Month: February 2023

Easy Origami Heart
Designed by Jo Nakashima (02/2023)
Level: easy

I made this heart for Valentine’s day with the following goals:

• double sided
• no loose flaps
• no unwanted creases
• no unwanted layers
• easiest as possible

I made another heart in 2018 with these characteristics, but this new one is easier. You can see the comparison between them further in this article.

Diagrams

The only part I think might look tricky for beginners is the collapsing at step 17. You can always watch the video on YouTube, it is not that hard and all you need to do is use the creases you already made. All the other creases are simple valley/mountain and a couple of reverse folds.

Crease Pattern

Heart Stand

Optionally you can stop at step 27 of the diagrams and use the bottom to make it stand

Hearts comparison – 2018 version vs 2023 version

It’s really difficult to show how good my origami hearts are with only the picture in the thumbnail of the video. They look the same! And they look like the traditional origami heart, a very simple heart but not double sided. For this reason I think these tutorials don’t get as much views as they deserve.

2018 version – which I named “Nakashima Heart” trying to differentiate from other origami hearts – is definitely my favorite. The locks are great, there are no unwanted creases/flaps/layers, the distribution of paper is good making it feel sturdy and the white side is 100% hidden.

I made the 2023 version as an easier alternative. It has fewer folds, so it is less time consuming and the paper usage is more efficient (meaning you can make larger hearts from the same size of paper, or use smaller sizes). There are only 3 locks at corners and the bottom edges are open (the model will stay locked but you can see the white side there). It also don’t feel sturdy like the previous version because some parts will have thinner layers.

Support my work!

If you like my work, please consider visiting and subscribing to my YouTube channel! You’ll find all my work, including models that are not in this website and also models from other origami artists. The easiest way to support my work is simply watching my videos, clicking the like button, leaving comments and subscribing to my channel!

You can also contribute with small donations on Patreon or YouTube Channel Membership. It’s basically like paying me a tip as a thanks for my work and get some rewards in return, like early access to my tutorials and your name in the video (the “thank you” list). They work with recurring payments, but you can cancel anytime so one-time donations are also possible.

How to make an origami Praying Mantis
Designed by Jo Nakashima (01/2023)
Level: complex

In this video you’ll learn how to fold an origami praying mantis from a single uncut square sheet of paper. It is a box pleat model from a 48×48 grid. It is easier to fold than my origami ant and spider.

Crease Pattern

Paper

I recommend 30cm x 30cm of high quality thin paper that holds well the shape. Some suggestions:

• Kraft Alios – It’s the one I used in the picture. It’s super thin and light, but wet-shaping is required. Buy it here.
• Foil paper – Holds the shape very well, works great for complex models. Buy it here.
• Sandwich paper – With its foil base, you can shape it and it will hold in place without any effort. Buy it here.
• Home made tissue-foil – Made by gluing tissue paper and aluminum foil. Works great like the previous one and you can customize it with the color you want.
• Tissue-foil from origami-shop – It’s the paper I used in the tutorial. I think it’s a bit thick unless you use a larger sheet (you can see how it looks in the end of the tutorial). Buy it here.

Origami Praying Mantis pre-creasing diagrams

Support my work!

If you like my work, please consider visiting and subscribing to my YouTube channel! You’ll find all my work, including models that are not in this website and also models from other origami artists. The easiest way to support my work is simply watching my videos, clicking the like button, leaving comments and subscribing to my channel!

You can also contribute with small donations on Patreon or YouTube Channel Membership. It’s basically like paying me a tip as a thanks for my work and get some rewards in return, like early access to my tutorials and your name in the video (the “thank you” list). They work with recurring payments, but you can cancel anytime so one-time donations are also possible.