The Origami Forum

My teacher posed this challenge to us. You need to make an origami box in 9 steps or less. You can't cut the paper, and you can't use anything but rectangular or square paper to start. Bends count as folds, too. The box has to be open on the top, and stable. (So it can't be falling open, the sides have to be stable.) Any ideas? Can anyone do this?

do the traditional blintzed box

ExtraCredit wrote:My teacher posed this challenge to us. You need to make an origami box in 9 steps or less. You can't cut the paper, and you can't use anything but rectangular or square paper to start. Bends count as folds, too. The box has to be open on the top, and stable. (So it can't be falling open, the sides have to be stable.) Any ideas? Can anyone do this?

I just made one with seven individual movements, no fold-unfold, precreases, nor repeating the same fold in each side... I should worn you, it isn't pretty. But it stays locked together and it can even hold a pound in weight if it's folded right. I tested it .

Will that do?

9 steps, 10 creases: http://dev.origami.org/images_pdf/box.pdf

For some reason origami.org seems to be down, but I think the pedestal design on there is similar to the one I folded. Divide into 3rds vertically and horizontally with valley folds, mountain fold each of the four corners diagonally to the first intersection (you cold fold the entire diagonal to lessen the number of folds by two), then on the existing creases bring the model together with the four corners on the inside laying flush against the sides, oriented in a clockwise or counter-clockwise pattern. Lastly, fold the lip of the box inside itself all around to make the box locked and stable. That makes 7 or 9 folds depending on if you want to remove unnecessary creases, and all ceases remain in the shape they were folded so they shouldn't count as extra folds or bends.

FlareglooM wrote:9 steps, 10 creases: http://dev.origami.org/images_pdf/box.pdf

I don't think that joining 4 creases in a single step complies with the rules.

umm... what counts as 'a step'?
does folding four corners into the center count as one step, or is that 4 individual steps?

Start with a rectangle and make a water bomb base in the middle. Fold all the edges to the middle which should use four vertical creases. Then fold down the extra paper as far as you can on both sides, and puff it out. Done!
I can make diagrams if needed

Define "step" and then we can do the challenge properly.
Technically all crease patterns are 2 steps. Precrease and collapse.

Also seeing as a cube has 12 edges, it's highly unlikely we will find a cube that will follow the idea that a crease is a step.

Razzmatazz wrote:Define "step" and then we can do the challenge properly.

No need, I already won

Haha... I'm just trying to push everyone's buttons (sorry ).

Razzmatazz wrote:Define "step" and then we can do the challenge properly.
Technically all crease patterns are 2 steps. Precrease and collapse.
is a step.

That would be 3: precrease, collapse and shape. (most crease patterns do not include shaping fold creases)