Edited by Jane Rosemarin
The Sakura Star, designed and folded by Mimi Nohara. Diagrams by Masao. See PDF diagrams.

Last March, I saw the sakura (cherry blossom) bloom in Japan — in photos, since I live in Argentina. My idea was to design a simple sakura flower. I started by folding a kite base, which I then mountain folded in half. The result is a sakura with five petals and a star.

Because the sakura flower symbolizes ephemeral happiness and the transience of life, my Sakura Star represents the exchange of ideas, feelings, the value of each instant, good and bad moments of life and enjoying the friendship between folders and creators.

Some tips:

  • Start with the paper color-side up for sakura petals.
  • Two flaps are stored in the back pocket.
  • Find my instructional video on Instagram.