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Paper Play

Everyday & decor

Chair

A traditional chair: fold the corners to the center three times, open four pockets, then raise the back and lower the legs. It stands on its own.

  • DifficultyIntermediate
  • PaperSquare, 15 × 15 cm
  • Steps7
  • About8 min

Why this level: The corner folds are easy, but four small, thick pockets must be opened and squashed, and the finish is 3D.

You need: 1 sheet of origami paper

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Story

The paper chair is an old fold found in European kindergarten books of the 1870s. A French book listed a “chair” in 1873, and the first confirmed picture is in a German book from 1876. We cannot be sure those early chairs were folded exactly like this one, which starts just like the yakko-san: the corners are folded to the center three times.

Did you know? In 1883 a Catalan artist drew a picture story that includes a folded paper chair, and used the story again in a magazine cartoon 25 years later.

Learn more (external sources)

Steps at a glance

  1. 1. Crease both middles

    White side up. Fold in half top to bottom and unfold, then side to side and unfold, to make a cross of creases.

  2. 2. Fold the corners to the center

    Fold each of the four corners to the center point.

  3. 3. Fold the corners behind

    Now fold the four corners behind so they meet at the center on the back (mountain folds).

  4. 4. Corners to the center once more

    On the front, fold the four corners to the center point once more. The paper gets small and thick.

  5. 5. Turn over

    Turn over: you can see four small square pockets.

  6. 6. Open the four pockets

    Put a finger into the slit of a pocket, open it, pull it outward and press it flat into a rectangle. Do this with the top, right, bottom and left pockets.

  7. 7. Raise the back, lower the legs

    Fold the top flap toward you to a right angle: that is the back. Fold the other three flaps away from you to right angles as the legs, and the chair stands on its own. Done!

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