Make an Origami 5-Petal Lily: Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s fold an origami 5-petal lily, a fuller take on the traditional origami lily. The classic version has four petals, and this one has five, which gives the finished flower a rounder, more open bloom.

The folding is very close to the four-petal lily, with one real difference at the start: you begin from a pentagon instead of a square. Once you collapse the pentagon, the rest of the sequence feels familiar, and that extra petal is the only new part.

It’s a good pick once you have a little folding experience behind you, and it doubles as practice for petal folds, which come up again and again in flower models.

Cut your pentagon, work through the petals, and give them a gentle curl at the end. You’ll end up with a lily that looks lovely on its own or gathered into a small bouquet.

Origami 5-Petal Lily Step-by-Step Instructions

Difficulty: Easy – Beginner level 5
Folding time: 15 minutes

Recommended Paper

A pentagon cut from a 9.5 x 9.5 in (24 x 24 cm) sheet of origami paper (Kami).

A pentagon cut from a smaller 6 x 6 in (15 x 15 cm) sheet also works, but is more challenging to fold.

Need help preparing your paper? See our guide on how to cut a pentagon.

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printable Instructions

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Step 1

Start with the white side of the pentagon facing up. Collapse the paper as shown, following the indicated mountain and valley folds.

Note: You will first need a pentagon. See our guide on how to cut a pentagon.

🌸 Folding tip: You should end up with one corner pointing down, two flaps on the left, and three flaps on the right. But the number of flaps on each side is not important for the rest of the tutorial.

Step 2

Fold the top left edge to the vertical center crease, using only the top flap. Then unfold.

Step 3

Fold the bottom left edge to the vertical center crease, using only the top flap. Crease only from the bottom corner up to the crease made in Step 2, then unfold.

Step 4

Fold the top-left edge to meet the bottom-left edge. Crease only from the left corner to the crease made in Step 2, then unfold.

Step 5

Lift the top left flap and make a squash fold using the creases from Step 2.

Step 6

Make a reverse fold along the creases created in Steps 3 and 4.

Step 7

Repeat Steps 2 through 6 on the four remaining flaps.

Step 8

Rotate the paper 180 degrees.

Step 9

Fold the top left flap to the right.

Step 10

Fold the left and right edges to meet the vertical center crease.

Step 11

Repeat Steps 9 and 10 on the four remaining flaps.

Step 12

Fold the top corner down, using only one flap, to form the first petal. Then repeat on the four remaining flaps.

🌸 Folding tip: Gently curl the lily’s petals with a bone folder or the edge of a ruler to give them a more natural look.

Your Origami 5-Petal Lily Is Finished!

I hope you enjoyed folding this 5-petal lily. It is a simple flower with a big payoff, and it looks great on its own or arranged in a small bouquet.

Try folding a few in different colors and sizes for a bright spring display. Lilies also suit Easter and Mother’s Day decorations.

If you fold one, share a photo in the comments. I would love to see how yours turns out.

Want to keep folding? Browse more easy origami tutorials or our collection of easy origami flowers.

You can also get new tutorials and folding ideas in our newsletter, and if you like folding along with video, subscribe to our origami YouTube channel.

Download the Complete Origami 5-Petal Lily Printable PDF Instructions

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