1. Super Simple Heart

As its name suggests, this model is very simple and quick — ideal if you have those long stripes of fancy paper lying around.

2. Geometric Heart

Unusual shape, all planes and angles, and it’s 3D too!

3. Heart of True Love

Very elegant design – just be sure to use a heavier paper for best results.

4. Love is in the Air

Release this heart gently into the air and watch it glide!

5. Bat-Winged Origami Heart

The most challenging one out of the bunch, but isn’t it awesome?!

Five Easy Origami Hearts

Video tutorial presented by Sara Adams of HappyFolding.com:

For the instructions on how to cut a hexagon from a square, see the diagram below:

12-Pointed Origami Star

I love origami boxes. Modular, single sheet designs, bowls, dishes… everything!

And although modular boxes are usually more practical because they are sturdier, the single sheet self-locking ones are more fun to make! So if you fancy a bit of a challenge, try this ninja star-shaped box designed by Evi Binzinger. I made three of them! Find links to a crease pattern and video instructions in the description section.

Shuriken Star Origami Box

The design above is based on another lovely model – Origami Heart Dish by Ildikó Vass, which by itself is an absolute must-fold for anyone who has a sheet of paper at hand. Don’t miss the link to the tutorial in the description section.

Bat-Winged Heart — Halloween Origami

Today is the 101st birthday of Akira Yoshizawa, the great origami master and the father of modern origami. You have probably noticed that Google marked the occasion with a special origami doodle created by Robert Lang!

Why not celebrate the event by making your own origami butterfly?! Here is a step-by-step tutorial for a 3-d variation of a classic butterfly by Akira Yoshizawa (first spotted on Nick Robinson’s blog), enjoy!

UPD. A few people have asked me about the paper I used to fold those butterflies, so I thought I’d update the post with some photos. It was a set of traditional Japanese washi paper (brought to me from Japan). Try the producer’s web page — Awagami Factory to find out if it’s available in your country.

Origami Butterfly

Name:	Flying Origami Heart
Designer:	Paul Ee
Paper ratio:	square
Paper size:	5 / 7 / 10 cm
Model size:	~ 4.5 / 6.5 / 9 cm
Paper:	Kami origami paper (Japan)
Diagram:	published in Origami Hearts by Francis Ow, p. 89

If you don’t own the book yet, there is a video tutorial by Tadashi Mori for a very similar model, Origami Winged Heart by Francis Ow. The difference between the two lies in how wings are folded (the model by Paul Ee is much simpler and has less folds).

Flying Origami Heart

Origami Kawasaki Rose can make a great stylish magnet for your fridge — as well as a unique gift for Valentine’s Day!

Glue a piece of flexible or metal magnet to the rose bottom (or just place it into the pockets) and there you have it!

And if you ever feel like folding 25 Kawasaki Roses I have an inspiration picture for you. This is something I made last year — took me 2 days to finish!

Kawasaki Rose

This simple Origami Heart Envelope will make a sweet little gift by itself or you can make it even sweeter by putting something special inside.

The video tutorial I found is a very detailed one and easy to follow – even for a complete novice. There are also some useful tips and ideas on how to decorate this envelope at the end of the video.

Origami Heart Envelope

The front side of the Square Weave Tessellation by Eric Gjerde features a beautiful raised woven pattern, and to make sure that this is not just woven strips of paper you have to flip the paper over to see a set of square twists on the reverse side.

The reverse side of the Square Weave Tessellation.

The picture below shows the front side of the tessellation back-lit.

For more information about Eric Gjerde and for some of his origami diagrams and crease patterns I highly recommend you to visit his site www.OrigamiTessellations.com.

Square Weave Tessellation

It was quite a challenging model actually! The most difficult part for me was not the rose, as one might think, but the neck and tail because there are many layers of paper there and when it comes to folding them the model is 3D and not flat, which make things even trickier.

I would suggest using a rather large sheet of thin or medium-weight paper.  Make a test fold to see how you can improve your final fold.

Origami Tsuru Rose