Origami ideas boys will want to make!
We’ll introduce origami ideas and instructions that boys will love, including playable origami toys, favorite creatures, and items perfect for pretend play.
Many of these can be made with just one sheet of origami paper, so even young children can give them a try.
Once you master the folds, try making them in different colors and patterns, or draw eyes and designs with a pen to add your own originality.
If you draw a picture on construction paper and paste your origami on top, it will add a three-dimensional feel and make a wonderful piece of art.
If you’re a boy who wants to try origami, have fun and give it a go!
Ideas for Origami Boys Will Want to Make (1–10)
Cool! Origami BeybladeNEW!
The swirl-like design looks cool! Let’s make a Beyblade out of origami.
Using three sheets of origami paper, we’ll make the outer and inner decorations of the body, plus the handle.
You can make the inner part and the handle with a cushion fold (zabuton-ori).
For the outer part, first fold all four edges inward, then open up the overlapped corners and collapse them into triangles.
From there, fold the corners toward the center, and fold the triangular sections gathered at the center back outward.
Next, fold the outer edges so they become rounded, then open the triangular sections, fold them in half, and sharpen the tips.
Combine the three parts and you’re done!
Star-shaped Pack’ncho
A cooler, star-shaped Packuncho than the regular one! The steps are almost the same as for a normal Packuncho.
First, fold it into a triangle twice, then into a rectangle twice, and unfold to make creases.
Following the creases, fold each of the four corners toward the center, flip it over, and do the same thing.
With a normal Packuncho, you would then open it up and shape it, but for the star-shaped Packuncho, you shape it while leaving one of the folded sections open.
With just this one simple twist, you can make a cool star-shaped Packuncho! It’s something you can proudly show off to your friends—give it a try.
Rocket
A “rocket” is also a great recommendation for an origami toy that will make you want to play with friends.
The idea is to fold the origami into a cone-like shape to recreate a rocket.
You can display it as is or paste it onto construction paper, but there’s a special way to play with it that I’d like to share.
First, prepare a bendable straw.
Insert the drinking end into the inside of the rocket.
Then blow, and the rocket will launch.
It’s fun to compete with your friends to see whose rocket can fly the highest.
sword
Every boy dreams of becoming a hero, right? And when you think of a fighting hero, cool weapons are an essential element.
Among weapons for battle, the sword is a standout, so let’s try making one with origami.
By crafting the blade and the handle from separate sheets of paper, you can emphasize the sword’s character and enhance the design.
It also helps to add small touches like inserting a rolled piece of paper into the blade section; aim for a sturdy sword that could even hold up to pretend play.
While a strong, sharp-looking sword is cool, the risk of injury increases if it accidentally hits someone, so it’s important to handle it with care.
beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)
The rhinoceros beetle, a quintessential insect of summer, captivates many with its armor-like appearance.
Let’s try making one out of origami.
Even if you can’t keep a beetle at home, you can enjoy the atmosphere with this.
You’ll cut the origami paper to create individual parts and then assemble them to complete the beetle.
It’s important to tailor your folding techniques to each part—expressing the strength of the horn and wings, and the suppleness of the legs.
It might also be fun to make your beetle in your own colors, not just brown or black.
Squid from Splatoon
The game Splatoon is hugely popular with kids.
Let’s try making the squid character that appears in it! Even children who aren’t confident with origami will likely be interested if it’s a character from a game they love.
Squids come in many colors, so prepare origami paper in the color you like.
For the legs, use scissors a little to make shaping easier.
After you finish folding the squid’s body, create its distinctive eyes using round stickers or a pen.
If you’re using round stickers, cutting them slightly with scissors will help you recreate the eyes perfectly.
shuriken
Shuriken, used by ninja to attack distant opponents, have a unique design with sharp points on all four sides that’s quite appealing.
The standard method involves combining two halves of folded paper, and because you insert the two parts into each other, the result is a sturdy shuriken.
If you use two colors of origami paper, you can make two colorful shuriken.
Try combining different colors to create your favorite shuriken.
Since the four points are quite sharp, it’s dangerous to throw them at people.
It might be better to set up a target and throw them at that instead.
Spins well! A top like a BeybladeNEW!
A Beyblade that you can easily spin just by pulling a ripcord is appealing not only for how it works but also for its cool design.
When you finish making this origami Beyblade, it will also have a cool pattern.
You’ll make three parts: the outer body, the inner body, and the handle.
The design section is created by folding the outer body.
First, fold the left and right edges of the origami to meet at the center, then fold the top and bottom edges the same way.
Next, open the top and bottom pockets into boat shapes, and then open the left and right sides of the boats into squares.
From there, keep flipping the paper over while making creases to change it into a diamond shape and form the pattern.
The inner part and the handle can be made with the “zabuton” (cushion) fold, so if you like, try making it and have fun playing with it.
Tyrannosaurus
Let’s make a tyrannosaurus out of origami—the dinosaur that once lived on Earth and was considered especially powerful.
Key features of a tyrannosaurus include its powerful jaws that can crush anything and its thick, long tail.
We’ll create each of these parts using cut origami pieces and then assemble them at the end to complete the tyrannosaurus.
It’s also fun that you can make your own original tyrannosaurus by choosing different colors of origami and adding your own expression after the shape is finished.
How to fold a spinning top that twirls!NEW!
Here’s an idea for a colorful, well-spinning top made with three sheets of origami paper.
You’ll make the outer body, the inner body, and the handle.
The outer part follows the same steps as the “deceiver boat” up to a point.
After making one boat shape on both the top and bottom, open up those corners and squash them to change the shape from a square to a diamond.
Fold the four corners that lie between the diamond’s points outward, then fold the diamond’s points inward.
For the inner part, do the “cushion fold” three times, flipping the paper over after each fold.
For the handle, do the cushion fold three times without flipping, then make a mountain fold along the diagonal.
Finally, press all four edges tightly inward, and it’s done.
Combine the parts to complete a single spinning top.