When you think of December, you think of Christmas! Are you looking for origami projects full of that seasonal spirit? Cutting, pasting, and enjoying origami is perfect for indoor play on chilly days.
In this article, we’ll share origami ideas that year-round children can enjoy—from December-themed motifs to creations you can make any time of year.
You’ll find practical pieces that work as seasonal decorations and gift wrapping, packed with the charm of origami.
Move your hands and enjoy some creative time!
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[For Preschoolers] December Origami Ideas! A Collection of Winter-Themed Creations (1–10)
Great for practicing glue, too! Cute snowman
Here’s an idea for a snowman with a hat and a scarf.
You’ll make it in two parts—hat and head, scarf and body.
Use two sheets of origami paper, each 15 × 7.5 cm.
We’ll start with the head, so place the paper vertically.
Fold the bottom edge up to about four-thirds of the overall height, then fold about 1 cm back down, and fold back up about 5 mm.
Turn the paper over, fold the left and right edges to meet at the center, then squash the pocketed sections into triangles.
The opened area will be the face and the remaining red area will be the hat, so shape the face into a circle and the hat into a triangle.
For the body, fold about 1 cm along one short edge to make the scarf section, then fold the paper in half so the scarf shows on the front.
With the scarf at the top, turn the paper over and fold the top left and right corners diagonally inward.
Finally, round off the lower white section to complete the body.
Glue the parts together and draw the face to finish.
Also works as a finger puppet! Shima-enaga
The long-tailed tit, known as the “snow fairy,” lives in Hokkaido.
Its plush-like round shape and beady eyes are truly adorable.
This is an origami piece inspired by that bird.
Amazingly, it can also be used as a finger puppet—an idea kids will love.
First, fold the origami paper into a triangle, then fold the left and right corners inward so they overlap at the center.
Flip the paper top to bottom, then fold the left and right corners back to form the wings.
Fold down the top corner, which becomes the head, to round it out, and tuck the bottom triangle inward to finish.
Use a pen to draw the wing patterns and face as the final touch.
Easy! Christmas candles
Lighting candles is a Christmas classic, so how about making a candle as a December origami idea? Place the red side of the origami paper facing up, and fold the bottom corner up to the center.
From there, roll it upward, leaving a bit of the top corner visible.
The remaining top corner will be the candle flame.
Flip the paper over, then fold both the left and right sides inward twice to make it narrow, and you’re done.
Since the folded parts can pop up if left as is, it’s safer to secure them with tape or glue.
cute Santa hat
Let’s make a Santa hat and get into the Christmas spirit.
With the white side of the origami paper facing up, fold the top left and right corners in toward the center.
Turn the paper over, fold up the bottom edge by about 1 cm, then turn it over again.
Fold both sides inward so they overlap in the center, and tuck in the corners that stick out at the bottom.
You can leave it as is, but if you fold the tip of the hat diagonally downward, it adds a cute sense of movement.
You can also stick a white circular piece on the tip to make a pom-pom.
Let’s try folding a mikan (mandarin orange)!
Let’s express sweet, delicious winter mandarins with origami.
We’ll make it with two folds to create creases and four folds to give it a round shape.
Place the origami paper with the white side facing up, and first fold it into a triangle twice by matching the diagonals.
Open it after making the creases, then fold each of the four corners inward by about 3 cm along the crease lines.
Finally, attach a green round sticker as the stem to finish.
It’s also fine to cut a stem out of origami paper.
Drawing dotted patterns with a pen will make it look even more like a mandarin.
Cute for Christmas! Santa Claus
Combine three parts—face, body, and hat—to make Santa Claus.
Align one corner to the center and crease, then align the corner to that crease and crease again.
Fold the corner along the second crease, turn the paper over, and fold the remaining three corners to the center.
Fold both corners of the one triangle that’s a different color toward the center, then fold the opposite edge to the center of the diamond.
Fold both ends of the rectangular section inward, then fold all four corners into triangles to complete the face.
For the body, fold the left and right edges to meet in the middle, then fold the two top corners that meet in the center back outward about 1 cm—these will be Santa’s hands.
Fold the top and bottom edges to meet in the middle to make a square, then squash the top pocket to form a boat shape.
Use mountain-and-valley folds on both the boat section and the remaining lower section to create the arms and legs.
Make the hat by folding a small piece of origami paper about 10 times.
Glue the three parts together and you’re done!
An easy flat Christmas tree
Here’s a Christmas tree you can make with simple steps.
Basically, you fold straight along the creases, with just two places where you’ll do a pleat fold.
First, fold the origami paper into a triangle to make a crease, then open it.
Fold the two left edges in toward the crease.
Rotate the paper so that the newly formed point is at the bottom, then fold the bottom point up to meet the top point.
Next, make a pleat fold to fold it downward, swap the top and bottom of the paper, and turn it over.
Fold the lower triangle upward, then make another pleat fold.
Finally, fold up the bottom point by about 2 cm, and you’re done.
Draw a mesh pattern on the bottom part of the tree.