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An Origami Owl, Perfect as a Gift Card Holder

Looking for a thoughtful graduation present? An owl symbolizes wisdom and learning, and from the kingdom of origami animals comes this delightful paper owl. Perfect for the occasion.

But this is not just an ordinary origami owl. It’s also a gift card holder!

Owls are nocturnal birds that have many symbolic meanings including intelligence, intuition, independence, protection, and mystery. Owls are often associated with darkness and magic. They have frequently appeared as important characters in fiction and film. Two examples: Owl in Winnie the Pooh, and Vlas Vladikoff in Dr. Seuss’s ‘Horton Hears a Who’.

In the US, owls are part of Halloween decor during that fall celebration.

Another Idea: Make this origami owl in dark colors and use it as a Halloween party invitation.

For this  owl we don’t need special origami paper. It can be made with paper that’s readily available such as office paper and scraps from old magazines. The model evolved from the creative collaboration between Simon Andersen (Denmark) and myself.

Here is the video with the steps to make this origami model.

Materials needed

  • One rectangular piece of paper made by cutting a US letter size or A4 piece of paper in half.
  • Two black  squares for the eyes (1×1 inches).
  • One red square for the the beak (1×1 inches).

Tips to make the origami owl

  • Paper for the eyes and the beak can be cut from colored pages of an old magazine.
  • For Halloween the origami owl can be made with black and orange paper.
  •  If you have duo color paper (black on one side is ideal) you can omit the insertions for the eyes and beak. The reverse side of the paper will be the color of the eyes, as shown in the photo below.
Origami owl Halloween
This origami owl is made with duo color paper. The insertions for the eyes and beak were omitted.

Owl Symbolism
Learning, wisdom, helpfulness, guidance, mystery, foresight, magic, status, intelligence, intuition, wealth, darkness, prophecy, keeper of spirits who have passed from one plane to another.
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14 thoughts on “An Origami Owl, Perfect as a Gift Card Holder”

  1. Wow – 2016 and your owls are still bringing smiles! I made this for my daughter’s 13th birthday today because I needed a cute disguise for a gift card. I can’t thank you enough for the beautiful project! Your instruction made it very simple to understand and follow along. I hope you are still happily crafting! :)

    Reply
  2. What an awesome model! Leyla, you are one of my favorite origami teachers! Your videos are so clear and easy to follow! I just really appreciate you! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Leyla just a few minutes ago I received your newsletter-mail and my goodness you have created a wonderful Owl.
    I have a friend who’s birthday is coming soon and she loves Owls.
    So…I’m making her this one.
    Thank you sharing and for the clear explination in the video.

    Reply
  4. I love owls and practical models- this is the best of both! The color change is clever, too. Thank you for making this wonderful video, Leyla!

    Reply

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