Folding roses is an intermediate form of origami craft that makes pretty ornate flowers. Paper roses start from a simple square of paper folded into a carefully spiraled pattern. A rose will form when its four petals are twisted around a square base. Once the first rose is done, you will need to make a few more roses to create a beautiful paper flower arrangement.
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Part 1 of 5: Making Basic Folds
Step 1. Prepare a square sheet of paper
Paper roses start with a simple square of paper, just like any other origami project. Choose any color you like, as long as the two sides have a different color or texture. Glossy paper is perfect for making roses that look more realistic.
Step 2. Fold the paper in half (starting with the colored side facing down, the white side facing up)
Lift the bottom corner of the paper to meet the top corner. Press the crease with your finger, from the center to the edge of the paper.
In the world of origami, this fold is known as a "valley fold" because it creates small valleys in the paper. Almost all forms of origami begin with a valley fold, or its opposite, a mountain fold that creates wrinkles
Step 3. Unfold the paper
When you unfold the paper, you will see an indentation that has been made in the center of the paper in the form of a horizontal line.
Position the basin horizontally, with the colored side pointing down
Step 4. Fold the bottom in half
Bring the bottom edge of the paper to meet the horizontal hollow in the center.
Press the new crease with your finger
Step 5. Fold the top in half
Bring the top edge of the paper to meet the horizontal hollow below.
Press the new crease with your finger
Step 6. Unfold the paper
There are now three horizontal hollows that separate the paper into four equal parts.
Step 7. Fold the bottom of the paper into three quarters
With the colored side still facing down, make a crease between the first and second hollows from the bottom of the paper, then bring it up.
- Press the crease with your finger or a ruler
- If you did this step correctly, the bottom edge of the paper should align with the hollow closest to the top edge.
- You can unfold this to make sure it is correct. However, make sure to restore these folds again before moving on to the next step.
Step 8. Fold the bottom right corner inward
Take the bottom right corner of the paper (which is created by the bottom crevice) and make a small diagonal crease at a 45-degree angle. This corner should be folded upwards so that a small portion of the right edge of the paper aligns with the nearest hollow.
Step 9. Unfold the paper
You will see four horizontal depressions. Of the first four sections, the second from the very bottom should have been divided in half by this horizontal depression. Also, in the same section, you should see two small diagonal grooves on the right side of the paper.
Of these two diagonal depressions, one must form an angle of 45 degrees upward pointing to the horizontal depression, while the other is pointing downward at the same angle
Step 10. Mark the hollows of the paper
Draw a line along the hollow of the paper with a pen or pencil.
Step 11. Rotate the paper 180 degrees and repeat
Rotate the paper so that the part that was on top is on the bottom. Then, repeat steps 7 to 10.
Step 12. Rotate the paper 90 degrees and repeat
Turn the paper a quarter turn, then repeat steps 2 through 10.
Step 13. Rotate the paper 180 degrees and repeat
Turn the paper half a turn again, then repeat steps 7 through 10.
Part 2 of 5: Making Diagonal Folds
Step 1. Fold the paper in half diagonally
With the colored side facing down, bring the lower right corner of the paper to meet the top left corner of the paper. Press the crease with your finger.
Step 2. Unfold
Open the paper to see the newly formed diagonal hollow.
Step 3. Fold the paper in the opposite diagonal direction
Rotate the paper 90 degrees and repeat the previous two steps.
Step 4. Unfold the paper
Open the paper to see two diagonal grooves forming an "X" across the paper.
Step 5. Fold the top left corner of the paper
In each corner of the paper, you should now be able to see a small square that is divided by a diagonal hollow. Take the top left corner and fold it in so that it forms a hollow that is perpendicular to the previous diagonal depression.
The corner of the paper should align with the lower right corner of the small square
Step 6. Unfold the paper and mark all the newly formed hollows
You should now see a small "X" shape in the upper left corner. Draw a line along the newly created hollow.
Step 7. Fold the bottom right corner up towards the new line
Bring the bottom right corner and fold it up so that it touches the line you just made in the previous step.
This fold should form a new hollow that is parallel to one of the major "X" lines, especially the line that runs from bottom left to top right
Step 8. Unfold and mark
Unfold and draw a line along the diagonal crease line.
Step 9. Rotate and repeat
Rotate the paper 180 degrees and repeat the previous four steps.
You should now be able to see three parallel lines from the bottom left corner to the right corner
Step 10. Rotate and repeat again
Now, rotate the paper 90 degrees and repeat steps 5 through 9 (from Part 2).
When you're done, you should see three parallel lines running from bottom left to top right and three stripes running from top left to bottom right
Part 3 of 5: Creating the Flower Structure
Step 1. Fold the four corners of the paper inward
Just like step 5 in section 2, fold the four corners of the paper inward. You don't need to create a new hollow to do this.
The end result will be an octagon
Step 2. Turn the paper over
The colored side of the paper is now facing up.
Step 3. Find a small triangle shape
Near the bottom right corner of the paper, you should see a triangular depression made up of two smaller triangles with one vertical side.
- If you're having trouble finding it, look for the far right corner of the triangle. This angle is the point where the bottom edge of the paper, in a horizontal position, meets the right edge of the paper base that is in a diagonal position.
- If the little triangle isn't there, check again to make sure you did step eight in part one correctly.
Step 4. Make a reverse fold at the base
If you don't know how to make a reverse fold, follow these steps.
- Fold the center line of the triangle you found in the previous step inward to form a small valley crease.
- At the same time, fold the two diagonal sides of the triangle outward to form a small mountain fold.
- The crease should form a notch in the small triangle on the side of the paper.
- Then, make one more mountain fold along the hollow that comes from the top of the triangle.
- This fold is called the inward back fold.
Step 5. Make another fold inward
In what was previously the bottom left corner, you'll need to make another notch with a slightly different shape.
- Just on the right side of the little triangle (where you just made a back fold inward) is another crease line. This fold line is parallel to the right side of the smaller triangle and perpendicular to the side of the octagon.
- Push this crease line inward to create a valley crease.
- Then, just as before, push the sides of the triangle out a bit and create small wrinkles.
- Finally, create one more valley fold by pushing the nearest horizontal crease line parallel to the horizontal side of the new notch.
- This last fold line should go through the center of the paper and create one side of the small square you marked on the reverse side.
Step 6. Play and repeat
Rotate the paper 90 degrees and repeat steps 3 and 4. Repeat this step on the other three sides of the paper.
Part 4 of 5: Making Flower Petals
Step 1. Make valley folds on each edge of the petal
Now that the basic structure of the flower is established, you can make the petals. As a first step, you will need to make valley folds on all the outer edges of the paper.
- From above, you will see that four long valleys have formed from the square in the middle. On each right side is a broad, flat paper surface. Take the edge of the surface and fold it in.
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Specifically, take the three outer edges of the paper and fold them over to create a trapezoid-like shape.
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Step 2. Fold the corners inward
Looking at your flower from the side, you now have four shapes that resemble triangles with one corner cut off (along the part that forms the valley fold). You should also see a small triangle protruding from the white side of the paper. Fold the corners of the right side of this truncated triangle inward.
Draw an imaginary straight line from the bottom corner of the "white" triangle, and make valley folds along this line
Step 3. Unfold the corners and fold them in the opposite direction
Unfold the valley fold you just made in the corner of the triangle. Then flip the fold over so every corner is hidden inside the flower.
If you did this step correctly, the white triangle should no longer be visible
Step 4. Add small valley folds
The "truncated" triangle should now look like it's lost two angles due to flipping, namely one corner on the left and one small corner on the right. Now, you're going to fold the small cut side at a 45-degree angle from the base (that is, the edge of the paper).
Step 5. Unfold and flip the fold
Unfold the newly formed valley fold and then make an inverted fold along the same line by folding the small triangles you made in the previous step on the four corners of the flower.
Step 6. Fold the edges down
The "truncated" triangle should now have a reverse crease on each of its "cut off" edges. This allows you to create a horizontal small valley fold at the base of each triangle by folding it outward. Do this step on all four petals.
Step 7. Make the legs
Bring the petals together to create the "legs". Put all the flower petals together so that the right side is directly behind the left side. Press the paper hollow to hold its shape. The result is a pointed, erect "leg" of petals.
If you do this correctly, you should see little or no white surface when looking at the flower from the side
Step 8. Turn and fold the legs inward
Flip the rose so that you see the white inside. Then, one by one, fold all the three-sided petal legs down.
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Insert the end into the other leg so that the opening of the rose is closed.
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Step 9. Flip the rose
The square shape you see below returns to being the top of the flower.
Step 10. Press the quadrant inward
The square above the rose should be divided into four quadrants by the hollow of the paper. Gently press each quadrant with your finger so that an "X" wrinkle appears above the square.
Step 11. Rotate
Place a finger in each quadrant around the "X" and gently rotate it.
This step should give the flower a more supple and lively shape, not stiff like the letter "X"
Step 12. Make a spiral
With tweezers, pinch the center of the previously "X" shape and continue to twist it slowly but surely. Be careful not to tear the paper.
- When rotated, the center of the flower will slide inwards and create a more realistic look.
- You may need to try several times to get the right result.
Step 13. Roll up the petals
With two fingers, pinch the ends of each petal and roll it toward the center, then release. This step will create beautifully curled petals.
Part 5 of 5: Making the Flower Stem (Optional)
Step 1. Prepare a new sheet of paper
If you want to add origami sticks, start with a new sheet of paper, preferably green.
Step 2. Start with the white side of the paper facing up and fold it in half
Make valley folds from corner to corner so that two triangles form, then unfold them.
Step 3. Fold the corners inward
Make two more valley folds by folding the right and left corners towards the center basin to form a kite.
Step 4. Repeat
Fold the corner again toward the center basin. Then fold again. Now you have a very slim kite shape.
Step 5. Flip and fold up
Turn the flower stem so that the edges of the paper are completely hidden, then fold the bottom corner over to the top corner.
Step 6. Fold in half
Now, fold the flower stem in half lengthwise along the vertical axis.
Step 7. Fold the sides down, then fold back
Fold the outer part (which will become the leaf) outward away from the flower stem to create two diagonal hollows. Then fold the flower outwards away from the stem. This fold will form a hollow in the middle.
Step 8. Attach the stem to the flower
Insert the pointed end of the stem through the small hole at the bottom of the rose, where all the petal "legs" meet.
Tips
- Make sure you form the folds precisely and sharply. Align the edges of the paper properly before pressing it.
- You can also make flower stems out of wire or green straws if you don't want to make origami.
- Colored paper isn't necessary, but it will make the flowers look prettier. Also, if the colors of the two sides are different, it will be easier for you to monitor the steps taken in the manufacturing process.
