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How to fold an origami tea party

A real project. Snip a lace tablecloth with scallops and diamond holes, fold a round teapot with a ring handle, cups, a cake stand of cupcakes, a teddy on his chair and bunting. It all stands up.

You need: 28 pieces: pink A4, rose, white, lilac, purple, gold, blue, pink and honey-brown (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 89 steps, about 90 minutes.

Steps

  1. Bunting: fold in half. Start with the bunting: a 26 × 3.1 cm lilac strip, lilac side up, lying long. Fold the left end over onto the right end.
  2. Bunting: and again. Fold the right end back over onto the left fold.
  3. Bunting: once more. Fold the left end over onto the right once more. Crease hard.
  4. Bunting: cut the flags. Keep a 5 mm band along the top. Below it, cut from each top corner down to the bottom middle: a triangle.
  5. Bunting: open. Unfold the last fold.
  6. Bunting: open. Unfold the next fold.
  7. Bunting: open flat. Unfold the first fold too: eight pennant flags on one string!
  8. Floor: new strip. Set the bunting aside. For the rose carpet, take a 29.7 × 6.4 cm rose-pink strip, rose side up, lying long.
  9. Floor: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind, 5 mm, for a neat straight edge.
  10. Table: new strip. Set the floor aside. For the table legs, take a 26 × 1.6 cm gold strip, gold side up, lying long.
  11. Table: in half. Fold it in half lengthwise, the top half behind. Now it is the same colour on both sides.
  12. Table: fold down the legs. Fold each end straight down on a 45° slant, so the strip turns a corner at each end: two legs.
  13. Tablecloth: new sheet. Set the legs aside. Now the hard part, a lace tablecloth: an 18 × 7.2 cm white piece, lying long.
  14. Tablecloth: fold in half. Fold the left end over onto the right end.
  15. Tablecloth: and again. Fold the right end back over onto the left fold.
  16. Tablecloth: once more. Fold the left end over onto the right once more. Crease hard.
  17. Lace: round the scallops. Round off both bottom corners of the stack with small snips. Each one opens into a curvy scallop on the hem.
  18. Lace: fold up the hem. Fold the bottom of the stack up, creasing 1.4 cm above the bottom.
  19. Lace: snip the holes. Snip a small triangle off both bottom corners, where the folds meet: 5 mm each way. Every snip opens into a diamond hole.
  20. Lace: open the hem. Fold the hem back down.
  21. Tablecloth: open. Unfold the last fold.
  22. Tablecloth: open. Unfold the next fold.
  23. Tablecloth: open flat. Open it flat: a row of diamond holes over a scalloped hem. Real lace!
  24. Tablecloth: pleat the top. Fold the top edge down in front, creasing 1.2 cm below it.
  25. Tablecloth: pleat back up. Fold it back up 6 mm lower. The pleat leaves a crisp ledge: the edge of the table top.
  26. Spout: new sheet. Set the cloth aside. Now the teapot. For its spout, take a 1.2 × 3.6 cm blue piece, blue side up, standing tall.
  27. Spout: taper. Fold both long sides behind on a slant, from 2 mm off the middle at the top down to the bottom corners. A slim spout.
  28. Handle: new sheet. Set it aside. For the handle, take a 2.4 cm blue square.
  29. Handle: in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  30. Handle: in quarters. Fold the bottom edge up onto the top edge: a small square, four layers thick.
  31. Handle: snip a hole. Snip the corner where both folds meet, 5.5 mm each way. Round the opposite corner with small snips.
  32. Handle: open. Unfold the bottom half.
  33. Handle: a ring. Unfold the left half. A ring with rounded corners and a diamond hole: the teapot handle.
  34. Teapot: body. Set it aside. For the teapot itself, take a 4.4 cm blue square, blue side up.
  35. Teapot: corners. Fold all four corners behind, 1.1 cm along each edge.
  36. Teapot: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, just 3 mm. A plump, round teapot.
  37. Lid: new sheet. Set it aside. For the lid, take a 2.6 × 1.5 cm blue piece, lying long.
  38. Lid: dome. Fold both top corners behind on a slant, from 3.5 mm off the middle down to the sides 1 cm lower. A lid with a knob.
  39. Cake stand: pole. Set the lid aside. Now the cake stand. For its pole, take a 1.2 × 6.2 cm gold strip, gold side up, standing tall.
  40. Pole: in half. Fold it in half lengthwise, the left half behind. A stiff gold pole.
  41. Foot: new strip. Set it aside. For the foot, take a 2.4 × 0.6 cm gold strip, lying long.
  42. Foot: slope. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, 5 mm in along the bottom edge.
  43. Big plate: new strip. Set it aside. For the big plate, take a 5.4 × 0.6 cm gold strip.
  44. Big plate: slope. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, 5 mm in along the bottom edge.
  45. Small plate: new strip. Set it aside. For the small plate, take a 3.8 × 0.6 cm gold strip.
  46. Small plate: slope. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, 5 mm in along the bottom edge.
  47. Cupcake 1: new sheet. Set it aside. For a cupcake, take a 2.2 × 3.4 cm pink piece, pink side up, standing tall.
  48. Cupcake 1: paper case. Fold the bottom edge up in front, creasing 1 cm above it. The white band is the paper case.
  49. Cupcake 1: shape it. Fold the case's bottom corners behind on a slant so it narrows, and fold the top corners behind, 6 mm. Pink icing!
  50. Cupcake 2: new sheet. Set the cupcake aside and fold another one just the same.
  51. Cupcake 2: paper case. Fold the bottom edge up in front, creasing 1 cm above it. The white band is the paper case.
  52. Cupcake 2: shape it. Fold the case's bottom corners behind on a slant so it narrows, and fold the top corners behind, 6 mm. Pink icing!
  53. Cupcake 3: new sheet. Set the cupcake aside and fold another one just the same.
  54. Cupcake 3: paper case. Fold the bottom edge up in front, creasing 1 cm above it. The white band is the paper case.
  55. Cupcake 3: shape it. Fold the case's bottom corners behind on a slant so it narrows, and fold the top corners behind, 6 mm. Pink icing!
  56. Saucer 1: new strip. Set the cupcake aside. Now the teacups. For a saucer, take a 2.4 × 0.6 cm white strip, lying long.
  57. Saucer 1: slope. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, 4 mm in along the bottom edge.
  58. Teacup 1: new sheet. Set it aside. For the cup, take a 2 × 1.8 cm blue piece, blue side up, lying long.
  59. Teacup 1: white rim. Fold the top edge down in front, 2.5 mm. A white rim!
  60. Teacup 1: round the bowl. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, from the sides 6 mm below the top down to 5 mm in along the bottom.
  61. Saucer 2: new strip. Set the cup aside. Fold a second saucer the same way.
  62. Saucer 2: slope. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, 4 mm in along the bottom edge.
  63. Teacup 2: new sheet. Set it aside and fold a second cup the same way.
  64. Teacup 2: white rim. Fold the top edge down in front, 2.5 mm. A white rim!
  65. Teacup 2: round the bowl. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, from the sides 6 mm below the top down to 5 mm in along the bottom.
  66. Chair: back. Set the cup aside. Now the teddy's chair. For its back, take a 4.8 × 10.8 cm purple piece, purple side up, standing tall.
  67. Chair: round the top. Round both top corners with small snips, 1.6 cm each way. A royal chair back.
  68. Seat: new strip. Set it aside. For the seat and legs, take a 12.2 × 1.6 cm purple strip, lying long.
  69. Seat: in half. Fold it in half lengthwise, the top half behind. Now it is the same colour on both sides.
  70. Seat: fold down the legs. Fold each end straight down on a 45° slant, so the strip turns a corner at each end: two legs.
  71. Teddy: arms. Set the seat aside. Now the guest of honour, a teddy! For the arms, take a 6 × 1.2 cm honey-brown strip, lying long.
  72. Teddy: round paws. Round all four corners with small snips, so both ends are round paws.
  73. Teddy: ear 1. Set the arms aside. For an ear, take a 1.4 cm honey-brown square.
  74. Teddy: ear 1. Fold all four corners behind, 2.5 mm. A round ear.
  75. Teddy: ear 2. Set the ear aside and fold a second one.
  76. Teddy: ear 2. Fold all four corners behind, 2.5 mm. A round ear.
  77. Teddy: tummy. Set the ear aside. For the body, take a 4.2 cm honey-brown square.
  78. Teddy: plump body. Fold all four corners behind, 1 cm along each edge. A plump, round tummy.
  79. Teddy: head. Set it aside. For the head, take a 3.6 cm honey-brown square.
  80. Teddy: round head. Fold all four corners behind, 8 mm along each edge.
  81. Crown: new strip. Set the head aside. Last, a crown for the teddy: a 2 × 1.2 cm gold strip, gold side up, lying long.
  82. Crown: fold in thirds. Fold the left third over the middle.
  83. Crown: thirds. Fold the right third over on top, like a letter. Crease well.
  84. Crown: cut the points. Cut both top corners of the stack off on a slant, from the top middle down to the sides 4.5 mm lower.
  85. Crown: open. Unfold the right third.
  86. Crown: open flat. Unfold the left third too: a three-point princess crown.
  87. Wall: new sheet. Set the crown aside. Last, the party wall: a pink A4 sheet, pink side up, lying long.
  88. Set the table. Glue the bunting along the top, the carpet along the bottom, legs then cloth. Add the teapot, cake stand, cups, chair and teddy, crown on top, as shown.
  89. Stand it up. Bend the wall gently towards you between the table and the teddy's chair, and stand the tea party up on the table.

Tea is served!

Add white hearts on the wall, flags and china, dots on the teapot, the cup handles, sprinkles, cherries and the teddy's face, tummy and paws.

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