How to Fold an Origami Paper Hat
The origami paper hat is the classic triangular newspaper hat, often worn as a pirate or admiral's hat, folded from a single rectangle with no tape. It is an easy model that takes about three minutes, and a double sheet of newspaper makes one big enough for a child or an adult to wear.
Quick answerThe origami paper hat is an easy model folded in 8 steps and about 3 minutes, using the crease. You need a rectangle: a double newspaper page for a wearable hat, or A4 or US Letter for a small one.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 3 min
- Steps
- 8
- Paper
- A rectangle: a double newspaper page for a wearable hat, or A4 or US Letter for a small one
Hold the rectangle tall with the white side facing you and bring the top edge down to the bottom edge. Crease along the top.
Tip: swipe the diagram, or use ← → on your keyboard. Space plays and pauses.
All steps
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Step-by-step instructions
The same 8 steps as the animation above, written out so you can fold away from the screen.
Step 1
Hold the rectangle tall with the white side facing you and bring the top edge down to the bottom edge. Crease along the top.
Step 2
Fold the paper in half from left to right, crease, and open it again so there is a vertical centre line.
Step 3
Keeping the folded edge at the top, fold each top corner down so its edge lines up with the centre line. The two triangles meet in the middle.
Step 4
Take only the front layer of the strip below the triangles and fold its bottom edge up until it touches the bottom of the triangles.
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Step 5
Fold the strip up once more, along the bottom of the triangles, so it lies over them as a double-thick brim.
Step 6
Flip the model over.
Step 7
On this side, fold the bottom edge of the remaining strip up to the bottom of the triangle.
Step 8
Fold that strip up again along the bottom of the triangle to make the second brim.
Finished
Slide your hands inside the bottom edge and spread the hat open. Wear it point up for the classic newspaper hat, or turn it sideways with the points front and back for a pirate or admiral's hat.
About the origami paper hat
The folded newspaper hat is one of the most familiar paper models in the world, taught by parents and teachers for generations as a rainy-day craft. It is a traditional design with no known inventor. Depending on how it is worn and where you are, it is called a pirate hat, an admiral's hat, a soldier's hat or a Napoleon hat, after the two-cornered bicorne hats of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that it resembles. A different, box-shaped newspaper hat known as the pressman's hat is a separate design traditionally associated with printers.
The fold sequence is short but introduces two useful ideas. Folding corners to a centre line, as in step 3, is a technique that appears throughout origami, and folding the brim in two stages shows how layering paper makes a model stronger without glue. The hat is also the first stage of the Paper Boat, so a child who has mastered it can go straight on to a toy that floats. Unlike most origami, it works best from a rectangle, which makes it perfect for newspaper, wrapping paper and other large sheets that are rarely square.
Paper hats are a natural fit for parties, school plays and dressing-up boxes. Fold a batch from coloured paper and let children decorate them, or make a crown by cutting a zigzag into the brim. For more wearable folds, try the Samurai Helmet, and for other quick classics that need only a few minutes, fold a Paper Cup or a Fortune Teller to go with it.
Origami paper hat: questions
How do you make a paper hat that fits your head?+
Size depends on the width of the paper after the first fold. A double newspaper page gives a brim long enough for most adults, while a single page suits children. If it comes out a little large, tuck the ends of the brim in behind to tighten it.
Is the paper hat the same as the start of the paper boat?+
Yes. The paper boat begins by folding exactly this hat, then opens it into a square and folds it on from there. If you can fold the hat, you are halfway to the Paper Boat.
What is the difference between a pirate hat and a samurai helmet?+
The pirate hat is folded from a rectangle and has a pointed top with a straight brim on both sides. The Samurai Helmet, or kabuto, is folded from a square and has two horns at the front. Both can be made wearable from newspaper.
Can I fold a paper hat from A4 or Letter paper?+
Yes, it folds exactly the same way, but the hat will be small, about right for a doll, a teddy bear or a table decoration. For a hat you can wear, use paper at least three to four times as wide.
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Paper Boat
The origami paper boat is a classic folded from a rectangular sheet, passing through a paper hat on the way to a small boat that really floats. It is an easy model that most children and adults finish in about five minutes.
Samurai Helmet
The origami samurai helmet, or kabuto, is a traditional Japanese model with two horns and a brim, folded from one square. It is easy, takes about four minutes, and can be made large enough to wear by using a big newspaper square.
Paper Cup
The origami paper cup is a small open container folded from a single square that can briefly hold water or dry snacks. It is one of the easiest origami models and takes about two minutes, making it a classic first project.
Fortune Teller
The origami fortune teller is a four-pointed paper game, also known as a cootie catcher or chatterbox, that opens and closes on your fingers to reveal hidden messages. It is an easy model folded from one square with only corner-to-centre folds and takes about five minutes, plus a few more to write the fortunes.