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PlayOwl
An open square paper box in orange-red, seen from above at an angle, with four walls and a flat bottom.
The finished project.

Origami · folding only

Open Square Box

  • Growing (level 3 of 5)
  • 15 min
  • 12 steps
  • Ages 7–12 (a guide, not a rule)
  • No scissors
  • No glue
  • No adult help needed
Start Making Print

The masu box is a traditional Japanese fold. You make a grid of creases, then the walls stand up and the corners tuck in by themselves along the creases. The last two folds lock the walls, so the box holds paper clips, beads or a tiny treat. Two boxes, one a little bigger, make a box with a lid.

Before you start

You need

Decorating (optional): Use patterned paper, or draw a pattern on the colored side before you fold.

No square of origami paper? No origami paper? Fold the corner of a printer sheet over to the opposite edge and cut or tear off the extra strip to make a square. Thin gift wrap or a magazine page also works; thick card is too stiff for the corners.

How to place the paper before the first step
Your paper: Put the square down like a diamond, with one corner pointing up and the white side facing up.
  • Valley fold: blue dashes. Fold toward you, like a valley.
  • Crease: a thin gray line where you folded before.

Step by step

Each step shows what to do (left) and how it should look after (right).

  1. Step 1: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 1 result Result
    Step 1 of 12 Fold and unfold Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. Press, then unfold.
  2. Step 2: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 2 result Result
    Step 2 of 12 Fold and unfold Fold the left corner over to the right corner. Press, then unfold. The creases cross in the middle.
  3. Step 3: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 3 result Result
    Step 3 of 12 Valley fold Fold the top corner and the bottom corner to the middle, where the creases cross.
  4. Step 4: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 4 result Result
    Step 4 of 12 Valley fold Fold the left corner and the right corner to the middle too. This square with four flaps is called a blintz.
  5. Step 5: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 5 result Result
    Step 5 of 12 Fold and unfold Fold the top edge down to the middle line, press and unfold. Do the same with the bottom edge.
  6. Step 6: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 6 result Result
    Step 6 of 12 Fold and unfold Fold the left edge to the middle line, press and unfold. Do the same with the right edge. Now there is a grid of creases.
  7. Step 7: unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 7 result Result
    Step 7 of 12 Unfold Unfold the top flap and the bottom flap, so two points stick out again. Keep the left and right flaps folded.
  8. Step 8: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 8 result Result
    Step 8 of 12 Valley fold Fold the left side and the right side in to the middle along the creases.
  9. Step 9: open, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 9 result Result
    Step 9 of 12 Open Lift the two folded sides up so they stand straight. These are the first two walls of the box. (Now seen from an angle, so you can watch the walls stand up.)
  10. Step 10: push, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 10 result Result
    Step 10 of 12 Push Lift the far end up to make the third wall. Its two corners fold inward along the creases; press them flat against the wall.
  11. Step 11: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 11 result Result
    Step 11 of 12 Valley fold Fold the point over the top of the wall and down into the box, until its tip touches the middle of the bottom.
  12. Step 12: put together, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 12 result Result
    Step 12 of 12 Put together Lift the near end up the same way: push its corners in, then fold its point over the wall and down into the box. Press the bottom flat.
An open square paper box in orange-red, seen from above at an angle, with four walls and a flat bottom.

You made it!

Yours may look a little different. That is part of making things by hand.

Print the steps

If something goes wrong

The walls are crooked or the corners do not meet.

The four corners must meet exactly in the middle in the blintz step, and every grid crease must be sharp before you lift the walls.

The corners will not fold inward.

Pinch each corner from the outside along its diagonal crease and push it in gently while you lift the end.

The box opens up again.

Press the two points flat against the bottom inside the box; they hold the walls in place.

Helpful hints

  • Crease every fold very sharply: the box builds itself along the creases.
  • Make a second box from a square 1 cm (half an inch) bigger to use as a lid.

The traditional masu box, a widely taught Japanese fold. Diagrams drawn for PlayOwl.

  • A square red paper box with its matching lid being lowered onto it.

    Box with Fitted Lid

    Confident (level 4 of 5) 25 min Ages 8–14 Origami Square of paper for the box No scissors No glue
  • A white paper cube with an orange circle, a purple diamond and a yellow star on the three faces you can see.

    Cube from a Net

    Confident (level 4 of 5) 30 min Ages 7–12 Paper craft Card stock or thick paper, printed with the template Scissors Glue Adult help suggested
  • An opened pink origami cup seen from the front, with a white triangle flap folded down over the front and an oval opening at the top.

    Folded Paper Cup

    Starter (level 1 of 5) 5 min Ages 5–9 Origami Square of origami paper No scissors No glue