Origami Lily
The origami lily is a classic and popular origami flower. It is not too difficult but beginners may find the petal fold slightly challenging.
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Origami Lily
Start with a square piece of origami paper, and fold it into a water balloon base.
Next, take one of the four corners of the base and squash fold it as shown below.
Repeat the squash fold for the other three corners, to give
the kite shape shown below.
Now fold the lower edges of the kite into the centerline,
then unfold. Fold the top corner down, then unfold.
You will now have crease marks on the piece, that will be
used in the next step. Place your finger under the lower point of the
kite, and fold upwards as shown. This is a petal fold.
Now repeat the petal fold three more times to give another, smaller kite.
Now fold one point of the kite downwards as shown. Repeat 3 more times for a diamond shape.
Next fold the upper edges of the diamond into the centerline. Repeat three more times.
Now turn the piece upside down. Start folding out the
four petals of the flower as shown.
You can create a nice curling effect in the petals like this: hold the base of a petal in your left fingers, then run your right thumb and pen (or pencil) along the length of the petal.
Your thumb is in front and the pen in the back. (In the picture below, we've omitted the left hand for clarity).
Repeat this motion several times to cause the paper petal to curl.
And now your origami lily is complete!
Thanks to reader, Jen, for submitting her origami lily. She also submitted several other photos: origami vase, snail, tulip, frog.
Thanks to reader Christoper from Richardson, TX for his origami lily - " Lily with makeshift stem. Stem folded all the way down into long thin strips, then unfolded and refolded into a rectangular tube, then take the end piece and roll it back at the top to create a leaf. I strayed from the origami norm by making a few slits down the top of my stem so that my lily would fit snugly."
