Squash fold

A squash fold is a move where you open a flap and press it flat into a new, symmetrical shape, usually along an existing crease.

Lift the flap so it stands up, spread its layers apart by pushing into the pocket, and press down so the flap flattens evenly on both sides of the crease. In a diagram, a squash fold is shown with an arrow that points into the pocket, often with a small push symbol.

The common mistake is pressing before the layers are centered, which makes the result lopsided. Align the middle crease of the flap with the line underneath before flattening. Pre-creasing the flap first helps it squash cleanly.

How to fold a squash fold, step by step

1
Fold the flap so it stands straight up from the model along the crease the diagram shows.
2
Look at the open side of the flap: there is a pocket between its layers.
3
Slide a fingertip, or the tip of a pencil for small flaps, into the pocket and spread the layers apart.
4
Press down gently so the flap opens and flattens evenly on both sides of its center line.
5
Before creasing, check that the flap’s middle crease sits exactly on the line or edge below it.
6
Crease the new edges firmly.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

The flattened shape is lopsided
The flap’s center line drifted off the crease beneath it. Lift the flap again, line the two up, and press from the center outward.
The paper tears at the bottom of the pocket
Open the pocket gradually instead of pushing hard, and pre-crease the flap first so its layers can move freely.
The flap won’t open
Make sure you are opening the side with loose layers, not the folded edge, and loosen the flap a little if it was creased very tightly.

When you’ll use it

You meet the squash fold early because it is the move that turns one shape into another: a square flap into a triangle, a triangle into a square, or an opened-out hat into a flat square, as in the paper boat. Many traditional bases contain one. The preliminary base, for example, can be made either by a collapse along creases or by folding a triangle in half and squashing each flap into a square. The move also prepares the petal fold: in the frog base, each flap is squashed first and petal folded afterwards. A good squash fold is quiet, with no tearing, no wrinkles and a center line that sits exactly on the crease below. Practice it on a large square and smaller ones follow.

Practice it on these models

Advanced15 min · 19 steps

Paper Crane

The origami crane is the traditional Japanese orizuru, a bird with spread wings folded from a single square without cuts or glue. It is an advanced model: expect about 15 minutes for your first one, mostly spent learning the petal fold and inside reverse fold.

Easy5 min · 10 steps

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.

Intermediate6 min · 6 steps

Pinwheel

The origami pinwheel is a flat four-bladed model folded from the traditional windmill base that can be pinned to a stick so it spins in the wind. It is an intermediate model taking about six minutes, with one careful step where hidden corners are pulled out.

Easy3 min · 5 steps

House

The origami house is a classic flat model of a house with a sloping colored roof above white walls, folded from one square. It is easy, takes about three minutes, and is one of the best models for learning the squash fold.

Squash fold: questions

Which models use a squash fold?+

On this site the House uses two to make its roof, the Paper Boat uses the same spread-and-flatten move twice to turn a hat into a square, and the Pinwheel flattens its hidden corners the same way.

How is a squash fold shown in a diagram?+

Usually with an arrow pointing into the open pocket, sometimes with a push symbol, and a picture of the flap standing upright before it is flattened.