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A shuriken is the fold that convinces people origami is worth learning. It takes two sheets rather than one, and the trick is that the second sheet gets folded as a mirror image of the first. Stack them crosswise, tuck four points into four flaps, and the star locks together with no adhesive.
This walkthrough follows Paper Kawaii's tutorial. Two colors make the finished star look far better than one, because each half shows through on alternating points. Squares of 15 cm give you a star about 8.5 cm across, which is a good size to hold.
The folds themselves are simple. The only place people go wrong is forgetting to mirror the diagonals on the second unit, at which point the halves refuse to interlock.
Origami paper is the easy choice. It comes pre-cut to 15 cm, it is thin enough to take a crisp crease, and it is colored on one side so the two halves are easy to tell apart while you fold.
Printer paper works too. Cut two squares from an A4 or letter sheet. The star comes out stiffer and a little heavier, which some kids prefer for throwing. Sticky notes make tiny stars fast, but the glue strip fights you on the lock. Fold with the sticky edge on the outside of the band.
Why two colors? Each unit ends up showing on two opposite points. In one color the pattern disappears. In two, the star looks like it is spinning even when it is sitting still.
The star on this page is the classic four-point shuriken from two units. It is the one to learn first. The transforming ninja star uses eight smaller units that slide against each other, so the ring opens into a star and closes again. It is a great second project, but it takes far longer and every unit has to be folded to the same size. Get the two-piece star locking cleanly before you try it.
A paper star is light, but a sharp point in an eye is no joke. Throw it at a target: a cardboard box, a paper plate taped to a door, a laundry basket. Never at people or pets. Flick it flat from the wrist like a frisbee, not overhand.
If you liked this, how to make a paper airplane is the other classic throwing toy. Origami lucky stars are a quick fold for filling a jar, and the origami crane is the next step up in precision.
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A shuriken needs two sheets, not one. Use squares of the same size - 15x15 cm works well and gives you a finished star around 8.5 cm across. Two different colors make the final star look sharper, because each half shows through on opposite sides.
Precut origami paper saves the trouble of squaring up printer paper, and the colored-one-side stock makes the mirrored halves easy to tell apart while folding.
Start white side up. Fold the paper in half and open it back out so you have a center crease. Bring the bottom edge up to that crease and press. Do the same from the top. You end up with a long band four layers deep.
Sharp creases matter more here than in most folds. A soft crease lets the strip spring open while you are trying to stack the two halves.
Fold the top edge all the way down to meet the bottom edge. The band gets narrower and thicker. Keep the edges lined up - a strip that drifts out of square here makes the two halves refuse to lock together at the end.
Fold the bottom right point diagonally up to the left. Then fold the top left point diagonally down to the right. The strip now has an angled point sticking out at each end, which is what turns into the blades.
Fold the right section diagonally down to the left, then the left section diagonally up to the right. The piece bends into a Z or S shape. That is your first of two identical units - set it aside.
The second sheet gets folded exactly the same way except every diagonal runs the opposite direction. Where the first one folded bottom-right up, this one folds top-right down. Sit the two side by side when you finish and they should look like mirror images.
Fold the second unit next to the finished first one and check after every diagonal. If both units look identical rather than mirrored, the second one is wrong.
Flip one unit over onto its other side, then lay the second on top of it so the two Z shapes cross. Line up the center squares. This is the moment the star shape appears, though it is still loose and will fall apart if you let go.
Line up the two center squares before you start tucking. A crooked stack produces a star with uneven points.
Working on the unit at the back, fold the lower right point to the left and slide it under the flap of the unit in front. Do the same with the top left point. Flip the whole star over and repeat both tucks on the back. Each tuck is what locks the star together.
Push each point further under the flap than feels necessary. Points that sit halfway in will work loose the first time the star is handled.
All four points should sit flat with no loose ends, and the star should hold together when you pick it up by one blade. If a point pops out, it was not pushed far enough under the flap - open it and push again.
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How to Make Stickers at Home
More on this topic, picked for this paper ninja star.
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How to Make a Paper Ninja Star
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E6000 Craft Adhesive, Clear (3.7 oz)
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Gorilla Dual-Temp Full-Size Hot Glue Gun
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OLFA
OLFA 18" x 24" Self-Healing Cutting Mat
The pro-standard cutting surface. Gridlines for square cuts, self-healing so blades never leave grooves, and big enough for paper, fabric, and leather.
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Question 1 of 5
How many sheets of paper does a shuriken take?
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5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.How many sheets of paper does a shuriken take?
Answer: Two
Two squares interlock to form the finished star.
2.What holds the two halves together?
Answer: Points tucked into flaps
Four points slot into four flaps, so no adhesive is needed.
3.How must the second sheet be folded?
Answer: As a mirror image of the first
Mirroring the second unit is what lets the two halves interlock.
4.Two 15 cm squares give a star about how wide?
Answer: About 8.5 cm
Roughly 8.5 cm across, which is a comfortable size to hold.
5.What is the most common mistake people make?
Answer: Not mirroring the second unit
Forget to mirror the diagonals and the two halves simply refuse to lock together.
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