Origami bowls usually stand up on their own, but this one is perfectly happy to lie flat - and that is exactly why it gets used so much. It belongs to the same family as the 2D origami cup and the flat plate: all the charm of a little container, none of the bulk. You will spot bowls like this in greeting cards, scrapbook layouts and tiny paper dioramas, quietly holding paper fruit or a folded spoon.

The folding itself is gentle. Eleven steps of mountain folds, valley folds and one gate fold, and a pocket appears at the bottom; open it with two mountain folds and four flat folds and the bowl shows up. Use paper with a different color on each side and the inside of the bowl pops out in the second color - that small contrast is what sells the finished piece.

This page is for those who want step-by-step instructions to fold a 2D origami bowl.

This origami bowl is the flat, 2D version of the classic bowl. The special folding technique used in this model is opening a pocket.

You can use any kind of paper to fold this origami bowl. Here I am using a typical sheet of origami paper with a different color on the front and back sides.

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

This is the front side of the paper.

This is the back side of the paper.

STEP 1.

Let’s start with the back side of the paper facing up. Prepare to “mountain-fold” in half vertically and then unfold.

STEP 2.

Mountain-fold in half vertically and then unfold. Prepare to apply a vertical “gate-fold” and then unfold.

STEP 3.

Apply the vertical “gate-fold” from step 2 and then unfold. Prepare to apply two vertical valley-folds.

STEP 4.

Apply the two vertical valley-folds from step 3. Prepare to apply two valley-folds.

STEP 5.

Apply the two valley-folds from step 4. Prepare to turn the origami bowl model over.

STEP 6.

Turn the origami bowl model over. Prepare to apply a horizontal valley-fold.

STEP 7.

Apply the horizontal valley-fold from step 6. Prepare to turn the origami bowl model over.

STEP 8.

Turn the origami bowl model over. Prepare to apply two valley-folds.

STEP 9.

Apply the two valley-folds from step 8. Prepare to turn the origami bowl model over.

STEP 10.

Turn the origami bowl model over. Prepare to open a pocket by applying two mountain-folds and four flat-folds.

STEP 11.

Open the pocket by applying the two mountain-folds and four flat-folds from step 10. Congratulations! You have completed making a 2D origami bowl.