Origami boxes

I had an origami session one night at a youth club, and I was surprised at how popular it was with the teens, they couldn't stop making them once they knew how! But on reflection it's easy to see why this craft is so popular with all ages.

As you can see I ended up with simply loads of them. Put sweets in them, or little gifts such as earrings. If you are planning a crafty wedding, they would look great as favours on the tables for guests. Also if you make two boxes with slightly different sizes of paper, then hey presto! A box with a lid!

Step 1: Fold your origami sheet in half to make a triangle. Unfold and do the same the other way. Unfold your sheet to reveal creases as shown.

Step 2: Fold each corner into the middle, until you have all four corners meeting like so.

Step 3: Now take your square, and fold the opposite flat edges into the middle. Rotate and do this for the other set of edges until your square has shrunk as shown. This is just to make the creases necessary for the next step.

Step 4: Now fold your sheet back out until it looks like the top picture of Step 4 above. The dotted line shows the creases we are now focusing on. Fold these creases in, and as you do so, the sheet should rise up to fold neatly and make your first two corners. It's a little difficult to explain but your box should start to take shape, with the inside starting to resemble an open envelope.

Step 5: Now we're going to 'close the envelope' - that is, fold the top triangular edge down, pressing it into the bottom of the box. You need to fold the flap just where my thumb is in the picture on Step 4.

Your box should be finished! Not only is this is cheap quick and non-messy craft for kids, but also an addictive activity for adults, and useful for making parties or occasions even more special, when filled with little treats or knick-knacks.