For this activity we'd like to welcome aboard our guest instructor, Hester Jane. For more projects, workshops and a blog, please visit Hester Jane's website www.funinthemaking.net

This project works well with any kind of "found" paper - including our favourite - the glossy pages of National Geographic!

Hester says...Origami gift boxes are very versatile: organize your little things, use as party favors, or hold keepsakes. You needn’t spend a lot of money for wrapping paper; they look cool as is. You don’t even have to buy origami paper. All you need is to keep your eyes open for some cool paper just begging to be put to good use. Magazines usually aren’t made with thick enough paper for these boxes but sometimes their covers are.

I made this box from a brightly colored poster found at a garage sale. It was damaged but I only needed part of the poster to make the box.

Instructions:
1. To make this origami box you will need a perfectly square piece of paper. A paper cutter works great but if you do not have one you will need to measure carefully and then cut with scissors.

2. Before doing your first fold, place your square so the back side is up (the good side is face down). Then bring opposite corners together and make a nice crease.

3. Unfold and bring other opposite corners together and make a nice crease. Your paper should now have fold lines in the shape of an x.

4. Again, with the back side up, fold your paper in half vertically.. 

5. Unfold. Fold paper in half horizontally. This means fold the bottom corners up to the top corners. (I forgot to take this picture: sorry.)

6. Unfold. Next fold in one of the corners. Point the corner to the exact center of the paper. You will know where that is by looking at the fold lines that you already made.

7. Fold in another corner.

8. Fold in another corner. 

9. Fold in last corner.

10. Fold the bottom up to the center as shown in the picture. 

11. Fold the top: they should meet in the center.

12. Unfold. Fold one side to the center.

13. Fold the other side. They should meet in the center.

14. Unfold last two folds. Pull open opposite corners.

15. Fold up two (opposite) sides. These will be two of the sides of your box.

16. To finish your box you will have to fold the paper in as shown.

17. I thought another view might be helpful. This is the hardest step to figure out. Hold your soon- to-be box top in the same orientation as shown in the photo and you should be fine.

18. Bring the corners up and around to the inside.

19. Completed box top.

20. Follow the same instructions to make a bottom for your box; remember to cut the square for your box bottom ¼ inch smaller that the square you cut for the top of your box.

If you've enjoyed the information on this page, please consider buying my novel Cold Play. The story is set on a cruise ship in Alaska, and the crafts on this page were inspired by the daily passenger activities which take place on board the ship. 

In Cold Play, Jason Davey has literally run away to sea after the death of his makeup artist wife, finding work as a contract entertainer aboard a much-adored but soon-to-be-retired cruise ship, the Star Sapphire.But when three people from his past come board as passengers, Jason's routine week-long trip to Alaska becomes anything but.

Cold Play by Winona Kent