Origami · folding only · Easy · about 15 minutes

Paper Boat

No scissors · No glue · No adult help needed

  • Sheet of printer paper (Letter or A4), 216 x 279 mm (8.5 x 11 in)

Safety: This is a paper model, not a waterproof toy. If you float it, use a shallow tray of water with a grown-up nearby. The paper soaks up water and goes soft.

Finished

Blue dashes: valley fold (toward you). Pink dash-dot: mountain fold (away from you). Thick line with scissors: cut. Yellow: glue.

  1. Start. Lay the paper down tall, with the short edges at the top and bottom and the white side facing up.

  2. 1. Valley fold: Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge. Press the fold flat.

  3. 2. Fold and unfold: Fold the paper in half from side to side, then open it again. Now there is a crease down the middle.

  4. 3. Valley fold: Fold the top left corner down so its top edge lies along the middle crease.

  5. 4. Valley fold: Fold the top right corner down the same way. The two corners meet in the middle.

  6. top layer only

    5. Valley fold: Fold the bottom strip of the top layer up over the corners.

  7. turn over

    6. Turn over: Turn the paper over from left to right.

  8. 7. Valley fold: Fold the other bottom strip up the same way. You have made a paper hat.

  9. open the bottom

    8. Squash fold: Open the bottom of the hat and bring the two side corners together. Press it flat into a diamond.

  10. top layers only

    9. Valley fold: Fold the bottom corner of the top layers up to the top corner.

  11. turn over

    10. Turn over: Turn the paper over again, from left to right.

  12. 11. Valley fold: Fold this bottom corner up to the top corner too. Now you have a triangle.

  13. open the bottom

    12. Squash fold: Open the bottom again and bring the two side corners together. Press it flat into a smaller diamond.

  14. pull apart

    13. Pull: Pinch the two loose top points, one in each hand. Pull them gently apart, and the boat opens with a sail in the middle.

If something goes wrong