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How to Make an Origami Christmas Tree

This Christmas tree is a clever adaptation of an origami flower, previously presented at Origami Spirit, and a creation of Vicente Dolz (Spain). To make this tree we need seven flower units for the branches, one piece for the trunk, and a star.

The following step-by-step video will show you how to make Vicente’s origami tree including an ingenious way to prepare and cut progressively smaller squares from a letter size piece of paper. You will also learn how to make the trunk and decorate the tree.

I’m always excited to feature simple and elegant origami models here at Origami Spirit and this model is definitely one of those. Thank you, Vicente, for giving permission to present your origami tree here.

Tips and suggestions for making the origami Christmas tree

  • Paper such as “Tant” or regular office paper are good choices to make the tree.
  • The finished unit for the tree shows both sides of the paper. I suggest using paper colored similarly on each side.
  • The origami tree is made with seven squares of paper and with each a different size.
  • A good size to make the biggest square for the lowest branch would be 8.5 x 8.5 inches (20 x 20 cm). Each subsequent square should be 1/8 smaller than the previous square.
  • The trunk is made with a square as large as the biggest square used to make the tree.
  • The finished trunk shows one side of the paper.
  • The star can be made with a strip measuring 11 x 0.5 inches.
  • Small beads can be placed or hung from the branches as ornaments.

Here is the video of the flower

Here is the video to make the star

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Yvonne-Sutton

This post and Christmas Tree is dedicated to Yvonne Sutton who passed away on November 24th 2014. Yvonne was the loving mother of my husband and Origami Spirit teammate, John Sutton. Yvonne enjoyed making and sharing origami with children. She loved Christmas especially which included decorating our Christmas tree with ornaments she’d collected throughout the 83 years of her life. Some of those ornaments were inherited from her grandparents. Yvonne’s spirit was a loving, generous, and joyful one and will always be with us. I am sure you would have loved her too.

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Would you like to learn more origami figures for Christmas?

Click HERE to see our list of Christmas-related video tutorials.

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33 thoughts on “How to Make an Origami Christmas Tree”

  1. A quick note: the smaller squares for the top can be cut from the strips removed to make the larger squares, as follows:
    the smallest square (2 units) can be cut from a 2-unit-wide strip cut off to make the 6-unit square
    the next smallest square (3 units) can be cut from a 3-unit-wide strip cut off to make the 5-unit square
    Simply do the diagonal fold, like for the largest square, to make a small square from the end of the strip.

    Reply
  2. Oi, Leila, vc tem como mandar o passo a passo da arvore de natal em origami, traduzido em português?ficarei grata. Pode ter certeza que sua sogra está cuidando de tds vcs.

    Reply
  3. I don’t get it. how can each square be only 1/8 smaller? that’s not a big difference for the paper. I wish I spoke Spanish so I could read the words in the tutorial. did you mean 1 1/8?

    Reply
    • The Spanish text only states what you hear in English. All the information is there. If you follow the tutorial you’ll will get the right size squares. Just get a few sheets of paper and do it.

      Reply
    • I’m sure your comment was a long time ago but I just watched the video and it’s not 1/8″ at all. It’s 1/8 of the piece of paper she cuts off the 8×11 sheet to make it square. Watching the video clarifies it but I would say it’s more like 1.25″.

      Reply
  4. bonjour Leyla, merci pour toutes ces vidéos si claires et faciles à utiliser. je suis française, je vis dans le sud-ouest de la France et je fais des bijoux en origami. je m’inspire souvent de vos modèles. pour mes marchés de noel j’ai fait le joli sapin en présentoir pout sucettes, habillées en tête de chat et en oiseaux, très joli !!! merci beaucoup. j’aimerais vous offrir une paire de boucles, y at’il une adresse où je peux l’envoyer ? bonne continuation – bien cordialement – Laurence

    Reply
  5. Thank You very much for sharing this tutorial. It is done with much precision so I made my Christmas tree easily.

    Happy New Year everyone! :)

    Reply
  6. Hi Leyla,
    I’m so sorry to hear about your Mother-in-Law’s passing. Thank you so much for the great post even with all the pain!
    The tip to cute all the squares is amazing!
    I wish you all the best!
    Thanks,
    Eliana Taira.

    Reply
  7. Dear LeyLa,
    I like “origami spirit” very much. There are wonderful models and very ckear tutorials.
    I have a request to make: could you send me again the last tutorial of the flower & leaves for the skull. I erased it accidentally.
    Many thanks,
    Hannah

    Reply
  8. I am sorry to hear of your Mother-in-Law’s passing. She must have been a treasure. It would be most interesting to see pictures of her origami ornaments that she put on her tree, even the ones passed down from her ancestors.
    Your tree is most beautiful and it looks very useful for holding candies! Thank you for teaching us these wonderful designs.

    Reply
  9. I’m so sorry Leyla to hear of your precious mother-in-law’s passing. You one have your own personal angel in heaven to watch over you.

    Reply

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