Every spring, Japan celebrates Hinamatsuri — the Doll’s Festival — with a display of elegant hina dolls. These tiny origami chicks (hina-sama) are the cutest, easiest way to join in. With just two squares of paper and a handful of simple folds, you’ll have a matching pair of chicks in no time.

No tricky techniques here, just follow along step by step. Grab some pretty Chiyogami paper and let’s fold a little festival of your own.

For the Doll’s Festival! Easy and cute — how to fold hina chicks

You will need two 15 x 15 cm sheets of origami paper: one for the male chick (obina) and one for the female chick (mebina).

STEP 1. Fold it in half through the middle and make a crease.

STEP 2. Valley-fold along the dotted line to bring the edges to the center.

STEP 3. Once folded this way, turn the paper over.

STEP 4. Valley-fold along the dotted line to bring the edges to the center.

STEP 5. Fold the top half down through the middle.

STEP 6. Fold the lower triangle up along the dotted line.

STEP 7. Once folded this way, turn the paper over.

STEP 8. Fold the lower triangle up along the dotted line.

If you like, fold it so that about 0.5 to 1 cm of the back paper shows.

STEP 9. With the paper folded like this, fold the top triangle down along the dotted line.

STEP 10. Fold the bottom triangle up along the dotted line and tuck it inside.

It should look like this.

STEP 11. Mountain-fold the white triangle along the dotted line, and valley-fold the left and right sides along the dotted line.

This completes the female chick!

The female chick uses the same folding method as steps 1 to 9.

The male chick continues from step 10.

STEP 10. Fold the lower triangle up along the dotted line.

Fold it so that the tip of the fold peeks out slightly over the white triangle.

STEP 11. Mountain- or valley-fold the white triangle along the dotted line, and valley-fold the left and right sides along the dotted line.

This completes the male chick!

Put the two together and you have a cute pair of hina chicks!

There are no difficult folds here — just follow the steps in order and you can easily make an adorable chick.

Folding them from Chiyogami paper with a kimono-like pattern makes them feel even more festive and cute.