How To Fold an Origami Sailboat

Repeat with the other two opposing corners. You should now have two diagonal creases on the colored side of the paper.

Turn the paper over to the white side, fold one edge of the paper to the opposite edge, then unfold.

Repeat with the other two opposing edges, but this time do not unfold.

Position the paper so that its folded edge is along the bottom. There should be creases on the paper that form a “V.” Hold the paper with each hand on either side of the “V.” Slowly bring your hands together, allowing the four corners to meet at the top.

Place the model flat onto the table in a diamond shape, making sure there are two flaps to the right and two flaps to the left of the vertical crease running down the center.

Unfold the base slightly and push the top front corner inside to the very center of the model.

Turn over and repeat on the other side, and then return the model to the Preliminary Base shape. You should end up with an overall diamond shape, with two separate white triangles on top and a larger, colored triangle on the bottom.

Fold one of the white sail triangles down over the “hull” as far as it will go. Now fold the white triangle back up at a point slightly below the level of the hull; this “sail” should now be smaller than the other “sail.” Tuck the pleat at the bottom of the sail between the layers of the hull.

If you want your boat to stand up on its own, fold the bottom corner of the hull up to the edge of the hull, where the two sails meet, then unfold it slightly. There you go, you’ve made a sailboat! Now keep making them until you’ve got a whole colorful fleet.