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Plants & flowers

Chrysanthemum

A flat traditional chrysanthemum folded from the windmill base: an eight-pointed star of a flower.

  • DifficultyChallenging
  • PaperSquare, 15 × 15 cm
  • Steps8
  • About25 min

Why this level: After the windmill base you make four squash folds and four narrow diamonds, then fold the corners behind. There are many layers.

You need: 1 sheet of origami paper

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Story

This flat flower is a traditional fold, and nobody knows who folded it first. A school handicraft book published in Belgium and France in 1890 already shows a similar chrysanthemum, and a paperfolding book printed in Shanghai, China, in 1914 folds it from the windmill (pinwheel) base, as we do here, under the name “gardenia”. The same book says these folds were also used to make a little box for needles and thread.

Did you know? Look closely at the finished flower: sixteen lines spread out from its centre like rays of sunshine.

Learn more (external sources)

Steps at a glance

  1. 1. Crease the center

    White side up. Fold in half side to side and unfold.

  2. 2. Fold the sides to the center

    Fold the left and right edges to the center line.

  3. 3. Crease the top and bottom

    Fold the top and bottom edges to the center line, crease, and unfold.

  4. 4. Pull out the bottom corners

    Fold the bottom edge up to the center while pulling the two hidden corners out to the sides, then press flat.

  5. 5. Pull out the top corners

    Do the same at the top: fold it down to the center and pull the corners out. Now there are four pointed flaps (the windmill base).

  6. 6. Squash the four flaps into squares

    Lift one pointed flap, open its pocket and press it flat into a small square, centered on the line from the middle to the outer corner. Do all four flaps.

  7. 7. Fold each square into a narrow diamond

    On each small square, take the top flap and fold its two edges at the center and its two edges at the outer corner to the diagonal. Where the folds meet, the spare paper stands up as a little point: lay it down toward the outer corner. Do all four squares.

  8. 8. Fold the outer corners behind

    Keep the two little points in front and fold the outer corner of each square behind, on the line joining its side corners. After all four corners, your eight-pointed chrysanthemum is done!

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