How to make an origami lily (iris)
Origami Lily (Iris): try all 56 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
The traditional four-petal lily, also called an iris, folded from a square with a tapered flower cup.
- You need
- One square of thin origami paper. No glue or scissors.
- Start
- Start colored side up, with a corner pointing up. Thin paper makes the layered flower easier to fold.
- Tips
- Flatten each squash evenly on both sides of its middle crease.
- Lift the short squash tip for a petal fold, leaving the longer points below it.
- Fold each long petal on the line through the flower's widest points, one petal at a time.
Your model is ready
Hold the flower by its narrow closed point and spread the four petals outward, opening the flower as you go. Curl each petal tip over a pencil if you like.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–7
- 1
Crease a diagonal
Bring the top corner down to the bottom corner, press, and open.
- 2
Crease the other diagonal
Bring the left corner to the right corner, press, and open.
- 3
Turn over
Turn the paper over, keeping a corner pointing up.
- 4
Crease edge to edge
Fold the bottom-left edge up to the top-right edge, press, and open.
- 5
Crease the other way
Fold the bottom-right edge up to the top-left edge, press, and open.
- 6
Turn back
Turn the paper back over, keeping a corner pointing up.
- 7
Collapse into a square
Hold the bottom corner. Push the left and right corners in and down so the paper collapses along the creases into a small square, open end at the bottom.
Steps 8–14
- 8
Squash the first pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 9
Turn over
Turn the base over, keeping its open end at the bottom.
- 10
Squash the second pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 11
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
- 12
Squash the third pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 13
Turn over
Turn the base over, keeping its open end at the bottom.
- 14
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
Steps 15–21
- 15
Squash the fourth pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 16
Crease the left side (first)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 17
Crease the right side (first)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
- 18
Lift the short tip (first)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 19
Turn over
Turn the base over to the next squash face.
- 20
Crease the left side (second)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 21
Crease the right side (second)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
Steps 22–28
- 22
Lift the short tip (second)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 23
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
- 24
Crease the left side (third)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 25
Crease the right side (third)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
- 26
Lift the short tip (third)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 27
Turn over
Turn the base over to its last squash face.
- 28
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
Steps 29–35
- 29
Crease the left side (fourth)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 30
Crease the right side (fourth)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
- 31
Lift the short tip (fourth)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 32
Lower the short point (front)
Fold the short upright point down across its shoulder crease. Leave the long points below it in place.
- 33
Turn over
Turn the base over to the opposite short upright point.
- 34
Lower the short point (back)
Fold the short upright point down across its shoulder crease. Leave the long points below it in place.
- 35
Turn a page
Fold the top right four layers across the vertical middle crease to the left, like turning a page.
Steps 36–42
- 36
Turn a page behind
Fold the back left four layers behind, across the vertical middle crease to the right, like turning a page at the back.
- 37
Lower the short point (third face)
Fold the short upright point down across its shoulder crease. Leave the long points below it in place.
- 38
Turn over
Turn the base over to the last short upright point.
- 39
Lower the short point (fourth face)
Fold the short upright point down across its shoulder crease. Leave the long points below it in place.
- 40
Narrow the left foot edge (third face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 41
Narrow the right foot edge (third face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 42
Turn over
Turn the base over to narrow the opposite face.
Steps 43–49
- 43
Narrow the left foot edge (fourth face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 44
Narrow the right foot edge (fourth face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 45
Turn a page
Fold the top right four layers across the vertical middle crease to the left, like turning a page.
- 46
Turn a page behind
Fold the back left four layers behind, across the vertical middle crease to the right, like turning a page at the back.
- 47
Narrow the left foot edge (first face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 48
Narrow the right foot edge (first face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 49
Turn over
Turn the base over to narrow the last face.
Steps 50–56
- 50
Narrow the left foot edge (second face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 51
Narrow the right foot edge (second face)
Fold the upper sloping edge of the front layer to the vertical middle crease, so the flower foot tapers to the closed point.
- 52
Fold the front petal up
Fold the long front petal up across the flower's widest points, over the narrowed foot. The petals behind it stay down.
- 53
Fold the next petal up
Fold the next long petal up on the same line. The tip of the short point lying on it folds up with it.
- 54
Turn over
Turn the flower over to fold the other two petals.
- 55
Fold the third petal up
Fold the long petal on this side up across the widest points, over the narrowed foot.
- 56
Fold the last petal up
Fold the last long petal up on the same line, with the tip of the short point lying on it.
Finish
- ✓
Finish
Hold the flower by its narrow closed point and spread the four petals outward, opening the flower as you go. Curl each petal tip over a pencil if you like.
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