Irresistible for preschoolers: A collection of November origami ideas
November is a season when you can feel the autumn atmosphere with fall foliage and fallen leaves.
How about enjoying seasonal origami with preschool-aged children? Here, we introduce easy-to-implement, autumn-themed origami crafts that are suitable for daycare and kindergarten settings.
Using origami, we create motifs unique to November, such as autumn-colored leaves, acorns, and chestnuts.
These are all projects that let you have fun with children while learning about nature in autumn.
Use seasonal origami for events too, and make wonderful memories!
Preschoolers will be captivated! November Origami Ideas (1–10)
Cute little squirrel!
A squirrel you can make from a single sheet of origami—also great for November wall displays—is a perfect craft for preschoolers.
Fold the paper into a triangle, then fold up the left and right sides to form a cup shape.
After folding down the tip of the paper, create the squirrel’s belly.
For the tail, make horizontal snips into the flappy triangular part of the paper.
Be careful not to cut all the way through.
Draw the face to finish.
To give the tail a fluffy look, you might curl it with a ballpoint pen to add some movement.
Cute and easy! How to fold a persimmon (origami)
The king of nutrient-packed fruits, the persimmon, makes for origami that feels seasonal and is perfect for autumn crafts.
Prepare orange and green origami paper and let’s start folding.
On the orange paper, make creases and fold the corners toward the center.
Fold further toward the center to create the base of the persimmon.
For the last section, fold it up toward the top edge to give the persimmon a three-dimensional shape.
For the leaf part, fold it first, then make small cuts at the edges—be careful not to cut too far.
It could also be fun to turn all the persimmons everyone folded into a persimmon tree display on the wall to make it together with the children.
Recommended for walls too! How to fold a ginkgo leaf
Around November, when autumn deepens, the autumn leaves are at their most beautiful.
It’s also a great time to enjoy the foliage with children by folding origami.
This ginkgo leaf can be made with just one sheet of origami paper.
First, fold the paper into a triangle twice to create crease lines.
Fold both sides toward the center line, then fold the bottom tip upward to form the ginkgo shape.
The key is to use your fingertips to make crisp, firm creases.
Using brightly colored paper like orange or yellow will let you create a lovely, large ginkgo tree.
Cute dragonfly origami
Let’s make a red dragonfly out of origami, which you often see in November.
Prepare two sheets of origami paper and make the body and wings as separate parts.
For the body, fold the paper horizontally toward the center in half three times to shape it.
For the wings, make a crease by folding in half, then fold both sides toward the center line and round the corners by folding them in.
Finally, apply glue to the entire body piece, sandwich the wings in between, and press to attach—done! The steps are simple, so this is a recommended folding project for preschool-aged children.
Give it a try!
Two ways to fold an acorn
Even when we say “acorns” as a catch-all, there are many kinds—apparently more than 20 species native to Japan alone.
In this idea, we introduce two styles: a long acorn and a round acorn.
That said, the folding method is the same for both.
With the colored side of the origami facing up, fold down the top edge.
This part becomes the acorn’s cap, so make this section narrower for a long acorn and wider for a round acorn.
After folding the cap, flip the paper over and fold the left and right edges toward the center line.
A key point here is to align only the brown section with the center line.
You want the white section to suggest the cap’s flare, so fold it while slightly opening it outward and flattening it.
After that, just fold the top and bottom corners inward to refine the shape.
Adding patterns to the cap makes it extra cute.
Ginkgo hanging ornament
Ginkgo decorations, which are very popular as autumn ornaments, add a warm touch to any room.
Prepare origami paper, string, double-sided tape, and a stapler, then let’s get started.
Fold the origami paper in half horizontally three times, aligning with the center line, then unfold it completely.
Flip the paper front and back as you make an accordion fold.
Trim the corners to create a rounded shape, fold it in half toward the center, and staple the bottom.
Finally, stick the center together with double-sided tape to finish.
Attach them to a string to make hanging garlands, or decorate walls and other spaces—have fun creating!
A cute autumn tree made of origami
Let’s make a simple autumn tree using origami.
Prepare two sheets of origami paper and create separate parts for the leaves and the trunk.
For the leaves, fold into triangles and squares, pressing firmly with your fingers to set crisp creases.
Following the creases, fold everything inward as if tucking it inside.
If it’s difficult, have an adult help.
Once you shape the corners into leaf-like points, the leaf section is complete.
For the trunk, fold along the center line to create a three-dimensional shape.
Attach the leaves and trunk together to finish.
It’s also nice to use different paper colors for a more autumnal look.