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How to Make a Traditional Square Origami Box

Origami boxes and containers are fun to make and very practical to use to give a present or to keep our desks orderly. These models can be made with different shapes such as a square, rectangle, or pentagon, and with different kinds of paper. Even recycled paper is good to use for folding origami boxes.

The square origami box presented here is known as Masu Box. It is a traditional Japanese model, and can be made with squares of different sizes. It’s simple design lends itself to be decorated by adding another origami figure to the lid.

The best thing about this easy origami box, as with many other origami projects: no glue or scissors are needed!

Here are video instructions to make this origami box.

YouTube player

Tips and ideas to make this easy origami box

  • Use thin paper such as ‘Kami’ for smaller boxes.
  • A 6 x 6-inch square piece of paper is perfect for learning the box.
  • Double up thin paper like gift wrapping paper.
  • Use thicker paper like office or construction paper to make bigger boxes.
  • Recycle old calendars or magazine covers to make into boxes.
  • Make the traditional origami box with children. Have the children decorate the paper before folding.
  • Fold two origami boxes of identical size, and use one as a lid to cover the other.
  • For a better fit, make the box for the lid with a paper whose side is 1/32 bigger than the one used for the base.
  • Another option for making the lid slightly bigger is to take care not to bring the corners all the way to the center when folding but leave a small space, just a hair, between edges (shown in the video).
  • Cut several squares that are progressively smaller to make nesting origami boxes.
  • This box is perfect for a small birthday, Valentine’s or Christmas gift. Decorate the lid with another origami figure depending on the occasion. Click here to find many origami figures for different celebrations.
  • Another origami figure can be placed as a gift inside the box.
origami-sheep-500

Click here to learn an origami sheep.

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Origami-rose-560

Click here to learn an origami rose.

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origami-box-heart-diamond-700

Click here for a heart-shaped easy variation of the Masu box.

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containers

Click here for more origami boxes and containers.

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origami-box-masu-560

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7 thoughts on “How to Make a Traditional Square Origami Box”

  1. Nuchas gracias por recordarme como se hace la cajita. Las ideas de como decorarla y que colocarle dentro son excelentes.
    Elsa Lucia

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