A traditional steamship with two funnels and a pointed bow and stern. Fold the corners in three times, then open pockets into funnels.
Why this level: The corner folds are easy, but the paper gets thick, and unfolding the hidden corners to pull the side points out and tucking them back in needs care.
You need: 1 sheet of thin origami paper (bigger is easier)
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Nobody knows who first folded the paper steamship. The oldest record we know of is a Dutch kindergarten book from 1863, where the same shape is called “the inkwell”. In Japan, a picture of it appears in Tokyo kindergarten material of 1878.
Did you know? A 1928 American paper-folding book makes this steamship by way of a paper “shirt” and a pair of paper “trousers” — the clothes turn into a ship!
White side up. Fold the bottom edge to the top edge and unfold, then the left edge to the right edge and unfold, to make a cross of creases.
Fold each of the four corners to the centre point.
Turn the whole model over.
On this side, fold the four corners to the centre point again.
Turn the model over again.
Fold the four corners to the centre point once more. The paper becomes small and thick.
Turn over: you can see four small square pockets.
Put a finger into the slit of the top pocket, open it, pull it upward and flatten it into a rectangle. This becomes one funnel.
Open the opposite pocket at the bottom in the same way, pulling it downward and flattening it. This is the second funnel.
Fold the bottom rectangle up to the top one along the middle line, then unfold again.
Behind the right point, unfold the two hidden corners above and below it out to the side. Then swing the right flap outward: the hidden paper comes out as a long point. Do the same on the left.
Fold each long point in half along the middle line, then fold the opened corners back behind along their old creases. The points swing round behind and come out pointing down. Do both sides. It looks like a shirt with two sleeves.
Fold the bottom half up in front along the middle crease. The bottom rectangle lands on the top one to make the two funnels, and the two hanging points come up with it as the bow and the stern at the ends. Stand it up on its bottom edge: your steamship is done!