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.
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- 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 to make! Colorful autumn origami (41–50)
How to fold a maple leaf (origami)
At first glance, the maple leaf looks complicated and difficult, but it’s actually very easy to make.
Prepare small origami paper and start folding.
Since you only fold along straight lines, it’s very simple.
Make five identical pieces and glue them together to form the shape of a maple leaf.
Create a stem and glue it into the gaps between the leaves.
You can use classic maple colors like red, yellow, and orange, or try patterned papers like chiyogami, or beautiful gradient origami—highly recommended!
Maple leaf wall
How about creating a wall decoration covered entirely with maple leaves? Let’s express an autumn scene that even seniors who find it difficult to go out for fall foliage viewing can enjoy! Use any method you like—maple leaves made with paper-cutting techniques or folded origami leaves—and stretch large branches across the wall, layering the leaves on top.
Attach them while checking the balance of overlapping leaves and colors.
In addition to maple leaves, try adding fallen leaves, insects, or color-changing mountains.
Origami apple
This is an origami piece inspired by apples that become more delicious from autumn to winter.
The branch and leaf parts attached at the end add a cute touch.
The simple steps fold along four-section creases as a guide, and the key is to reduce corners and create roundness.
Keeping symmetry in mind and folding both sides the same way leads to a beautifully rounded overall shape.
It’s also recommended to make the branch and leaf parts deliberately sharp, as that will emphasize the roundness of the main body.
Gerbera
The gerbera, with its striking layers of slender petals, is a plant that blooms beautifully in spring and autumn.
Let’s recreate that layered gerbera flower with origami.
The overlaps created by fine folds are the most important element; by focusing on this part, you can express the flower’s spread and a soft three-dimensional feel.
Since you’ll use both the front and back as petals, it’s also important to choose origami paper that’s the same color on both sides.
The detailed steps contribute to the beauty of the finished piece, so pay close attention to the movements of your fingertips.
Paper cutouts of osmanthus flowers
Kinmokusei (fragrant orange osmanthus) is a plant that blooms with orange flowers in autumn and is known as one of Japan’s three great fragrant trees—its scent is very popular.
This project shows how to create a pattern resembling a chain of tiny kinmokusei flowers by cutting folded origami.
Fold the origami into a triangle, mark flower shapes on it, then cut along the marks and unfold to reveal a connected row of kinmokusei.
Since it can look flat on its own, it’s also recommended to layer the pieces, glue them onto a backing sheet, or add decorations like stickers to give it a more three-dimensional look.
cosmos
Let’s make cosmos flowers, a symbol of autumn, using origami.
One of the defining features of cosmos is that they bloom in a variety of colors like pink and purple, so it’s a great idea to use multiple colors and create a cosmos field.
The key is to fold the origami in two layers to form the petals; by shaping this part carefully, you’ll end up with a three-dimensional cosmos.
Soft creases can enhance the beauty, but they also make the shape more prone to collapsing, so it might be a good idea to glue the overlapping sections in place.
Decorations of cosmos flowers and red dragonflies
These decorations of cosmos flowers and red dragonflies are perfect for wall displays.
They’re made using strips of origami paper.
You can also use construction paper or paper tape.
Place four strips of paper in a radial pattern, stacking them and gluing them together at the center.
Then fold all the ends toward the center and glue each one down.
That’s all it takes to easily create cosmos with softly curved petals.
For the yellow center, use plastic twine and make it as you would a pom-pom.
Make the dragonflies with two colors of construction paper cut into strips, using the same method.
