An origami gift box is more meaningful than any box one could possibly purchase from stores and can be worth much more than the small gift one puts in it because every origami box is crafted gently with affection, warmth and care. Like many important things in life, origami teaches us that the product, the box, is just as important as the process of crafting it.
In this article, we will learn to make a pleated hexagonal origami box. We will need six 8½″×11″ rectangular sheets to make the box and a seventh sheet of the same size to use as a measuring tool. This measurement sheet will be discarded. Three of the sheets will be used for the bottom of the box and three for the top. Therefore, the final box will be comprised of six identical units. The top and bottom of the box are constructed in an identical manner. However, when the top piece is slid over the bottom, the top expands slightly.
Mathematically, it can be shown that the height of the constructed box is 2⅛″ and the length of a side of the regular hexagonal base of the box is 313⁄16″. When made with 24-lb. paper, the box can hold up to 12 ounces of candy.
Decorative Patterns To Print
If you choose to use these patterns, pay close attention to the rules below, and make sure the shorter edges of the rectangular origami sheet are parallel to your chest and the longer edges are perpendicular so that the artwork will be properly displayed in the finished product.
1. When you make the first crease (with the plain side facing up) on the origami sheet, make sure the artwork (on the back) is on your right. The first crease is parallel to the shorter edges of the sheet.
2. When you make the fourth crease (with the plain side facing up) on your origami sheet, make sure it is on the left of the third crease and the artwork (on the back) is on the right. The third and fourth creases are parallel to the longer edges of the sheet.
I encourage readers to think about the mathematics behind the box and come up with other variations. A-proportioned paper and good old 8½″×14″ sheets can be used to make a variety of similar boxes. The sky is really the limit!
Video Instructions
Another Version
By changing the position of the crease on the measurement sheet, variations of the box can be designed. A slightly different version of the box can be made by following this video. The pattern used here is Design 4: