Fish Origami: Easy Kids’ Tutorial

Origami is the Japanese art of creating objects out of paper. Translated from Japanese, the word “origami” literally means “paper folding.” Some of these beautiful paper creations can be very elaborate, and others, quite simple. This summer, we challenge you to learn to make simple fish origami by following the steps below!

All you need to start is a piece of paper. You can use a blank sheet of construction or notebook paper, or recycle a newspaper, an envelope, or any other used paper you would otherwise throw away. The color and decoration choices are also all up to you!

First, cut out your paper into a perfect square. We’ll start by preparing star-shaped creases through it. To do this, fold your paper in two across one of the diagonals. Make sure to create a nice, neat crease using your nail or a ruler. Then, unfold and fold your paper across the other diagonal.

Once you are done with those two steps, unfold the paper, and turn it around. Now, instead of folding on a diagonal, you’ll fold the paper in two across the middle, making sure the new crease goes exactly through the center. Then, unfold and repeat the same action on the other side of the square. Again, make sure you’re always reinforcing the creases by pressing with your nail or a ruler, so that the lines are clear each time you unfold the paper.

By now, your square should have four creased lines through it, forming the shape of a star. The next step is to bring together the two points in the middle and to fold them until you make a triangle shape consisting of two layers of paper. This triangle shape looks like a fish face and one of the layers of paper will be used to create the fish fins! To make different sizes of fish fins, fold each side of the triangle corners, letting one fold be smaller, and the other a bit bigger. Turn around the triangle shape and leave the folded fins on the back.

Next, decorate your fish with a mouth, eyes, and different stripe colors. You can find lots of design inspiration in this post where we explore the different types of salmon. As all the fish in the sea differ by shape, size, and color, don't forget to unleash your creativity and to experiment with various materials you have at home in order to create the most colorful and exotic fish you can. Let your imagination swim free!

Also, check out Red Ted Art’s incredible video tutorial—it explains very easily how to create your origami fish.

We can’t wait to see your creations. Please share them with us on social by tagging @KvaroyKids on Instagram!