The Paper Boat –Magical Traditional Origami

Do you remember the magic of seeing a paper boat, or other origami figure, being folded in front of you for the first time?

I was about five years old when a friend of my mother’s folded one and gave it to me. Later at home, I found a rectangular piece of paper and folded a little boat all by myself. I was able to remember the folding sequence!

Even then the process captured my attention as much as the finished boat. For me, all of it was was spell binding. And even though many years have passed since that first introduction to origami, the magic remains.

This is a 3-minute video with instructions on how to fold the traditional paper boat. Watch to the end and see the boat sailing down a crystal-clear Vermont stream.


I spent a marvelous morning taking these pictures and enjoying the fall foliage at lake Shaftsbury, Vermont.

We welcome your comments or origami memories. Click here and scroll to the bottom to leave them.

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9 thoughts on “The Paper Boat –Magical Traditional Origami”

  1. Dorothy Kaplan has sent me some great ideas to make paper boats:
    “If you go over the bottom edge of the boat on both sides with a crayon, the paper on the bottom doesnt disintegrate so fast. And by the way, I can no longer make the paper boat from newspaper because the papers around here are so narrow the dimensions arent right unless you cut the paper and then the boat or the hat might not be big enough.
    The newspapers have some nerve! But I think I thought of a solution…..Buy a big pad of newsprint at the art store. I think that will be the right size for newspaper folding”

    Reply
  2. Yo era tan pequeña cuando aprendí a doblar este barquito que, para mí, saber doblarlo es como saber coger el tenedor o saber amarrar los cordones de los zapatos. Ahora veo que fuiste tú quien me lo enseñó. Quién te regaló ese barquito?

    Reply
    • Una compañera de universidad de Ro, cuyo nombre no recuerdo, lo plegó en frente de mis ojos un día que Ro me llevó a clase con ella. La chica me mostró el barquito tradicional y otro barquito con caperuza. Este último no logré plegarlo por mi cuenta. Muchos años después encontré al fin instrucciones para plegarlo. ¡He de demostrarlo en video también!

      Reply

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