Quick answer
Popular seasonal origami includes red hearts for Valentine’s Day, tulips for spring and Mother’s Day, cranes for weddings, lucky stars and masu boxes for Christmas and New Year, and boats, pinwheels and frogs for summer and children’s parties. Fold models in batches, use a color theme and string flat models into garlands for quick decorations.
Origami through the year
A quick overview, then details for each occasion below.
| Occasion | Models | Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine’s Day | Heart, Lucky Star | Cards, heart garlands, a star jar |
| Spring and Easter | Tulip, Butterfly | Table bouquets, window butterflies, small treat boxes |
| Mother’s and Father’s Day | Tulip with Stem, Masu Box | Bouquets, a box with a note |
| Weddings | Paper Crane, Heart | Crane strings, favors, place cards |
| Summer and garden parties | Paper Boat, Pinwheel, Fish | Boat races, pinwheel decorations |
| Children’s birthdays | Jumping Frog, Samurai Helmet, Paper Cup | Frog races, wearable hats, snack cups |
| Halloween and autumn | Fox Face, Dog Face | Animal masks and table decorations in autumn colors |
| Christmas and New Year | Lucky Star, Masu Box, Paper Crane | Tree ornaments, gift boxes, star garlands |
Valentine’s Day
The Origami Heart is the obvious choice: it is easy, folds flat and looks great in red and pink. Write a message on the back, slip one into a card, or fold a dozen and thread them onto string for a garland. For a bigger gesture, fold a jar of Lucky Stars in reds and pinks. Our easy origami gifts guide has more ways to package them.
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Spring, Easter and Mother’s Day
Spring calls for flowers. Fold Tulips in pastel colors, give each a green Tulip Stem, and arrange them in a jar for a table centerpiece that never wilts. Butterflies in patterned paper look lovely stuck to a window or scattered across a tablecloth. A small Masu Box holds a few sweets as a table favor, and a tulip bouquet tied with ribbon makes a sweet Mother’s Day gift that children can fold themselves.
Weddings and anniversaries
The Paper Crane is closely tied to weddings. In Japan the crane is associated with long life and good fortune, and a senbazuru, a thousand cranes strung together, is traditionally linked to a wish being granted. Some couples fold a thousand cranes before the wedding; many more choose a smaller number and hang them as a backdrop or over the tables.
- Crane strings. Thread cranes onto fishing line with a bead between each one, and hang the strings in rows.
- Place cards. Write a guest’s name on the wing of a crane or on a folded heart.
- Favors. A Masu Box with a lid, holding sweets or a lucky star, makes a charming favor.
- Guest activity. Leave paper and a printed diagram on tables and ask guests to fold a crane with a written wish.
TipFolding many cranes takes much longer than you expect. The crane takes about fifteen minutes the first time and still several minutes when practiced. Start weeks ahead and share the work among friends.
Summer and garden parties
Outdoor parties suit models that move. Paper Boats folded from waxed paper or newspaper can race in a paddling pool or a tray of water. Pinwheels pinned to sticks and pushed into flowerpots spin in the breeze (an adult should handle the pins). Strings of bright Fish hung between trees make an easy, summery decoration.
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Children’s birthday parties
An origami table can keep a group of children happily busy. Pick models that end in something to play with:
- 1Jumping frog race. Everyone folds a Jumping Frog from an index card and races them along the table.
- 2Helmet parade. Fold Samurai Helmets from large newspaper squares so children can wear them.
- 3Snack cups. A Paper Cup holds popcorn for a short while and takes two minutes to fold.
- 4Animal faces. Younger guests can fold a Dog Face or Fox Face and draw on the features.
For age-by-age suggestions, see origami for kids.
Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year
Winter holidays are prime folding season. Lucky Stars in gold, silver and white can hang from the tree on thread or fill a glass bowl. A Masu Box with a lid makes a small gift box for jewelry or sweets, and a set of boxes in graduated sizes nests neatly. Cranes in metallic foil paper make elegant tree ornaments. Blue and white or silver paper suits Hanukkah decorations, and for New Year, a crane is a traditional wish for good fortune in the year ahead.
Running a folding table at a party
- Pre-cut paper. Have squares ready in a few sizes. The printable origami paper tool prints exact-size colored squares, and our square paper guide shows how to cut them from A4 or Letter.
- Print the diagrams. Every model on this site has a free printable PDF. Tape one to the table for each model.
- Offer two levels. One very easy model for everyone and one harder model for keen folders.
- Theme the colors. A limited palette makes a room full of guests’ models look like a planned decoration.
- Batch fold decorations. Doing each step on every sheet before moving to the next is faster and gives more consistent results.
