Origami Autumn Maple Leaf Craft for Kids
How gorgeous is this Origami Autumn Maple Leaf Craft? Make multiples in different Fall colors and use them to create a festive atmosphere!
There’s something magical about the leaves changing color during autumn, isn’t there? Like Laura Jaworski said, “If the leaves are changing, I feel poetry in the air.” Emily Bronte also noticed that “Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” It’s true – autumn leaves are truly poetic!
Since it’s Fall now, and we have Thanksgiving coming up, we decided to have fun making a fall-themed leaf craft. But since it’s also Origami Day on 11th November, we thought we’d bring that in as well. The result – a gorgeous Origami Autumn Maple Leaf Craft for Kids!
Origami Autumn Maple Leaf Craft for Kids
Supplies required:
- Origami paper in yellow, orange or brown
- Scissors
How to make the Origami Autumn Maple Leaf Craft:
1. Lay out your Origami paper. Make sure you’re using a square – you need four equal sides!
2. Fold the square diagonally and unfold it. Fold it diagonally again, in the opposite direction. Unfold it and you should have two diagonal lines intersecting each other.
3. Fold the square into half by bringing the top edge to meet the bottom. Unfold, then fold it into half by bringing the left edge to meet the right. Unfold so you now have a center point with eight lines going out.
4. Pinch up the center point – this will act as an axis to do the remaining folds.
5. Keeping the center point at the top, fold in along the existing lines so you get a shape as shown above.
6. Fold in the right edge of the topmost layer to meet the center line,
7. Repeat the step above with the left edge of the topmost layer.
8. Now bring down the top corner along the top edges of the folds created in steps 6 and 7.
9. Unfold all the folds made in steps 6, 7 and 8.
10. Take the bottom corner of the top layer, and lift it up, then fold it inside. Unfold.
11. Take the left edge of the top layer and fold it inward, to meet the central crease.
12. Take the right edge of the top layer and fold it inward to meet the central crease so you now have a pointy end on the top.
13. Fold this pointy end downward.
14. Turn the Origami autumn maple leaf over so the folds are all on the bottom and the flat side is on top.
15. Fold the left and right corners under the top layer, so they fold along the lines created by the folds so far.
16. Turn the Origami autumn maple leaf upside down again so the folds are back on top. Unfold so you get the pointy corner on top.
17. Fold down the pointy end to meet the horizontal crease.
18. Unfold the previous fold so you’re back to the pointy corner and two flaps on either side.
19. Take the right flap and fold it upward along the right corner.
20. Create a petal shape with this folded flap.
21. Flatten out the petal fold.
22. Repeat steps 19 to 21 on the left side. Now you have three pointy petals facing upward, and a longer one facing down.
23. Take a pair of scissors and cut along the midline of the bottom petal, so you get two sides.
24. Fold up the left cut side as shown in the image above.
25. Repeat the previous step on the right side.
26. Turn the paper over so all the folds are at the back.
27. Unfold the bottom corner fold. You now have an inverted kite shape in the center.
28. Fold the top layer on the right edge of the kite towards the midline as shown above.
29. Fold in the bottom layer.
30. Make another upward fold in the last fold.
31. Repeat steps 28-30 on the left side.
32. Turn the paper over so the petals are now facing up. That’s it – your Origami autumn maple leaf is ready!
This Origami autumn maple leaf may seem a little challenging at first, but once you follow the instructions, you’ll find that it really isn’t! It gets easier when you make more of them in different colors. These would be perfect to stick on Thanksgiving gifts, or cards to gift your loved ones!
If you liked this Origami autumn maple leaf, you may also enjoy these crafts:
- Thanksgiving Corner Bookmarks
- Printable Autumn Sudoku
- Easy Fall Paper Bunting
- Fall Themed Paper Weaving Craft
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