About Origami Passion

Origami Passion publishes free, step-by-step origami guides that show each fold in 3D, so you can see exactly how the paper moves before you crease it.

Why 3D?

Printed diagrams are brilliant once you can read them, but beginners often get stuck on a single step: which layer moves, which way, and what the paper should look like afterwards. On this site every step has a short written instruction, a diagram in standard origami notation, and a 3D sheet of paper that makes that exact fold as you scroll. You can scroll back and forth to watch a tricky fold as many times as you like.

How the guides are made

Each guide is written and diagrammed for this site. The 3D models are not videos: every fold is calculated from the crease lines of the real model, so the animation follows the same sequence as the written steps. Each guide also includes background on the model, tips for common problems and answers to frequent questions.

Most of the models are traditional, folded for generations with no known designer. Where a model is based on a known designer’s work, it is credited on its page.

The guides

• Paper Dart: The classic dart from one sheet of A4: seven folds, a sharp nose and a keel, and it flies straight with a little trimming.
• Butterfly: A quick butterfly folded from a waterbomb base, with a locked tip that holds the wings together.
• Crane: The classic orizuru. Square base, petal folds and reverse folds: once you know these, most traditional models open up.
• Heart: Four folds and a little shaping. A flat heart for cards, gift tags and notes.
• Masu Box: A sturdy square box with no glue, named after the wooden cups once used to measure rice.
• Jumping Frog: Folded from an index card. Press its back and it springs forward. Race a few to see whose jumps furthest.

New to origami? Start with Origami basics, a short guide to folds, notation and paper.

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