50+ Easy Origami Tutorials for Beginners

50+ Easy Origami Tutorials for beginners will get you started with origami paper crafting today! Easy to make toys, home decorations, and more!

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Grab a sheet of paper and get ready to have some easy-peasy paper-folding fun with these awesome and easy-to-follow origami tutorials! There’s something for every skill level here! From basic paper cranes and cute little fishies to just slightly more complicated paper crowns you can wear (and even jumping paper frogs!).

All of these great tutorials have step-by-step instructional pictures to follow along with so you don’t get lost, and many include origami tutorial videos, too. They’re totally beginner-friendly!

Kids as young as preschool ages up to adults can make all of these wonderful paper crafts with ease. Grab a friend or two and sit down to discover the incredible world of origami today!

What Is Origami?

Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures! This popular pastime was invented in China shortly after the invention of paper and was originally created to decorate shrines and temples. Origami was later adopted by Japan when Chinese monks passed down the teachings of origami to them.

The literal meaning of origami is “fold” (ori or oru) and “paper” (gami or kami). There are several different types and teachings of origami, including the following:

• Single Sheet Origami – made from one single sheet of square paper
• Modular Origami – multiples of identical modules that are pieced together
• Composite Origami – a model is made from two or more different pieces each folded in different ways

Many of the projects in this great list of easy origami projects are single-sheet origami and will be super simple for any beginner to create!

What Supplies Are Needed for Origami Paper Crafts?

When it comes to origami creations, it doesn’t take much material to produce a work of art! In traditional origami, the only thing that you need is the paper – no scissors, glue, or tape required!

Some modern origamists do choose to use glue or tape in their final designs for stability and to extend the longevity of their projects, but it is never a necessity. Some of the projects below have additional embellishments such as googly eyes or facial features that have been drawn with a pen or marker.

The Best Origami Paper Choices:

The brand and quality of your paper choice can make a difference in your finished result. Here’s what we found to be some of the best quality paper choices to make styling your Origami project a total breeze!

Origami enthusiasts often seek high-quality paper that is both thin and strong, with a good texture for folding. Some of the most popular and high-quality brands of origami paper include:

• Kami – A standard, lightweight origami paper, ideal for beginners and commonly used for a wide range of projects. You can also find double-sided Kami paper that has different colors on each side of the paper!
• Tant – A slightly heavier paper with a fine texture, available in many colors, and holds creases well.
• Kraft – Stronger and thicker than most origami papers, but still easy to work with – usually colored on one side and brown kraft on the other side.
• Tuttle – one of the most popular brands of origami paper, Tuttle paper is available in a vast array of double-sided patterns as well as solid colors.
• Foil – This type of paper is metallic on one side and colored on the other. It holds creases well and is good for detailed models.

And, of course, if you only have construction paper or plain white printing paper those will still work just fine, too! Trim off the excess to create a square piece of paper, and you will be able to create tons of fun origami art with ease!

Origami Crabs

Origami Crabs by Artsy Craftsy Mom: A fun decoration for an Under the Sea themed party, these adorable little crabs with their big round eyes are just too cute! Though not too complicated, this fun activity would be perfect for slightly older kids.

Origami Pokemon

Origami Pokemon by Pink Stripey Socks: You’re gonna want to catch ALL of these cute Pokemon origami characters!

Origami Bunny Face

Origami Bunny Face from The Joy of Sharing: Looking for easy origami for kids or an easy Easter craft to make with the kids? This easy origami rabbit project is perfect origami for beginners.

Simple Origami Heart

Simple Origami Heart from Easy Crafts for Kids: Make a bunch of these simple origami hearts using just basic folds. They’re great to pop into Valentine’s Day gifts or to decorate a desk or office space with – just follow the simple instructions in the tutorial!

Easy Origami Butterfly

Easy Paper Butterflies from Gathering Beauty: It’s so fun and whimsical to fold together a batch of colorful, bright, origami butterflies like these! A fun springtime craft anyone can make.

Origami Mushrooms

Origami Mushrooms by Artsy Craftsy Mom: Make a pair of adorable woodland mushrooms from a couple of squares of origami paper.

Origami Fox Head

Simple Origami Fox Head from Origami Way: A cute smiling fox face is a great craft to welcome Winter or Fall this year! Make this craft with kids as young as preschool ages (4 year olds and up) using just four easy folds!

Origami Kitty Face

Origami Kitty Face from Crafts U Print: My youngest is obsessed with cats, and he definitely loves to make these purr-fect kitty faces himself! It’s a great craft for a classroom and would be a fun activity to pair with one of our favorite books, Pete The Cat.

Origami Apples

Origami Apples from Mommy Made That: A sweet fall celebration calls for these easy-to-make paper apples! This project may be more suitable for older children and adults (or small kids with an adult nearby to help!) as it does require fitting multiple sheets of paper together to create the finished piece.

Origami Pumpkin

Origami Pumpkin from All For the Boys: Another easy fall craft idea or Halloween project for kids to work on! Hang these cute little decorated pumpkins all over the home or classroom. Use a Sharpie marker to draw on your very own Jack-O-Lantern face!

Origami Ghosts

Origami Ghosts from The Craftaholic Witch: I want to make an entire family of these boo-tiful origami ghosts! They’re so much fun!

Origami Envelopes

Origami Envelopes from Love to Know: Use these easy origami envelopes to hold a special gift or surprise note for someone you care about.

Paper Boat

Paper Boat By One Little Project: Learn how to make a paper boat in only 5 minutes. It’s really easy and makes a fun classroom or playground activity! These paper boats even float on water!

Origami Stars

Origami Stars from Red Ted Art: These super fun stars are the perfect addition to New Year’s Eve or any holiday decor, really!

Jumping Origami Frog

Jumping Frog Origami by Printables Fairy: This adorable hopping friend actually jumps! Turn one piece of paper into a frog and race to see who can jump the farthest!?

Origami Whale

Origami Whale from Red Ted Art: This easy origami is sure to be a whale of a good time! There’s even a handy video tutorial to get you started.

Origami Cubes

Origami Cubes from Frugal Fun 4 Boys: My boys love to build with anything! These paper cubes are not only fun and easy for kids to make, but they make great stackable toys, too.

Paper Claws

Paper Claws from One Little Project: If you’re looking for something worthy of a costume accessory – these easy to make claws are way too cool! Perfect fun for people of all ages to create.

Origami Finger Puppets

Origami Finger Puppets from What Do We Do All Day: You can make a ton of cute finger puppet people, or animals, just by using a simple Sticky Note!

Origami Minecraft Creepers

Origami Minecraft Creepers from Pink Stripey Socks: Kids will love creating this familiar favorite! Make a beloved Minecraft Creeper in less than 5 minutes.

Origami Corner Bookmarks

Origami Corner Bookmarks by Creative Ramblings: I love crafts that are also useful, and origami bookmarks are one of my favorite ideas! These quick corner bookmarks come in handy if you’re an avid reader. They’ll be a sweet gift idea for a book lover, too.

Origami Animal Rings

Origami Animal Rings from Teach Starter: These chic paper animal rings can be made into so many cute critters! Make them as a quick classroom time killer or as easy party favors.

Origami Crown

Origami Crown from What We Can Do With Paper and Glue: This unique craft just takes 6 pieces of paper and very simple folds to connect a crown fit for a king (or queen)!

DIY Origami Leaves

DIY Origami Leaves from The Craftaholic Witch: Take one sheet of paper and quickly transform it into a little breath of nature. SO cute and whimsical!

Origami Tulips

Origami Tulips from Red Ted Art: If you’re looking for an easy craft for Mother’s Day or Easter, this is a great beginner origami project for anyone to make.

Origami Paper Crane

Origami Paper Cranes from Instructables: The classic traditional origami crane is always a fun one to master for anyone just starting to learn origami! It’s also thought to be a symbol of hope and peace.

Origami Bats

Origami Bat from Paper Kawaii: Make a batch of these cute origami bats to decorate your home with for Halloween!

Origami Fortune Teller

Origami Fortune Teller from The Spruce Crafts: Kids will love playing with this original fortune-telling toy, commonly called “cootie catchers.” Fold your simple telling device and include whatever fun options you want people to pick, like – “will own a spaceship” or “will win the lottery!”

Easy Origami Owl

Easy Origami Owl on WikiHow: Whoo wants to make an adorable Owl head?! There’s this simple origami Owl and a more advanced Owl with easy to follow, step-by-step instructions on WikiHow.

Origami Lotus Flowers

Origami Lotus Flowers from Origami Guide: I want to make several of these gorgeous flowers of my own! They’re effortlessly beautiful, so make many of them for spring or any time of year.

Origami Sunglasses

Origami Sunglasses from Instructables: Though not the most practical pair of sunglasses – these shades are easy to make and fun to rock! This craft takes just one sheet of 8 x 11 paper, so it’s great for those who don’t have access to special origami paper.

Succulent Plants

Succulent Plants from Paper Kawaii: Making these adorable paper succulents isn’t too tough, but it will require multiple sheets of paper. Worth it for this gift-worthy result! 😍

Simple Origami Fan

Simple Origami Fan from Origami Way: Save this quick origami tutorial for a hot day! You never know when it will come in handy.

Winter Snowflake

Winter Snowflake from Spruce Crafts: This origami craft uses a little bit of snipping, which classifies this as a Kirigami project. It’s easy and cute to make for winter!

Origami Box With Lid

Origami Box With Lid by The Craftaholic Witch: You can easily make 3 different box types using this tutorial, perfect for stashing a small gift inside!

Lucky Paper stars

Lucky Paper Stars from Welcome to Nanas: Gifting 100 of these lucky stars to your favorite recipient allows them to make a magical wish!

Origami Pencils

Origami Pencils from Red Ted Art: If you’re introducing origami art to your class try this super fun pencil pattern to start!

Origami Wreath

Origami Wreath by Gathering Beauty: Make a sweet Christmas wreath using 8 rectangles of paper and a little bit of holiday cheer!

Origami Cats

Origami Cats by The Joy of Sharing: I just love these unique kitty cats with their individual whiskers and sweet faces!

Origami Car

Origami Car by Fave Mom: Create a cool kid’s playtoy in under 3 minutes with this quick tutorial. Little boys and girls will love driving around their new cars!

Origami Christmas Tree

Origami Christmas Tree from Gathering Beauty: Kids and adults alike will love making and decorating their origami Christmas trees like these. Add some glitter or jewel embellishments to light it up!

Origami Robots

Origami Robots by Pink Stripey Socks: You can easily make and customize your own smiling robot friend in just minutes using this simple, step-by-step tutorial that anyone can follow.

Origami Polar Bear

Origami Polar Bear from Red Ted Art: Include this adorable furry friend in your Arctic learning lessons!

Origami Scottie Dog

Origami Scottie Dog from Origami Me: Quickly fold up a sweet Scottie dog of your own using these clear and concise step-by-step instructions.

Easy origami Penguin

Easy Origami Penguin from Origami Way: This project is so easy, even your youngest children can make a cute penguin all on their own.

Easy Origami Bird

Easy Origami Bird from Origami Guide: Folding origami birds is a nice activity to do outside when bird-watching together. A lovely craft idea for Spring!

Origami Walrus

Origami Walrus by Origami Way: This is a perfect origami art project for very little children to make or anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by making origami. Plus, it’s soo cute!

Santa Hat Origami

Santa Hat Origami by Gathering Beauty: These DIY Santa hats are so fun and cheerful to make as Christmas decorations! They’d even make a great accessory for an Elf on the Shelf scene.

Origami Unicorns

Origami Unicorns from Pink Stripey Socks: You can make 4 unicorns from one sheet of Origami paper using this super cute tutorial!

There are tons of cute & unique projects to be made using just paper and a little bit of folding! The art of origami is a great activity for all ages! Which origami art are you making first?! Share with us in the comments section below!