How to fold an origami maple leaf
Fold a square in half into a triangle, swing its two corners up and out as the side lobes, then pleat each side so the top gets pointy and the bottom gathers into a stem.
You need: 1 square sheet, red or orange on one side, and a dark pen. Easy, 6 steps, about 8 minutes.
Steps
- Fold in half. White side up, turned like a diamond. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
- Side lobes. Fold each bottom corner up and out, on a slant starting just beside the middle of the bottom edge, so it points up past the side.
- Pleat: fold over. Fold the right side over on a long line from just right of the middle of the bottom edge up to the top point.
- Pleat: fold back. Fold it back out a finger's width further left. The right side of the top lobe gets a pointed edge.
- Pleat the left. Do the same on the left: fold the left side over on the mirror line, from just left of the middle up to the top point.
- And back. Fold it back out a finger's width further right. The top is a pointed lobe and the bottom is gathered into a stem.
Hello, autumn!
Draw a vein up the middle and one out to each side lobe. Make a pile in red, orange and yellow.