Origami Tie Instructions

Paper Folding for Scrapbooking and Card Making

Written by
Rebecca Ludens
Rebecca Ludens was a writer for The Spruce Crafts for over 15 years covering everything scrapbooking. She is the author of several books about scrapbooking and paper crafts.
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Rebecca Ludens
Updated 04/11/19
Origami Tie
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Ties are the typical Father's Day present. This year, make a paper tie to decorate your Father's Day card, scrapbook page, or package. Combine the origami tie with the origami shirt to make a three-dimensional embellishment for your next paper crafting project. You can click on any photo shown below to see it larger and in greater detail.

  • 01 of 11

    Cut Paper to Size

    Cut Paper to Size

     Rebecca Ludens

    The origami tie starts with a square piece of patterned paper. It does not have to be double-sided. Regular weight, one-sided scrapbook paper is the easiest to fold and works well for this piece. You can use double-sided, cardstock weight paper, but it will be harder to fold. In order for this tie to work well with the origami shirt instructions, you will start with a 2 inch square of paper. You can, however, make the tie larger or smaller, depending on how you want to use it in your scrapbook pages, greeting cards, or other paper crafting projects.

  • 02 of 11

    Fold on the Diagonal

    Fold on the Diagonal

     Rebecca Ludens

    The first fold is a simple diagonal. Fold the square piece of paper in half along the diagonal with the patterned side facing out and crease it well.

  • 03 of 11

    Open and Fold in One Half

    Open and Fold in One Half

     Rebecca Ludens

    Open the diagonal fold and place the piece of paper in front of you with the patterned side facing down. Fold one corner into the center crease line as shown.

  • 04 of 11

    Fold in Other Half to Make Kite Shape

    Fold in Other Half to Make Kite Shape

     Rebecca Ludens

    Fold in the other half of the paper to create a basic kite shape.

    Continue to 5 of 11 below.
  • 05 of 11

    Flip and Fold Point Down

    Flip and Fold Point Down

     Rebecca Ludens 

    Flip the kite over so that the patterned paper side is facing up. The folded end of the kite should be at the top, facing away from you. Fold the top point down towards you, so that the tip is in line with the two side points.

  • 06 of 11

    Fold Point up

    Fold Point up

     Rebecca Ludens

    Imagine a line 1/8 inch down from the top and fold the tip back up to that point. Be sure to leave that 1/8 inch space from the top to make your next fold easier.

  • 07 of 11

    Fold up Again Leaving an 1/8 Inch Fold Over

    Fold up Again Leaving an 1/8 Inch Fold Over

    Rebecca Ludens 

    For this fold, you will fold up the entire point/tip area that you have been working on in the last two steps. However, you will fold it up on the imaginary line that is 1/8 inch from the top - the same "line" that you brought the point up to in the last step. This fold creates a little pleat to separate the top knot from the bottom of the tie.

  • 08 of 11

    Fold Side Wings in

    Fold Side Wings in

    Rebecca Ludens 

    Flip the tie over one more time and fold each side "wing" in to the center. You can decide how wide or skinny you want the tie to be when you fold in these wings.

    Continue to 9 of 11 below.
  • 09 of 11

    Turn Over to See Finished Tie

    Turn Over to See Finished Tie

     Rebecca Ludens

    Flip the tie over one more time to see your finished piece.

  • 10 of 11

    Tuck Tie Under Shirt Collar

    Tuck Tie Under Shirt Collar

    Rebecca Ludens 

    Combine the tie with the shirt by slipping the top of the tie under the shirt fold-over collar pieces. You can use a little adhesive to hold the tie in place or you can add a mini brad in the next and final step.

  • 11 of 11

    Add Brad to Finish Shirt and Tie

    Add Brad to Finish Shirt and Tie

     Rebecca Ludens 

    The mini brad on the finished tie resembles a tie tack. To add a brad to your completed shirt and tie place the piece on a mouse pad, poke a hole with a push pin, and then insert the mini brad. Open the brad prongs on the back of the shirt and you are all done.