Origami tends to be associated with flat designs, but you can actually make lots of three-dimensional pieces too.
In this article, we’ll introduce ideas for 3D origami projects.
From simple shapes like hearts, stars, and dice to small containers and toys you can play with, we’ve gathered a variety of ideas.
If you want to try making 3D origami or are looking for something a bit more challenging than flat designs, feel free to use this as a reference.
All of these ideas involve relatively simple steps, so give them a try without hesitation!
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Let's make origami! Ideas for simple 3D creations (1–10)
Mount Fuji
Let’s make a three-dimensional box inspired by Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japan.
Although it tapers toward the top, it still has a solid box structure, making it practical as a small container.
Fold by carefully layering triangles, paying attention to the base and the opening as you go.
This care helps achieve a beautiful, three-dimensional finish, so a key point is to fold neatly to avoid creases.
While Mount Fuji typically evokes overlapping blue and white, it could be fun to experiment with other colors to enjoy different impressions.
Push Pop
Push pops, loved for their addictive pressing sensation, are all the rage.
Here’s an idea for making a push pop ring out of origami! It’s very simple to make, so you’ll be tempted to try it in lots of different colors.
The push-pop part is fairly sturdy, so you can actually press it and play.
The ring band is quite long when just folded, so cut it to fit your finger.
Once you’ve decided on the length, secure it with tape to form the ring.
Wear it on your finger and enjoy that endlessly addictive feel anytime!
a box with a lidNEW!
Make creases to form a 4×4 grid, then fold the lower left and right corners toward the center.
Fold the left and right edges to align with the center line, and open the bottom center corner outward into a triangle to fold it.
Fold the top edge down toward you to form the sides of the box.
From here, open the lower left and right corners—previously folded to the center—outward to create the remaining sides.
With this, the box is complete, so make another one and stack them to finish a lidded box.
Using two colors of origami paper makes it cute when stacked!
soft serve ice cream
Let’s try making a cute soft-serve ice cream in origami, with a gentle swirl sitting on a cone.
Use triangular creases as a guide to form the base edges, then glue the ends together to shape the cone into a diamond-like form.
Next, twist the portion that extends above the cone and shape it into the soft-serve swirl to complete the whole piece.
Aim for a sturdy look on the cone by paying attention to the layered paper, and a soft look for the cream by twisting gently.
When we think of soft-serve, we often picture a yellow or ocher cone with white cream, but it’s also fun to enjoy how changing the colors alters the impression, or to arrange a display of soft serves in various colors as decoration.
Stackable pentagonal pencil box
It’s a cute little container shaped like a pentagonal pencil.
Since it’s built from stacked boxes, making each section sturdy and shaping the pencil-like lid are key points.
For the lid parts, use a sheet of origami cut in half, fold it into six equal sections, and add triangular creases at each end.
Once the creases are made, fold while paying attention to front and back, shape it to resemble a pencil, assemble, and you’re done.
The box parts also use six equal creases; by assembling multiple tightly folded layers, you’ll end up with a sturdy box.
The most important aspect of this craft is ensuring the paper layers are firmly overlapped and assembled into a solid structure.
Perfectly Round BoxNEW!
What an artistic idea—turning a square sheet of origami into a three-dimensional round box! With this idea, the key is to make careful, precise creases.
Use the creases to fold it into a box shape while sinking the corners to round out the bottom.
Make two of these and stack them together, and you’ve got a perfectly round box! You might struggle a bit when forming the corners, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy—so definitely give it a try.
I also thought it would be cute to add ears and turn it into a panda or bear box.
Candy boxNEW!
After folding the left and right edges together several times to make creases and opening it up, fold the top and bottom edges to meet the center line.
Next, add diagonal creases between the initial crease lines, then overlap the left and right sides and roll the paper into a tube.
Use the diagonal creases to twist-fold one end of the tube.
Make two of these and nest them together to complete the candy box! I’d be very happy to receive a gift in this box.
It’s also fun that you can change the color or pattern of the origami to create your own design.