!

Thanks for the nice tutorial. Hope you'll come see the ones I made: http://floatingink.wordpress.com/2008/12/13/star-light-star-bright/

Nancy

[Angie]

Oh that looks beautiful! I have a bunch of my old piano music that I've been wondering what to do with. This will be the perfect project for it. Thanks for the tutorial!

[Rachel Bau]

Thank you for the great origami wreath instruction. Yours is by far the best among all other origami wreaths on the web because it is easy, and it looks great, and it is flat enough to use as a decoration on all my Christmas wrappings.

[Julie Yülle]

Great!! I'm not sure I have enough time left to make some, but I WILL publish a message on by blog about that! Bravo!

[marti]

thank you for the great instructions. they were very clear and easy to follow.

[Melinda Gonzales]

These are so fun and addicting! Thank you! Here's a link to some I made.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/3124501464_780ff8304b.jpg?v=

[Эй]

:) здорово!

[amanda]

loved it! ;)

[Anna]

thank you for this lovely tutorial!
I am on my 3rd one and can't wait to use all the colorful scraps I have accumulated through all sorts of paper arts projects; so far I have used my marbled papers...
HUGE thank you and all the best for a happy and creative 2oo9!
Anna
PS I have linked this tutorial from my blogspot; please let me know if you object!
http://annamavromatis.blogspot.com/

[Jennifer]

Thank you so much for your pattern! We found it so easy to follow and made a bunch of these ornaments for family. You can see photos on our blog. http://thecommonmilkweed.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-craftiness-unveiled-part-3.html

Thanks so much!

[Ni]

I've just made one. It's so easy and pretty, thanks a lot for sharing!

[Péitseoga]

love it!

[Tammy]

How clever yet simple. I'm definetly going to make this. Thanks for sharing!

[Lorrainedame@gmail.com]

It took me a few minutes to figure this out. I had folded my 45 degree angles in the wrong direction. But as soon as I realized what I had done - voila - it was perfect. I used red and green card stock to make it. Very cute idea! I love it!

[maria b]

thanks for the easy wreath!!
making my cards from old catalogues, newspaper..everything rcycled!

They're fun and freeee1111

[Roxanne]

I just made this project and I love it! Thanks for the great tutorial :) I am going to make a bunch for my tree this year! :)

[Disa]

Thanks alot, I'll make a load and hang it in my dojo...If you don't mind I've posted a link for this on my multiply site. ( With credit to you of coarse)if you dont want me to do this let me know and ill remove the link. Regards Disa (Co owner of a Filipino / British Japanese martial art dojo in Manila :) )

[Erin]

I was bored at work and wanted to try this but the only colored paper I had was post-its, which aren't quiet 8cm plus they have that sticky part. So I took it down to 7cm by 3cm and it worked out really well, but I had to use 10 pieces instead of 8, but it looks really cute! So thanks for the instructions!

[Celine]

December 2009 and we are still using your tutorial!

[Stephina]

I know this is an older post, but came across it this year while looking for ornament ideas for our family craft day. I've been so inspired veiwing all these craft blogs that I decided to start my own and I'm adding a link to this in one of my first posts! (sorry, so excited about this new adventure of mine)...

[April]

This is great, thank you!

[Busir]

Paper source has one but yours is easier to folow(it's on Folding trees)I made it while reading your instructions ;Thank you.Y.S

[tara]

many thanks!!!!!!!!^^

[anae]

Gracias
lindo el tutorial y el detalle de hacerlo con el papel de música.
cariños
anae

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[washi paper]

very creative art work on origami.i like it, cant wait for furtherorigami ideas