Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, is a fascinating and rewarding pastime that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. One of the most popular origami models is the snake, a classic design that is both fun to fold and impressive to look at. In this article, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide to making an origami snake, complete with helpful tips and tricks to ensure your snake comes out looking its best.
Origami snakes are relatively easy to make, even for beginners. With a little patience and practice, you’ll be able to create a beautiful and intricate origami snake in no time. So grab a piece of paper and let’s get started!
Before we dive into the folding process, let’s gather the necessary materials. You’ll need a square piece of paper, preferably origami paper, as it is specially designed for folding and holds creases well. A good starting size for beginners is a 15 cm x 15 cm square. If you don’t have origami paper, you can use regular printer paper, but keep in mind that it may be more difficult to fold.
How to Make an Origami Snake
Follow these 10 important points to create a beautiful origami snake:
- Start with a square piece of paper.
- Fold in half diagonally both ways.
- Unfold and fold in half vertically.
- Unfold and fold in half horizontally.
- Fold in half diagonally one way.
- Unfold and squash fold to create a diamond.
- Fold in half horizontally.
- Unfold and fold top point to bottom edge.
- Repeat on other side.
- Fold in half vertically.
Your origami snake is now complete!
Start with a square piece of paper.
The first step in making an origami snake is to start with a square piece of paper. This is important because origami snakes are traditionally made with a square base, and using a rectangular or irregularly shaped piece of paper will make it difficult to fold the snake properly.
If you have origami paper, simply cut a square out of it. Origami paper is specially designed for folding and holds creases well, making it ideal for origami projects. If you don’t have origami paper, you can use regular printer paper, but keep in mind that it may be more difficult to fold.
To cut a square out of regular printer paper, follow these steps:
- Start with a rectangular piece of paper.
- Fold the paper in half lengthwise.
- Unfold the paper and fold it in half widthwise.
- Unfold the paper and fold it diagonally one way.
- Unfold the paper and fold it diagonally the other way.
- The paper should now have four creases, forming a square in the center.
- Cut along the creases to create a square piece of paper.
Once you have your square piece of paper, you’re ready to start folding your origami snake!
Now that you have a square piece of paper, you can proceed to the next step of folding the origami snake. Remember to fold carefully and precisely, and don’t be afraid to unfold and refold if necessary to get the creases just right.
Fold in half diagonally both ways.
The next step is to fold the square piece of paper in half diagonally both ways. This will create two diagonal creases that intersect in the center of the paper.
To fold the paper in half diagonally, follow these steps:
- Place the square piece of paper flat on a table in front of you.
- Bring the top right corner of the paper down to the bottom left corner, forming a diagonal crease.
- Unfold the paper.
- Bring the top left corner of the paper down to the bottom right corner, forming another diagonal crease.
- Unfold the paper again.
Your paper should now have two diagonal creases that intersect in the center. These creases will serve as guides for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Once you have folded the paper in half diagonally both ways, you can proceed to the next step of folding the origami snake. Remember to fold carefully and precisely, and don’t be afraid to unfold and refold if necessary to get the creases just right.
Unfold and fold in half vertically.
After folding the paper in half diagonally both ways, the next step is to unfold the paper and then fold it in half vertically.
- Unfold the paper.
After making the two diagonal creases, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Fold the paper in half vertically.
Bring the right edge of the paper to meet the left edge, forming a vertical crease in the middle of the paper.
- Unfold the paper again.
After making the vertical crease, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3.
Fold the paper in half vertically again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a vertical crease in the middle. This crease will serve as a guide for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Unfold and fold in half horizontally.
After folding the paper in half vertically, the next step is to unfold the paper and then fold it in half horizontally.
To fold the paper in half horizontally, follow these steps:
- Unfold the paper so that it lies flat.
- Bring the top edge of the paper down to meet the bottom edge, forming a horizontal crease in the middle of the paper.
- Unfold the paper again.
- Fold the paper in half horizontally again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a horizontal crease in the middle, intersecting the vertical crease that you made in the previous step. These creases will serve as guides for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Once you have folded the paper in half horizontally, you can proceed to the next step of folding the origami snake. Remember to fold carefully and precisely, and don’t be afraid to unfold and refold if necessary to get the creases just right.
Fold in half diagonally one way.
After folding the paper in half horizontally, the next step is to fold the paper in half diagonally one way.
To fold the paper in half diagonally one way, follow these steps:
- Unfold the paper so that it lies flat.
- Bring the top right corner of the paper down to the bottom left corner, forming a diagonal crease.
- Unfold the paper again.
- Fold the paper in half diagonally one way again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a diagonal crease running from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. This crease will serve as a guide for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Once you have folded the paper in half diagonally one way, you can proceed to the next step of folding the origami snake. Remember to fold carefully and precisely, and don’t be afraid to unfold and refold if necessary to get the creases just right.
Unfold and squash fold to create a diamond.
After folding the paper in half diagonally one way, the next step is to unfold the paper and then squash fold it to create a diamond shape.
- Unfold the paper.
After making the diagonal crease, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Squash fold the paper.
Bring the top right corner of the paper down to meet the bottom left corner, and the top left corner of the paper down to meet the bottom right corner. This will create a diamond shape.
- Unfold the paper again.
After making the squash fold, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3.
Squash fold the paper again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a diamond shape with a diagonal crease running from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. This crease will serve as a guide for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Fold in half horizontally.
After squash folding the paper to create a diamond shape, the next step is to fold the paper in half horizontally.
To fold the paper in half horizontally, follow these steps:
- Unfold the paper so that it lies flat.
- Bring the top edge of the paper down to meet the bottom edge, forming a horizontal crease in the middle of the paper.
- Unfold the paper again.
- Fold the paper in half horizontally again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a horizontal crease running through the center of the diamond shape. This crease will serve as a guide for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Once you have folded the paper in half horizontally, you can proceed to the next step of folding the origami snake. Remember to fold carefully and precisely, and don’t be afraid to unfold and refold if necessary to get the creases just right.
Unfold and fold top point to bottom edge.
After folding the paper in half horizontally, the next step is to unfold the paper and then fold the top point to the bottom edge.
To fold the top point to the bottom edge, follow these steps:
- Unfold the paper so that it lies flat.
- Bring the top point of the diamond shape down to meet the bottom edge of the paper, forming a vertical crease.
- Unfold the paper again.
- Fold the top point to the bottom edge again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a vertical crease running from the top point of the diamond shape to the bottom edge of the paper. This crease will serve as a guide for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Once you have folded the top point to the bottom edge, you can proceed to the next step of folding the origami snake. Remember to fold carefully and precisely, and don’t be afraid to unfold and refold if necessary to get the creases just right.
Repeat on other side.
After folding the top point to the bottom edge on one side of the paper, the next step is to repeat the same fold on the other side.
- Unfold the paper.
After making the vertical crease on one side, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Fold the top point to the bottom edge on the other side.
Bring the top point of the diamond shape on the other side of the paper down to meet the bottom edge, forming a vertical crease.
- Unfold the paper again.
After making the vertical crease on the other side, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3.
Fold the top point to the bottom edge on the other side again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have two vertical creases running from the top point of the diamond shape to the bottom edge of the paper, one on each side. These creases will serve as guides for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
Fold in half vertically.
After folding the top point to the bottom edge on both sides of the paper, the next step is to fold the paper in half vertically.
- Unfold the paper.
After making the two vertical creases, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Fold the paper in half vertically.
Bring the right edge of the paper to meet the left edge, forming a vertical crease in the middle of the paper.
- Unfold the paper again.
After making the vertical crease, unfold the paper so that it lies flat again.
- Fold the paper in half vertically again.
Fold the paper in half vertically again, but this time, instead of unfolding it, keep it folded.
Your paper should now have a vertical crease in the middle, intersecting the two vertical creases that you made in the previous step. These creases will serve as guides for the next steps of folding the origami snake.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about origami art:
Question 1: What is origami?
Answer: Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. It is a fun and challenging hobby that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Question 2: What kind of paper is best for origami?
Answer: Origami paper is specially designed for folding and holds creases well. However, you can also use regular printer paper, but it may be more difficult to fold.
Question 3: What are some basic origami folds?
Answer: Some basic origami folds include the square fold, the triangle fold, and the bird base. These folds are the foundation for many origami models.
Question 4: What is the most popular origami model?
Answer: The crane is one of the most popular origami models. It is a symbol of peace and good luck in many cultures.
Question 5: How can I learn how to fold origami?
Answer: There are many resources available to learn how to fold origami, including books, websites, and YouTube videos. You can also find origami classes at some community centers and libraries.
Question 6: Where can I find origami paper and supplies?
Answer: Origami paper and supplies can be found at craft stores, online retailers, and some office supply stores.
Origami is a beautiful and rewarding art form that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a little practice, you’ll be able to create amazing origami models that will impress your friends and family.
Now that you know a little more about origami, here are a few tips to help you get started:
Tips
Here are a few tips to help you get started with origami:
Tip 1: Start with simple models.
When you’re first starting out, it’s best to start with simple origami models that don’t require a lot of complex folds. This will help you get the hang of the basics and build your confidence.
Tip 2: Use good quality paper.
Origami paper is specially designed for folding and holds creases well. If you use regular printer paper, it may be more difficult to fold and your model may not turn out as well.
Tip 3: Be patient and persistent.
Origami can be challenging, but it’s also very rewarding. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Keep practicing and you’ll eventually be able to create beautiful origami models.
Tip 4: Have fun!
Origami is a fun and relaxing hobby. Enjoy the process of folding and creating something beautiful. Don’t worry about making mistakes, just let your creativity flow.
With a little practice, you’ll be able to create amazing origami models that will impress your friends and family.
Now that you have a few tips to get started, you’re ready to embark on your origami journey. Remember to be patient, persistent, and have fun!
Conclusion
Origami is a beautiful and rewarding art form that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a little practice, you can create amazing origami models that will impress your friends and family.
In this article, we’ve provided you with a step-by-step guide to making an origami snake, as well as a FAQ section and some helpful tips to get you started. We hope you’ve found this article informative and inspiring.
Origami is a great way to relax and de-stress. It can also help to improve your focus and concentration. So, next time you’re looking for a fun and challenging activity, give origami a try.
Remember, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process of folding. Don’t worry about making mistakes, just let your creativity flow. With a little practice, you’ll be able to create beautiful origami models that you’ll be proud to display.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a piece of paper and start folding!