Today, we are making a beautiful origami shell designed by the famous Tomoko Fuse.
Before we start, you need to know that we will fold many creases on the paper at first. At the end, we will wrap the paper along these lines to create the shell shape.
Here is a tip: I suggest using a larger piece of square paper. This makes the folding much easier! Also, if you make your early creases very exact and sharp, the “rolling” part will also be much easier.
This model is a bit complex, but I felt soooo excited when I finished my first one! It is definitely worth the effort. Let’s try it together.
If you are new to origami, start here from our beginner guide to know the basics and how to read the step-by-step instructions.
- Folding time: 40 minutes
- Paper: 20×20 cm
- Total steps: 20
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Designer: Tomoko Fuse
Material
With a 20 × 20 cm square sheet of origami paper, you can make a shell model about 8.5 × 5.6 cm.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the paper in a diamond shape, with the desired display side facing down. Fold and unfold it in half vertically to leave a center vertical crease.
Step 2
Fold both the bottom left and bottom right edges to align with the vertical crease. Fold down the top triangle, and unfold it.
Step 3
Flip the paper from left to right, then fold the bottom corner upward to meet the intersection point formed by the creases. Crease it well, and unfold it.
Step 4
Fold the bottom corner upward again, making sure the two horizontal creases align. Then, fold the bottom edge to align with the horizontal crease. Then, fold the new bottom edge to the horizontal crease. Finally, unfold everything back to the kite shape.
Step 5
Turn the paper over, fold the top corner down to the middle space between the 2nd and 3rd horizontal creases. Turn the paper over again.
Step 6
Fold the bottom corner upward to the middle space between the 2nd and 3rd horizontal crease, crease it firmly, and unfold it. Then, fold the same corner upward to the center of the 4th horizontal crease, and unfold it again.
Step 7
Fold the bottom corner upward to the middle space between the 5th and 6th horizontal crease, crease it firmly, and unfold it. Then, fold the same corner upward to the center of the 7th horizontal crease, and unfold it again.
Repeat this folding pattern: fold the bottom corner up to the middle of the next pair of creases, then to the center of the next single crease. Crease and unfold each time until you reach the very bottom of the paper. You should now have 23 horizontal creases in total.
Step 8
Now, make mountain folds along these red dash-dot-dot lines. These lines connect the points on the edges to the points on the center crease. Follow this V-shape all the way down to the bottom.
Step 9
Flip the paper over, fold both the left and right edges to align with the center vertical line. Crease them well, and unfold.
Step 10
Fold the bottom left edge over to meet the crease on the right you made in the previous step. Make a sharp fold and then unfold. Repeat this for the other side: fold the bottom right edge to meet the crease on the left and unfold it again.
Step 11
Fold the bottom left edge over to meet the crease on the right you made in the previous step. Make a sharp fold and then unfold. Repeat this for the other side: fold the bottom right edge to meet the crease on the left and unfold it again.
Step 12
Fold the bottom left edge toward the right until the nearest crease (made in Step 10) sits exactly on the center line. Sharpen the fold and then unfold. Repeat this on the right side: fold the bottom right edge toward the left until its nearest crease meets the center line, then unfold.
You should now have 9 vertical creases in total. Flip the paper over and rotate it so the sharp corner points up.
Step 13
Let’s start the spiral wrap, and start from the top peak.
Make mountain fold along the creases indicated by the red dotted lines, and valley fold along the crease indicated by the black dashed line to gather the top into a tiny flap, and the flap will naturally hang downward.
Rotate the paper 90 degrees to the left. Fold the sharp tip of the flap inward slightly to blunt the point, then squeeze the opening.
Rotate the paper 90 degrees back to the right to return it to the original position to prepare for the spiral wrap.
Step 14
Continue wrapping the paper downward and inward by pinching the red mountain lines toward each other along the black valley folds. This “lifts” the paper to create the spiral as it curls.
After about three full wraps, rotate the model 90° left and gently pull out the innermost tip of the curl.
Step 15
Keep wrapping continuously until you have used up all the mountain creases and the shell is almost formed.
Step 16
Fold the bottom corner upward along the lower edge of the spiral, then fold the right flap over to the left to tuck the corner inside. Finally, fold the entire section back down.
Step 17
Turn the model over from left to right.
Step 18
Repeat the same steps on this side to shape the other half of the base. Fold the corner upward, fold the left flap to the right to tuck it inside, and then fold the section back down.
Friendly Tip: Align these folds with the ones on the other side. Adjust the paper if needed to ensure the base stays symmetrical.
Step 19
Rotate the model 90° so the bottom opening faces upward. Gently pull the edges apart to open the base. Finally, fold the top and bottom flaps inward along the creases to shape the opening.
Step 20
Rotate the model 90° to lay it flat again, then flip it 180° to reveal the finished side. Your origami shell is now complete. Place it on a desk, and it will stand perfectly.
What’s Next
Congratulations! You have finished your origami shell. I hope you enjoyed making it as much as I did.
Don’t stop here. We have many more origami sea creature ideas waiting for you to explore. From fish to starfish, there is a whole ocean for you to explore.
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