Origami Fish – Easy Tutorial for Beginners
Learn how to make an Origami fish – an easy beginner origami project! When you’re done, head on over to the origami crab tutorial too! This post contains affiliate links.
One of the cool elements of origami as an art is the different textures that the way you fold crates. It’s not just the outer perimeter shape. The entire project contains dimension that you just don’t get in flat paper crafts.
These origami fish make a fabulous finishing touch for any ocean themed paper craft, bulletin board, or anything that can benefit from a little bit of texture!
And of course, origami fish are fun for any occasion – even just to make on their own! You can make them in mini for summer scrapbook pages. Make them from stiff cardstock, glue them shut when you’re done, and string them into a mobile.
Or make them as part a beachy wall hanging, combined with some seashells or mother of pearl beads.
To keep this a paper-only craft, they were finished off with drawn eyes. However, there’s no law that says you can’t embellish! To take it to the next level:
- Use googly eyes – especially these that have sassy eyelashes for expression!
- Or, go for eye stickers instead
- Add details with glitter glue pens
- Glue rows of sequins on as scales
- Make it from textured or patterned paper
- Try two-toned paper
Whatever you choose to do with these easy origami fish, the main point is to have fun crafting them! So start with one, practice a bit, and you’ll find it starting to be your newest “fidget” craft for when you need something to keep the hands busy!
What you need
- Colored origami paper or light craft paper
- Marker or gel pen
- Scissors
- Craft glue
- Optional: bone folder for sharper folds
How to make an easy origami fish
1. Take a piece of square paper.
2. Without folding the entire paper in half, mark the paper with creases on 2 open sides (horizontal).
3. Now, make the half fold crease points vertically.
4. Take any one side and fold it along the half crease (use the half-crease side points as guide) of the square paper.
5. Fold the other side along the half crease or simply align its edge with the folded part’s edge.
6. Unfold the last 2 folds.
7. Similarly, fold and unfold the 2 sides of the intact sides. These creases will leave 12 even square grids around the border of the square sheet.
8. Join any 2 diagonally opposite corners of the square sheet, without making a fine folding line. Create creases inside the corner grids only.
9. Unfold the paper.
10. Similarly, create creases along the 2 other corner grids.
11. Fold any 2 sides of the paper and align them along the half crease of the square sheet.
12. Keeping ¾ of the folded paper flattened; open any one side (only the outer grid parts).
13. Fold along the diagonal creases of the corner grids.
14. Flatten the corner grids with the rest of the pattern by folding them along the diagonal creases.
15. Similarly, fold the other side of the pattern. The pattern now has 4 flaps. Consider the flaps that are separated along the middle as group.
16. Fold out any 2 flaps outside.
17. Now, align the right side of the remaining right flap along the inner edge of the right top flap (the previously folded out flap).
18. Now, fold the right flap in half and fold it outside. This is half of the tail fin.
19. Similarly, fold the left flap.
20. Fold the top-right side to 45 degree and align it along the middle of the pattern.
21. Similarly, fold and align the left side.
22. Turn the pattern to the other side. Draw and cut out an eye from a white paper. Attach the eye on the square part of the origami fish pattern to complete the craft.
Your origami fish is complete! Want to learn more about origami? Check out these favorite books:
- Easy Origami by Dover
- Japanese Origami for Beginners
- Origami Animals (Melissa & Doug)
- Origami Made Simple
- The Ultimate Book of Origami Animals (120 models + more!)
Origami Fish
Instructions
1. Take a piece of square paper.
2. Without folding the entire paper in half, mark the paper with creases on 2 open sides (horizontal).
3. Now, make the half fold crease points vertically.
4. Take any one side and fold it along the half crease (use the half-crease side points as guide) of the square paper.
5. Fold the other side along the half crease or simply align its edge with the folded part’s edge.
6. Unfold the last 2 folds.
7. Similarly, fold and unfold the 2 sides of the intact sides. These creases will leave 12 even square grids around the border of the square sheet.
8. Join any 2 diagonally opposite corners of the square sheet, without making a fine folding line. Create creases inside the corner grids only.
9. Unfold the paper.
10. Similarly, create creases along the 2 other corner grids.
11. Fold any 2 sides of the paper and align them along the half crease of the square sheet.
12. Keeping ¾ of the folded paper flattened; open any one side (only the outer grid parts).
13. Fold along the diagonal creases of the corner grids.
14. Flatten the corner grids with the rest of the pattern by folding them along the diagonal creases.
15. Similarly, fold the other side of the pattern. The pattern now has 4 flaps. Consider the flaps that are separated along the middle as group.
16. Fold out any 2 flaps outside.
17. Now, align the right side of the remaining right flap along the inner edge of the right top flap (the previously folded out flap).
18. Now, fold the right flap in half and fold it outside. This is half of the tail fin.
19. Similarly, fold the left flap.
20. Fold the top-right side to 45 degree and align it along the middle of the pattern.
21. Similarly, fold and align the left side.
22. Turn the pattern to the other side. Draw and cut out an eye from a white paper. Attach the eye on the square part of the origami fish pattern to complete the craft.
