How to Make an Origami Purse

origami purse tutorial 00
Chrissy Pk
Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Yield: 1 purse
  • Skill Level: Intermediate

You can make this origami clutch purse for a friend or for yourself. Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, it's sturdy and functional, too.

This intermediate origami model uses one large sheet of square paper. This origami purse can also be made from stiff and structured fabric that you can iron after each step. For more elaborate projects, make the purse from durable craft paper or even plastic. You can then use magnetic poppers to keep it closed.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Paper scoring tool

Materials

  • 1 square Sheet of paper
  • Magnetic poppers (optional)
  • Craft hook-and-loop tape (optional)
  • Heavy-duty two-sided tape (optional)

Instructions

  1. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 1

    1. Start with your paper color side up.

    2. Rotate the paper so that there is a corner at the top.

    3. Fold the bottom point up to the top point and crease well.

    4. Unfold the paper.

    origami purse tutorial 01
    Chrissy Pk
  2. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 2

    1. Fold the right corner over to the left, if you want your purse to be as crease-free as possible on the front, only crease to the middle to the top.​
    2. Bring the top point down to the central crease and make a small mark.
    3. Next, bring the top point down to the mark you just made and make another small mark.
    4. This is what you should have.
    origami purse tutorial 02
    Chrissy Pk
  3. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 3

    1. Flip the paper over to the other side, keeping the marked section at the top.
    2. Fold the bottom corner up to the top mark.
    3. Fold the left and right points in, aligning them with the lower section. Make these as neat as possible.
    4. Unfold the bottom section and rotate the paper.
    origami purse tutorial 03
    Chrissy Pk
  4. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 4

    1. Fold the bottom section up, aligning with the angle of the left and right corners.
    2. Get a ruler, measure the width of the widest point. Divide that measurement by 3. Mark the third with a pencil.
    3. Fold the right section over to the mark. Unfold.
    4. Fold the left section over to the crease you just made. You now have thirds.
    origami purse tutorial 04
    Chrissy Pk
  5. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 5

    1. Fold the left and right sections over the top of each other, then fold the bottom point up.
    2. Fold the bottom edge up again to the first crease.
    3. Do the same for the top section.
    4. Open out the paper.
    origami purse tutorial 05
    Chrissy Pk
  6. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 6

    1. Fold the left and right sections in.
    2. Create diagonal creases here.
    3. You may want to crease these folds by picking up the model and aligning the edges.
    4. Fold over the bottom section, forming a box. Unfold.
    origami purse tutorial 06
    Chrissy Pk
  7. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 7

    1. Repeat the same process for the other end.
    2. Open out your paper again.
    3. Flip the paper over to the other side. Score the lines indicated. Alternatively, manually fold those lines.
    4. Now you can crease the score lines.

    Paper Scoring Tool Substitute

    If you don't have a paper scoring tool, you can use another pointed (but not too sharp) object, such as a ballpoint pen that's run out of ink completely.

    origami purse tutorial 07
    Chrissy Pk
  8. Origami Purse Tutorial - Step 8

    1. Now we're making the purse's front flap, there are many ways you could alter the look of it. Fold the bottom point up to the first crease.
    2. Fold the bottom section up again.
    3. Flip the paper over and re-fold the left and right sections.
    4. Fold the bottom left and right corners diagonally in and up.
    5. Now you can fold the purse up.

    Securing the Flap

    There are many ways that you can make the flap stay in place, you could use craft hook-and-loop tape (not too strong) or use semi-permanent double-sided tape.

    origami purse tutorial 08
    Chrissy Pk