How to Fold a Traditional Origami Box – Masu Box
These instructions will show you how to make an origami box also known as a masu box.
Masu boxes were originally square wooden boxes used to measure portions of rice during the feudal period in Japan. Masu boxes came in all kinds of different sizes ranging from about 0.18 L all the way to as big as 18 L.
This paper version is quite easy to fold and makes a perfect little box to hold small items like paper clips, candy, or whatever you want.
The paper should lock together and hold its shape pretty well when you’re finished. If you find that you have a flip or two that keep sticking out at the bottom of the inside of the box, it’s completely fine to use a bit of tape or glue to hold them down.
If you fill the boxes with something, that’ll hold everything down nicely as well.
Are you ready to create an origami box? Let’s get started.
If you want to fold a lid for your box, you have a couple of options. First, you can simply use slightly larger paper and fold the lid exactly the same way you did the box itself.
This can be a bit difficult, especially if you’re using standard origami paper like kami where each piece you have is exactly the same size.
The other option you have is to fold the box again but in steps 3, 4, 5, and 6 where you fold the corners of the paper don’t fold them all the way to the centre.
This will result in a shape that looks like the image below at the end of step 6.
Then continue to fold the model following the steps above just like you did before. Fold the paper to the center when it asks you for the following steps.
This will give you a slightly larger box that makes a perfect lid. The triangle flaps in the bottom of the box don’t stay in place as well as they do for the bottom so feel free to just use a tiny piece of tape or some glue to hold them there.
If you close the box by putting the lid over the bottom it’ll hold its shape very nicely even without tape or glue.
How did you do? Post a photo of your box in the comments because we’d love to see it!
If you need help or clarification with any of these steps feel free to ask in the comments as well.
This box is really good and I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.