How to Make an Origami Shamrock
As we head towards our next holiday – St. Patrick’s Day! – I have this fun origami shamrock craft for kids (and adults.) My kids have always loved paper crafts. My daughter is next level about her crafting, and in the past year she has started making various origami shapes at her after school program.
This origami shamrock is great with green craft paper, or you could find a cool St. Patrick’s Day-themed scrapbook paper (double sided!) and make something even more fun. Attach several to string and you have a cute garland!
What you need to make an origami shamrock:
- Colored craft paper – light or medium light
- Craft glue
And now you get ready because there are a lot of steps. Don’t let this intimidate you! I’ve broken it up into 6 steps at a time (photos to go along with the text.)
How to fold your origami shamrock:
- Step 1: Take a piece of square paper. You will need 3 pieces of square paper of the same size and a
small rectangle (half of the square) for the origami shamrock pattern. - Step 2: Fold the paper in half and then unfold.
- Step 3: Fold any one side of the half-crease and join it along the half crease.
- Step 4: Turn the pattern to the other side.
- Step 5: Fold the pattern in half (symmetrically) and then unfold.
- Step 6: Fold the left side of the crease along the crease and then fold the right side.
- Step 7: Turn the pattern to the other side.
- Step 8: Fold the pattern in half by joining the corner with the opposite side, right in the middle.
- Step 9: Turn the pattern to the other side again.
- Step 10: Notice the small (thin) layer in the middle. Open the layer carefully and then flatten it with the
pattern. - Step 11: Fold in the open corner of the flattened part.
- Step 12: Then fold the other side.
- Step 13: Now, fold the open corners slightly inwards.
- Step 14: Fold the square sides inside, and join them along the middle crease.
- Step 15: Craft 2 more pieces of these origami heart patterns.
- Step 16: Take any 2 origami heart patterns and join them together by inserting the square side of one piece
inside the pocket of the other piece. - Step 17: Join the third origami heart with the previous ones.
- Step 18: Turn the pattern to the other side.
- Step 19: Fold the middle open corners inside and align them with the edge of the heart layouts.
- Step 20: Turn the pattern to the right side.
- Step 21: Take a rectangle piece of paper (half of the squares used for the shamrock). Fold the paper in 3
even parts, lengthwise and then unfold. - Step 22: Fold the longer sides of the rectangle paper diagonally, from an outer corner to the opposite
crease. - Step 23: Fold in the narrow side (keeping 1 cm gap on top).
- Step 24: Now, fold the wider sides (lengthwise) inwards, from the side crease to the opposite corner.
- Step 25: Turn the stem to the right side (plain side).
- Step 26: Attach the origami stem pattern with the shamrock using craft glue.
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! I know there are so many steps, but I think these can be a lot of fun and worth the time (and a lot of patience.)
