How to fold an origami umbrella
Fold a rectangle into quarters and snip the corners to scallop the rim, round off the top into a dome, then glue on a hooked handle folded from a dark strip.
You need: A 15 × 9 cm rectangle, red on one side, a 3 × 21 cm strip of dark brown paper, scissors and a glue stick. Medium, 12 steps, about 12 minutes.
Steps
- Canopy: fold in half. Red side up, long edges at the top and bottom. Fold the right edge over onto the left edge.
- Canopy: in half again. Fold the left edge over onto the folded edge, making a narrow stack of four layers.
- Canopy: snip the corners. Cut a small round curve off both bottom corners, through all four layers. These make the scallops on the rim.
- Canopy: open once. Unfold the last fold.
- Canopy: open flat. Open the canopy out flat. The bottom edge now has four round scallops.
- Canopy: top corners. Fold both top corners behind on a slant.
- Canopy: round the dome. Fold the four new corners behind, just a little, so the top is a smooth dome.
- Handle: new strip. Set the canopy aside. Take the dark strip, white side up, standing tall.
- Handle: edges in. Fold the long edges in to meet in the middle, making a thin dark stick.
- Handle: bend the end. Near the bottom, fold the end out to the left on a slant, so it sticks out sideways.
- Handle: hook it. Fold the very end up on a slant, so the handle ends in a hook.
- Glue it together. Glue the canopy over the top of the handle, the tip of the stick poking out above the dome.
Rain, rain, go away!
Draw the ribs from the tip down to each dip in the rim. Fold a few in bright colours for a rainy-day parade.