Ten Easy Steps to Make an Origami Box with a Lid

Here's a great way to store or gift-wrap jewellery or other small items: make an origami box!

To make a box with a lid, simply cut a second square of paper ½ cm (3/16") smaller for the base - the larger square of paper will be the lid.   I like to package small items I sell in my Etsy Store this way.

• Start with a square piece of origami paper, pattern/ colour of your choice:

• Fold the paper in half on both diagonals, so there is an X-shaped fold. 
• Place the paper pattern-side-down and bring all four corners to the centre of the X, so you form a smaller square.  Like this:
  

• Now fold the paper on the parallel so that you bring the outer edges of the square to the centre line.  Rotate 90° and repeat.  Like this:

•  Partially unfold all the creases you have made, like this:

• Now follow the creases you have made to fold your paper like this:

• Now here comes the tricky part.  It's easy when you 'get it', but it's hard to describe and even trickier to photograph (especially with one hand!).  You need to "raise the walls" of your box.  My fingers in the above photograph are touching one side of the box: lift up that side, then raise the perpendicular side, which currently ends in a triangular point.  You'll find that there is a fold which will guide you - this fold is on the inside of the box, made from where the patterned side meets the unpatterned side.  You'll see what I mean.  Here's a photo showing all four of these tricky folds:

• Next, bring two of the folds together and make them lie flat:

• You'll really see your box beginning to take shape!  Fold the triangular point over the folds you've made (in the above photo) and bring the tip of this point into the centre of the box, like this:

• Repeat for the other side, and here is your pretty little box!

Frugalista Tips:

• Use origami paper for ease and convenience, but you could also use paper from a glossy magazine, cut to size. (Newspaper is a bit too flimsy.)
• With or without lids, these little boxes are a great way to hold beads/ paperclips/ other small items and jazz up your workspace area at the same time - for pennies!
• Don't forget, when making a box with a lid, the base paper needs to be ½ cm (3/16") smaller.