[Childcare] Things to make in October! Easy origami ideas
October is a month full of events like sports days and Halloween.
It’s also a great time to play outside and pick up acorns and fallen leaves while out on a walk.
In this article, we introduce origami ideas recommended for October.
We’ve gathered ideas you can use for Halloween decorations and autumn wall displays, such as ghosts, pumpkins, acorns, and ginkgo leaves.
Each idea features simple folds that kids can try, so give them a go if you like.
We also recommend stringing your creations together to make an autumn garland or hanging decoration.
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[Childcare] Things to Make in October! Simple Origami Ideas (111–120)
peony
The peony, also known as the “king of a hundred flowers,” is also famous as a word used to describe a beautiful woman.
In fact, peonies are large flowers, with blooms measuring about 10 to 20 centimeters across.
Here’s an idea for making such a peony with origami.
The steps are basically simple—just folding along lines and aligning corners—but it can be hard to picture the finished shape, and it’s also easy to miss if you fold something out of order, which makes it a bit challenging in that sense.
Still, as long as you check each step as you go, there should be no problem, so take your time and fold it calmly.
Six types of autumn origami
These are cute origami pieces with autumn motifs—such as chestnuts, mushrooms, acorns, and Pacific saury—that even small children can enjoy making.
For example, to make a chestnut, fold it into a triangle and unfold once.
Then fold the top down toward the center, fold down the top-right and top-left corners to gather the shape, flip it over, fold again, and adjust the shape to finish—super simple.
Add eye stickers to the acorn for instant cuteness.
Kids’ favorites like ghosts and hats—familiar from autumn field trips—are great to try, too!
A self-supporting mushroom
Let’s decorate your room with mushrooms you’ve made! Here’s an idea for mushrooms that can stand on their own.
All you need are origami papers in your favorite colors and patterns, plus glue or tape runner.
The step where you open the origami’s pocket and fold it is a bit tricky, but it’s an important point! Since these standing mushrooms can be placed anywhere, they’ll make your room look cute and lively.
Fold origami in colors and patterns you love and make mushrooms that match your space! It also sounds fun to decorate them with pens or stickers.
black cat
Let’s make a black cat using two sheets of black origami paper! It’s a perfect autumn craft for Halloween decorations or to add to cards.
Both the head and body of the black cat have hardly any difficult steps, so it’s great for elementary school kids’ fall activities and recreation.
Fold the head and body parts separately with origami and then combine them.
Of course, it’s also fine to make just the head part.
You can use round stickers for the eyes and draw the nose, mouth, and whiskers to make it cute.
And if you’re adding it to a wall display or a card, it would look lovely arranged together with other Halloween motifs.
a chestnut that cracks on the 8th bend
When you think of autumn fruits, some of you might remember delicious chestnuts.
How about making a chestnut with origami? First, cut a sheet of origami paper into a quarter size.
Fold it in half, open it, then fold two corners on one side into triangles.
On the opposite side, fold it in half so the back side shows.
Fold two corners of the white side into triangles.
Finally, fold along the boundary between the white part and the colored part into a triangle, and you’re done.
Adding eyes drawn on round stickers makes it even cuter.
Try making lots of them!
owl
The owl, often used as an autumn motif, is said to be a migratory bird that comes to Japan from autumn to winter.
What’s more, because the Japanese word fukurou sounds like “no hardship” (kurou shinai), it’s considered a lucky bird.
How about making this owl with origami? With a single sheet of origami paper and a pen, you can quickly finish one bird.
In terms of difficulty, it’s even easier than the classic paper crane.
It looks cute not only in brown but in various colors, too.
If you fold the back side, it can stand upright as well.
Fluffy, warm roasted sweet potato
Speaking of autumn insects, it’s the season for dragonflies! Here’s a perfect fall craft recommended for three-year-olds.
It’s a dragonfly you can fly and play with, so it’s fun to make and use.
What you’ll need: origami paper, a toilet paper roll, two dragonfly wings made from origami (or similar paper), two dragonfly eyes, glue, and a felt-tip pen.
First, wrap the toilet paper roll with origami paper and glue it in place.
Next, cross the two wings and attach them to the toilet paper roll.
Add the dragonfly’s eyes, and you’re done! Hold it in your hand and try flying it.
Kids will also enjoy drawing the dragonfly’s eyes themselves.
cosmos
When you think of autumn flowers, a field of cosmos blooming all around is beautiful, isn’t it? How about making cosmos flowers with origami? Fold the origami paper three times so it gets narrower, then unfold it and cut along the creases with scissors.
Apply glue to the inside edges of the paper and stick the two ends together.
Apply glue again to the joined ends and keep attaching pieces to form petals.
After joining eight pieces, stick a yellow round sticker in the center.
That completes one flower.
Make several flowers, draw leaves with crayons on a backing sheet, and you’re done.
Japanese pampas grass
When you think of autumn, many of you probably picture pampas grass.
It’s also known as one of the Seven Flowers of Autumn.
Here’s a craft that’s perfect as a fall decoration: making pampas grass.
It’s easy to make with origami, so try folding it with children in preschool or at home.
Materials: two green origami sheets 150 mm × 75 mm, one yellow (or similar) origami sheet 75 mm × 75 mm, glue, scissors, and a thin stick such as a bamboo skewer.
First, cut slits into two-thirds of the yellow origami.
Then roll it diagonally around the bamboo skewer.
Glue the end, and the top part of the pampas grass is done.
For the stem, roll the green origami and glue it.
Trim both ends, then fold the other green origami into a thin strip and cut one end diagonally into four sections.
Finally, assemble the pieces—and you’re done! Make lots and decorate your space!
spinning bagworm
Speaking of autumn, it’s also the season for adorable bagworms wearing cocoons made from withered twigs.
Let’s try making a bagworm out of origami.
First, cut a sheet of origami paper in half, then attach the halves side by side to make one long, narrow sheet.
Next, apply glue along the edges and stick them together, being careful not to flatten the puffiness.
You can also use different colors for each half.
Starting from the looped end, make fine slits with scissors.
Apply glue and roll it up tightly from the edge at a slight angle.
Prepare a small white round piece of paper, draw eyes on it with a felt-tip pen, stick it on as the face, attach a hanging string, and you’re done.
In conclusion
I introduced some origami ideas for October. Did you find any you’d like to try making? They’re all really easy to fold, so if you like, make them with your kids and enjoy the feeling of autumn. After you fold them, if it’s an animal, draw the face; if it’s a vegetable or fruit, add patterns or seeds with drawings or stickers. It’ll look more realistic, so I recommend it!