making sailboat paper

How to Make a Cute Origami Sail Boat!

The Spruce / Chrissy Pk

Completed Origami Sail Boat

This is a very simple traditional origami model, the origami sailboat makes a sweet little decoration perfect as decor at a kids party because they stand up, make great table place cards or, folded flat, use as a card embellishment.

You could also attach a long thread and use as a garland, hanging display or baby mobile. There are so many possibilities with this easy to remember the origami model.

This project requires just one piece of square paper. It works best with origami paper that has a design or color that is different on each side.

You can use slightly thicker paper, such as the craft paper used in the tutorial, which has a blue-and-white side and is six inches.

If you're new to origami this is the perfect model to start with and would be great as an origami project for kids. You could also put these little boats in envelopes as a cute card.

Folding the Paper Square to Make a Triangle

Have your paper boat-side up. If you want your sails to be white, have the color-side facing up.

Now fold the paper diagonally. Bring the bottom corner of the paper up to the top and unfold. Next, fold the right corner over to the left and unfold.

Refolding the Paper to Make a Rectangle.

Turn the paper over to the other side, and rotate it as shown.

Fold the paper in half, right to left, and unfold.

Fold the paper from bottom to top, and unfold.

Creating the Sails

Making sure the paper is still white-side up, fold the top and bottom corners to the central crease.

Bring the left and right corners inward together to the top, and then collapse the model as shown.

Insert Paper Corners Into Each Other

Fold the left sail down to the bottom, and then fold it back up. Leave about a centimeter overlap behind as shown.

Tuck the overlap into the pocket of the boat by gently opening it.

Create the Bottom of the Sailboat

Turn the boat over, and fold the bottom corner up to the center. This will be the stand.

Turn the model back over to the other side, and you're finished.

If you want the boat to be flat, you could use a little bit of glue or double-sided tape to stick it down.

Remember that origami takes practice, so take your time and fold as precisely as possible, and you will get a better result.

If you're more advanced with origami, you could also unfold the whole thing and reverse squash fold the bottom stand so it would have an internal pocket. If you're interested in more origami boats, try the traditional one .