Materials: A square piece of paper. Any size is fine, but 6x6 inches works well for beginners.
The Preliminary or Square base incorporates fundamental folding techniques, including valley folds, mountain folds, and squash folds. Mastering these techniques sets the groundwork for greater understanding and skill in origami.
Step 1
Start with the color side up.
Step 2
Fold the paper in half diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner. Crease well, then unfold. You should have a diagonal crease line.
Fold the paper diagonally again in the opposite direction. Crease well and unfold. You should now see an “X” crease pattern.
Step 3
Flip paper over so white side is facing up. Fold the paper in half horizontally (edge to edge). Crease well and unfold. Fold in half horizontally in the opposite direction. This creates a vertical and horizontal cross crease.
Step 4
Keep the paper folded in half. Pinch the top left and right creased corners with your left and right hand. Push the corners down towards each other to create a smaller square with flaps. Press down to flatten. There should be two flaps on each side.
Your Preliminary or Square Base is complete! Check out these models that start with this base.
Happy folding!