Simple and Elegant Origami Wreath

A pretty wreath for the holidays, a classy gift for a friend.

Personal Recommendations:

- 3" square paper

- Foil paper

- Single sided paper

Time:

About 15 minutes

Original Creator:

I do not know who the original creator of this model is but if anyone DOES know I would be really grateful if you could comment his or her name. (I literally own the book with this model in it and I can't find it when I need to cite my sources, of course.)

Many square sheets of paper (the bigger you make the wreath, the less papers you will need. I'd say 18 minimum for a small one).

I do not recommend holographic paper. It is slippery and frustrating to hold the pieces together when you're adding the final few. The paper I am using is foil paper because it holds the creases better.

You will NOT see white in the model, so if you are using double-sided colored paper, make sure the color you want is not facing up.

Fold the paper in half to start.

Once you have it like the picture, unfold that crease and turn the model over.

Take the crease that you just unfolded. Bring it over so it lines up with the crease to its right. Unfold.

Then, fold the two flaps sticking out behind so they're flush with the slant of the paper. After you turn the model over, it should look like the second picture in this step.

Afterwards, turn the model over again and fold it in half. This completes one unit of your wreath.

The "flap" or "insert" is commonly used in origami to determine the part of the model that is being inserted into the "pocket".

In this case, the flaps are the little pieces on the edges of the model that stick out on both sides. The pockets are the two little triangles.

Place the flaps into those little triangles. It's ok if some of the flap is under the rectangle, as long as it's snug.

Make sure both sides are in their pockets! Sometimes one likes to pop out as you're fixing the other side, and with holographic paper this can be a nightmare...

The final piece can be tricky, don't worry too much if you have to shift over some pieces- this model is very forgiving. When all are assembled you can move them around to make final adjustments.

With the 6" paper, I needed 16 pieces of paper.

You can make a smaller wreath, too, and put it inside the bigger wreath for a really pretty effect! You can do this over and over, too!

The smaller wreath was about 3" (I don't remember and I gave it away) and I needed 18 pieces.

Some uses I've made with these:

- Substitute bow for presents

- Christmas tree ornaments

- Magnets

- Necklaces or earrings

- Coasters! (add a layer of mod podge or something similar first!)

- Overly fancy shurikens (It's a tad rude, though)