Easy Origami: The 16 Best Origami Projects for Noobs

If you’re looking for a totally mess-free, eco-friendly craft project, then origami may just be it–no glue, no glitter, no paint, AND you can use upcycled and vintage papers! Try these easy origami projects that anyone can do.

Sometimes the learning curve to get to the particular, elaborate origami piece that you’d *like* to make may seem too high, but origami is like any other craft: start small, don’t get frustrated by mistakes, and gradually work your way up to the level of technique that you need to make the really intricate stuff. Think of these easy origami ideas as jumping-off points on your way to origami stardom.

Fortunately for us noobs, there are plenty of great easy origami projects that even those with fumble fingers can fold. Here are several pieces that you should be able to figure out. Fold one today and impress your friends!

16 Easy Origami Projects for Beginners

1. boat. These look extra super cute with a chopstick mast and a teeny colored sail.

2. box. An easy origami box is the perfect thing to hold a small gift. Use pretty paper, and there’s no need for extra wrapping!

3. bunny. It’ll hold your Easter candy!

4. five-point star. The secret is to start with paper in the shape of a pentagon.

5. flower. The origami flowers in this tutorial were made using Post-it notes, but I suggest substituting recycled/upcycled paper instead. Anyway, it’s prettier!

6. jumping frog. Once you’ve folded this frog, the tutorial also lists games that you can play with it!

7. lantern. There’s a weensy bit of scissors work here, so this one’s not true origami. It looks fabulous when done out of heavy watercolor paper, painted and then coated with oil to make it translucent.

8. leaves. These are beautiful no matter how you do them, but I marvel at them the most when they’re made in totally unrealistic colors.

9. passenger pigeon. After you fold it, register it for The Lost Bird Project’s Fold the Flock remembrance.

10. puffy heart. This tute shows you how to craft these easy origami puffy hearts into a mobile, but they also look super cute simply stored in a clear glass jar. Give them out as needed.

11. seed starting pot. Make these little seed starting pots out of newspaper, and you can plant your sprouts, pot and all, right into the garden.

12. six-pack ring origami. Yes, it’s a thing.

13. stars. When you’ve got enough, you can craft them into a banner, or use them as Christmas tree ornaments.

14. three-dimensional star. You’ve got to cut AND glue this, so it’s totally cheating, butbutBUT, it’s THREE-DIMENSIONAL!!!

15. waterproof boat. Did you know that you can waterproof an origami boat with beeswax?

16. window star. This one’s also a bit of a cheat, because you do need to use glue, but you’ll be in love with the many variations possible here, all of them beautiful.