Learn how to fold a simple pen or pencil holder from a piece of paper! This origami tutorial gives you pictures with step by step instructions.
You’ll need a square of paper – I’ve used standard origami paper, which is 15x15cm and fairly thin, but you can cut a square from an old magazine, newspaper, or sheet of printer paper. You’ll also need some glue or tape.
My two main rules of origami are fold neatly and crease firmly; if you don’t have a creasing tool you can run the back of your thumb nail over the creases to make sure they’re nice and sharp.
Ready? Let’s fold!
- If you’re using paper with a different pattern/colour on each side, start with the pattern you want to be on the outside facing down.
- With the inner side of the paper facing you, set the paper square ready for folding.
- Fold in half from side to side, bringing one edge over to meet the opposite edge.
- Crease & unfold.
- Taking one side, fold that edge to meet the centre crease you’ve just made.
- Do the same with the other side, folding the edge over to meet the centre.
- Unfold both sides. You should have three evenly spaced vertical creases.
- Take the top right corner and fold down so the top edge meets the centre crease.
- Take the top left corner and fold down to meet the left-hand crease.
- The next step is folding it all up, using the existing creases. Fold the left-hand crease to the center…
- …then fold from the center crease over to the left…
- …and lastly, turn the model over, then fold the remaining flap over the back.
- This is basically the model finished, but we’ll need to fix it together so your stuff doesn’t fall out! So, open it all back up…
- Run a thin layer of glue along the bottom edge – where the arrow is!
- Then do the same up the short side edge.
- Now, just follow the steps to folding it all up, making sure you press firmly where the glue is to secure.
- You can also use tape to hold it in place – you just have to fold it all up, then cut a piece of tape to fold over the bottom opening and another to tape up the side.
- You’re done! If you’ve used a roughly 15x15cm square, you should be able to fit 3 or 4 pencils/pens in – but you can easily make bigger or small ones using different sized pieces of paper.
- These make a really nice way of wrapping stationery to give as a gift.
