How to Fold an Easy Origami Butterfly
These instructions will walk you through how to make an origami butterfly. It’s a pretty simple design, and all you need is a square sheet of paper.
Are you ready? Let’s get started.
Step 1) Start with a square sheet of paper with the white side up. Fold it in half horizontally, crease it well, and then unfold it.
Step 2) Fold the paper in half vertically, crease it well, and then unfold it.
Step 3) Fold the top quarter of the paper along the dotted line to the center line.
Step 4) Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 5) Fold the bottom quarter of the paper along the dotted line to the center line.
Step 6) Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 7) Fold the right quarter of the paper along the dotted line to the center line.
Step 8) Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 9) Fold the left quarter of the paper along the dotted line to the center line.
Step 10) Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 11) Fold the paper in half diagonally. Crease it well and then unfold it.
Step 12) Fold the paper in half diagonally the other way. Crease it well and then unfold it.
Step 13) Turn the paper over so the colored side is facing up.
Step 14) Fold the corner of the paper to the center along the dotted line. Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 15) Fold the next corner of the paper to the center along the dotted line. Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 16) Fold the next corner of the paper to the center along the dotted line. Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 17) Fold the final corner of the paper to the center along the dotted line. Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 18) Turn the paper over so the white side is facing up again.
Step 19) Fold the two sides of the paper towards the center along the dotted line. You already have a crease here. Only fold the middle half of the paper where the dotted lines are. Don’t fold the top or bottom parts of the existing crease.
Step 20) You should have a shape that resembles what you see here. Fold both the top and bottom of the model along the dotted lines to the center.
Step 21) This is a completed Boat Base. Fold the bottom two flaps of paper down along the dotted lines.
Step 22) Flip the model over.
Step 23) Fold the top part of the paper down along the dotted line.
Step 24) Flip the model over again.
Step 25) Fold the top flap of paper on the right along the dotted line towards the center. The dotted line goes from the top corner to halfway down the diagonal line at the bottom, as you can see in the diagram.
Step 26) Fold the top flap of paper on the left along the dotted line towards the center. The dotted line goes from the top corner to halfway down the diagonal line at the bottom, as you can see in the diagram.
Step 27) Flip the model over.
Step 28) Valley Fold along the dotted line in the direction of the arrow in the diagram. Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 29) Valley Fold along the dotted line on the other side in the direction of the arrow in the diagram. Crease this fold well and then unfold it.
Step 30) Pinch the middle of the model along the two folds you just made and form a Mountain Fold along the vertical line in the middle. This gives the butterfly its final shape.
The Completed Traditional Origami Butterfly.
How did it go? Post a photo of your butterfly in the comments. If there’s any part of the instructions that you’re stuck on, let us know as well so we can help out.
I think I miraculously ended up with a correct butterfly, although I didn’t understand Steps #28-#30 because I don’t understand the terminology of Valley Fold and Mountain Fold.
If you click on the link at the top names “Paper Guide” the first entry explains what mountain and valley folds are
I finally did it ????????
How can i upload a photo of it?
Super its really easy I like it
Super
Hi everyone, I’m 11 and this was tricky for me too but I would definitely recommend an adult to help you.
Overall its easy , but there are certain step that get me to think how. My butterfly is perfect.
It’s easy…. But little difficult too
This is really hard I think I will give this a 3 star rating because I’m 11 and this is difficult.
Mine didn’t turn out right, the tail was in one piece.
I got 19 just I don’t know how to do 20
I don’t get number 19 and when I did it it just turned into a square
its easy but also hard
Steps 19-20 make absolutely no sense to me at all. Can someone please explain in plain English??
I loved it, I just had to search separately how to do a boat base but that did help.
What’s step 19?
Fold just along the dotted lines and the rest of the paper should start to take on the shape from step 20 based on the previous creases you made.
Yes! Thank you. I couldn’t understand why my butterfly kept ending with a one-piece tail.
Hi! I had the same problem, but when looking through the other comments found Frank’s, which said “I think step 21 is wrong. You should turn it 90 degrees to have the two separate triangles pointing down that will form the tails at the end.” I tried it and it worked for me, maybe it’ll work for you too.
This site is really very helpful for beginners. I have learned to make origami butterflies from here and also tried many things for surprising my kids. They have also become a fan of your tutorials. Thanks a lot for sharing such unique step by step tutorials with us.
We were having trouble from step 19 because we couldn’t figure out how to decipher step 20. Still struggling.
Step 19 is not working please show how to do it as it won,t come out that way like in step 20
The tops turn into 3D triangle sort of things
I think step 21 is wrong. You should turn it 90 degrees to have the two separate triangles pointing down that will form the tails at the end.
I haven’t finished step ten. I think I having trouble with folding. Please send help. But I completed a Wasa origami bowl. But can’t figure the step ten in the butterfly. It looks easy, but I haven’t figured it out. It looks easy, we with the mountain and valley folds.
Step 10 is simply unfolding the paper from the previous step. Was it a different step that was giving you difficulty?