Super Easy Origami Jellyfish
Create these adorable DIY origami jellyfish with this step-by-step tutorial! When you’re done, check out these origami koi fish. This post contains affiliate links.
We’re diving deep under the sea for our next origami adventure! Using the simple magic of paper folding, even beginners can make this adorable paper origami jellyfish!
And if you’re new here, you’ll want to fold our other sea creatures, including an origami whale and a sweet little origami fish.
Use these to round off any ocean-themed decor, from bulletin boards to journal covers. This craft is simple enough to be an activity for your underwater themed birthday party or after school group.
As with all origami projects, this can easily be “dressed up” by choosing papers with fun patterns or finishes. Just make sure not to go thicker or heavier than regular copy paper, so you’ll still be able to fold it. Origami paper IS best for more complex origami projects.
You can also embellish it after folding, by adding wiggly eyes, glitter glue, or accents of your choice.
The basic shape of a body with tentacles can also be used as an octopus or squid. For an octopus, make two sets of the 4 legs and glue them back to back. For a squid, leave the tip of the head pointed by skipping the last part of step 19.
Come dive into this origami jellyfish craft with me!
What you’ll need
- Origami paper
- Scissors
- Glue (I recommend tacky glue)
- Markers
- Optional: bone folder
How to make an origami jellyfish
1. Prepare two square sheets of paper. Both should be the same size – mine are 6 inches square.
Cut out two eyes from white paper and draw the colored part on them. Cut out two small pink circles for blushing cheeks.
Preparing the Tentacles
2. Take one paper and fold it in half diagonally, then unfold it to leave a crease. Fold and unfold the same way in the other direction so you have two diagonal creases making an X.
3. Turn the paper over. Fold and unfold it vertically and horizontally to make two more creases in a cross shape.
4. Fold the horizontal creases away from you and in toward the center, so that the diagonal creases stick up toward you.
5. Flatten this into a triangle with two flaps on each side.
6. Fold it in half and move all the flaps to one side so you have one smaller triangle.
7. Take the loose corner of the top flap and fold it up toward the closed side, folding at a 25-30 degree angle.
8. Fold the second flap a little less than the first one, so the first one sticks out a little from behind the top (the angles don’t need to be precise, as long as each flap is folded pretty evenly)
9. Fold the third flap a little lower down than the second one.
10. Now fold the fourth and final flap to match the other ones. That’s it for this paper – these are the jellyfish’s tentacles. Make two of these for an octopus!
The origami jellyfish head
11. Take the other sheet of paper to make the bell (body/head) of the jellyfish.
12. Fold it in half diagonally.
13. Fold the right side corner up to the middle.
14. Fold the left side corner up to the middle.
15. Take the new bottom corner (where everything is closed with no flaps) and fold it up, lining up with the middle, stopping about 1 cm below the top corner.
16. Take the corners that stick out on the right and left, and fold them up so the corners touch the edges of the smaller/top triangle.
Assembling the Origami Jellyfish
17. Take the tentacles we made earlier and turn them over, so the back is facing up.
18. Spread glue on the triangle part of the head/body that we just made.
19. Stick the closed corner of the tentacle piece onto the glued part of the head (everything is still wrong side up)
Fold the top corner of the head piece down, overlapping the corner of the tentacle piece.
20. Flip the whole thing over. Now you can really see the jellyfish shape!
Get your eyes and cheek pieces ready.
21. Glue the eyes and cheeks onto the head. Draw a mouth and any other accents to give your jellyfish its own personality!
How to Make Origami Jellyfish
Materials
- Origami paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers
- Optional: bone folder
Instructions
- Prepare two square sheets of paper. Both should be the same size - mine are 6 inches square.
Cut out two eyes from white paper and draw the colored part on them. Cut out two small pink circles for blushing cheeks.\ - Take one paper and fold it in half diagonally, then unfold it to leave a crease. Fold and unfold the same way in the other direction so you have two diagonal creases making an X.
- Turn the paper over. Fold and unfold it vertically and horizontally to make two more creases in a cross shape.
- Fold the horizontal creases away from you and in toward the center, so that the diagonal creases stick up toward you.
- Flatten this into a triangle with two flaps on each side.
- Move all the flaps to one side so you have one smaller triangle.
- Take the loose corner of the top flap and fold it up toward the closed side, folding at a 25-30 degree angle.
- Fold the second flap a little less than the first one, so the first one sticks out a little from behind the top (the angles don’t need to be precise, as long as each flap is folded pretty evenly)
- Fold the third flap a little lower down than the second one.
- Now fold the fourth and final flap to match the other ones. That’s it for this paper - these are the jellyfish’s tentacles.
- Take the other sheet of paper to make the bell (body/head) of the jellyfish.
- Fold it in half diagonally.
- Fold the right side corner up to the middle.
- Fold the left side corner up to the middle.
- Take the new bottom corner (where everything is closed with no flaps) and fold it up, lining up with the middle, stopping about 1 cm below the top corner.
- Take the corners that stick out on the right and left, and fold them up so the corners touch the edges of the smaller/top triangle.
- Take the tentacles we made earlier and turn them over, so the back is facing up.
- Spread glue on the triangle part of the head/body that we just made.
- Stick the closed corner of the tentacle piece onto the glued part of the head (everything is still wrong side up)
Fold the top corner of the head piece down, overlapping the corner of the tentacle piece. - Flip the whole thing over. Now you can really see the jellyfish shape!
Get your eyes and blush pieces ready. - Glue the eyes and blushing cheeks onto the head. Draw a mouth and any other accents to give your jellyfish its own personality!
Notes
The basic shape of a body with tentacles can also be used as an octopus or squid. For an octopus, make two sets of the 4 legs and glue them back to back. For a squid, leave the tip of the head pointed by skipping the last part of step 19.
