Recycled paint chip origami mini box—of love

With Mother's Day right around the corner, what do you get the mom who has everything?  Everyone knows that material things from a store don’t mean as much as a gift from the heart…or in this case a box with a heart. This project utilizes larger sized paint chip samples and a simple origami box that most kids already know how to create.  The paint chips are a little thicker than the usual origami paper but if you use a bone folder or ruler you can crease the folds easily.

You will need:

2 Larger sized paint chip samples lighter colors work best

Bone folder or wooden ruler

Tacky glue

Small heart shaped motif, you can use a rhinestone heart, wooden, paper punched, or like in my case a puffy heart.

Tiny gift bow

Ruler, pencil, scissors

1.     Measure and cut a paint chip sample 3 ½” x 3 ½”.  Cut the other paint chip sample 3 ¼” x 3 ¼”.

2.     Using the larger paint chip (top) fold in half, turn and fold in half again. Open to non-colored side.

3.     Fold the corner up to center line.  Repeat for remaining three corners. 

4.     Turn and fold up bottom straight edge.  Turn and do the same to the other side.

5.     Open and turn sideways.  Turn up bottom to meet the point. (See photo)  So the same to the opposite side.

6.     Turn piece long ways and turn upper corner in to meet the lower fold line. (See photo)  Repeat on the other side.  Do the same thing to the opposite end corners.

7.     Open.  This is the only tricky part, although it does sort of fold itself.  Tuck the points in and down on one side first, then do the same thing on the opposite side.  All four points will meet inside the box top.  (See photo)

8.     Repeat steps 2-7 for the smaller paint chip sample. (Bottom)

9.     Stick a mini bow on the top.

10. Glue a mini heart inside the bottom box.