Easy for seniors to make! Colorful autumn origami
When you think of autumn, what comes to mind?
As the saying “autumn for the arts” suggests, it’s the season when the autumn leaves turn beautifully vibrant.
Many older adults probably want to go out for activities like leaf-peeping or grape picking.
However, some seniors don’t have many opportunities to go out.
So this time, we’re introducing origami ideas with autumn motifs that let you spend colorful days even while staying in your room.
In addition to maple and ginkgo leaves, we’ve also gathered origami themed around events like Halloween.
Be sure to read this article and use it to help with autumn origami projects for seniors.
- Recommended for seniors! Origami maple leaf ideas that capture the feeling of autumn
- [For Seniors] Autumn Origami to Enjoy in October
- [Day Service] Craft Ideas for Seniors to Make in October
- [For Seniors] Simple Craft Ideas to Feel the Autumn Season with Fall Foliage
- [For Seniors] Recommended September Origami to Feel the Autumn Season
- [For Seniors] Perfect Finger Exercises! Seasonal Flower Origami
- [Day Service] Handmade Autumn Crafts: Take-Home Project Ideas
- [For Senior Care Facilities] Easy! September Craft Ideas to Feel the Autumn Season
- Enjoy the sights of autumn using just scissors! A collection of easy paper-cutting ideas
- [For Seniors] Simple crafts that feel like autumn: a fun creative activity
- [For Seniors] Fall Wall Decoration Ideas
- Craft ideas with a maple-leaf theme. Fun craft activities for seniors.
- [For Seniors] Let’s Make It Together! Wonderful November Wall Decoration Ideas
Easy for seniors! Colorful Autumn Origami (61–70)
Autumn leaves and ginkgo

Here’s an idea for making 3D maple leaves using accordion-folded origami.
First fold the paper into a triangle, then accordion-fold the triangle.
Open it up, fold in half, and cut it into a triangle shape.
For the other pieces, cut them into triangles as well, reducing one or two folds each time so they gradually get smaller.
Fold each piece firmly into a triangle, fold in half, and glue—this creates a maple leaf shape! Try combining large and small pieces and pasting them together.
You can use the same accordion-fold method to make ginkgo leaves, too—perfect for autumn crafts or wall decorations.
Papercut flowers

Here’s an idea for making a cosmos flower with paper cutting.
Fold the origami into the specified shape, sketch the petals, and cut along the lines to create a large, single cosmos when you open it.
First, fold the origami in half into a square twice, then fold it once more into a triangle.
Lift half of the stacked layers and fold them so the bottom edge aligns with the left side.
On the other side, fold so the bottom edge aligns with the right side.
That’s the end of the folding steps.
Draw the petal pattern and cut along the lines with scissors.
If you place a yellow round sticker in the center, it will look even more like a cosmos.
origami chestnut burr
Let’s recreate chestnuts that bear fruit in the deepening autumn—complete with their spiky burrs—using origami.
Fold an origami sheet, cut it into thin strips, then cut those strips into triangles to make individual spikes and glue them onto a circular base.
Shape the spiked base by pressing down the center so it forms a shallow nest that can hold objects; that completes the burr.
For the chestnut itself, cover a crumpled ball of paper with two shades of brown origami paper.
Make firm wrinkles in the paper to create an uneven, three-dimensional texture—that’s the key to making it look realistic.
With fine cuts and paper-crumpling motions, it’s a craft where fingertip dexterity really matters, isn’t it?
Simple Maple Leaf
Here’s an easy way to fold a maple leaf using a single sheet of origami paper without scissors or glue.
First, fold the paper into a triangle, open it, then fold along the opposite diagonal into a triangle and open it to create crease lines.
Fold the left and right sides inward to meet the center crease.
Turn it over and match the bottom triangle to the top triangle.
Rotate the paper back to its original orientation, open the pockets, and fold them along the center line.
Fold the bottom triangle up in half, turn it over, fold back the upper left and right sections, and shape it into a maple leaf.
You’re done!
In conclusion
We introduced some easy autumn-themed origami projects for seniors.
Autumn is the season when the fall foliage turns beautifully colorful, so it feels like you can enjoy vibrant days.
There are also plenty of fun events like Halloween and harvest festivals.
Be sure to try making origami inspired by this wonderful season.



