How to Fold an Origami Box

Start with the paper colour side up. Fold it in half edge to edge, press the crease, then open it back out. Turn it and fold in half the other way, crease, and open again.

You should end up with a flat square marked by a cross of creases meeting in the centre. Those two lines are your guide for every fold that comes next, so take a second to make them sharp.

Bring one corner in so its tip lands right on the centre point where your creases cross. Press it flat. Do the same with the corner next to it, then the other two.

Line each tip up carefully with the centre. If the points don't meet neatly, the walls of your box will end up uneven, so nudge them into place before you crease.

With all four corners folded in, the paper is now a smaller square with an X of creases running across it. Origami folders call this the blintz base.

Look at it from the top. All four tips should touch in the middle with clean edges all around. This flat little square is the foundation the box gets built from.

Fold the top edge down so it meets the centre line, then fold the bottom edge up to meet it. Press both firmly. Now do the same with the two side edges.

These folds start to stack the paper into layers that become your box walls. Keep the creases crisp and square. The edges should line up along the middle without overlapping.

Open the paper back out to a flat sheet. Leave two of the corner triangles tucked in on opposite sides so they can form the ends of the box.

You will see a grid of creases across the paper. Those lines are the map for the walls. Take a moment to spot where the box sides will stand up before you start lifting.

Stand two opposite sides straight up along their creases. Bring the tucked end flaps around the corners and fold them down into the box to hold the walls in place.

Repeat on the other two sides. As the last flap tucks in, the paper snaps into a solid open box. Run your finger around the top edge to sharpen the rim.

That's it. You have a traditional masu box folded from a single square of paper. The base shows a neat pinwheel pattern and the walls sit square and clean.

Use it to corral jewellery, candy, buttons, or desk clutter. Fold a few in patterned paper and they double as little gift boxes. Once you have the sequence down, each one takes only a couple of minutes.