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How to fold an origami gift box

A pleat across a red square makes the lid of a present. Glue on two gold ribbon strips in a cross and finish with a big bow snipped from a folded gold rectangle.

You need: 1 red square (15 cm), gold paper for 2 strips (5 × 12 cm) and an 11 × 5.5 cm bow, scissors, a glue stick. Medium, 13 steps, about 15 minutes.

Steps

  1. Box: fold the top down. Red side up. Fold the top edge down, folding about a third of the way down the square.
  2. Box: two snips. Cut 1.5 cm along the top fold from each side, so the sides of the box can fold apart from the lid later.
  3. Box: fold it back up. Fold the flap back up, 1.5 cm below the first fold, so red shows again. This step is the lid's edge.
  4. Box: narrow the box. Fold the left and right sides of the box below the lid behind, 1.5 cm each. The lid now sticks out a little.
  5. Ribbon: new sheet. Set the box aside. Take a gold strip, gold side up, standing tall.
  6. Ribbon: fold the edges. Fold both long edges behind so the strip is 2 cm wide.
  7. Ribbon: second strip. Set it aside and take the second gold strip.
  8. Ribbon: fold the edges. Fold both long edges behind just like the first strip.
  9. Bow: new sheet. Set it aside. Take the gold rectangle (11 × 5.5 cm), coloured side up, long side across.
  10. Bow: fold in half. Fold the right half over onto the left half.
  11. Bow: snip the waist. Cut a slant from 1 cm above and below the middle of the fold out to the far corners. Snip the two far corners round.
  12. Bow: open it. Unfold it: a bow with two wide loops and a narrow middle.
  13. Wrap it up. Glue one strip down the middle of the box and lid, the other across the box. Glue the bow on top of the lid.

A present!

Draw a knot in the middle of the bow and a fold in each loop. Write a name on a tag and give it away.

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