Plum blossoms arrive before the leaves do, in late winter, which is exactly the moment when a paper version sounds most appealing. This model is unusually satisfying because you are not just folding flowers — you fold the twig too, then slot the blossoms onto it, and suddenly you have something that looks like a branch someone brought indoors. Each individual flower takes only eight steps, and the first one teaches you everything you need for the second and third. Put the finished spray in a narrow vase and see whether visitors notice it is paper.

This tutorial shows a simple way to fold plum blossoms, with step-by-step diagrams that anyone can follow. Give it a try.

How to Fold Origami Plum Blossoms

This project has two parts: the blossoms and the branch. For the flowers you will need three or four sheets of quarter-size origami paper (7.5 cm squares), and for the branch two sheets of standard origami paper (15 cm squares).

First, here is how to fold a flower.

STEP 1. Fold the paper in half.

STEP 2. Fold it as shown to make a crease.

STEP 3. Fold the opposite corner up so its tip meets the point where the creases cross.

STEP 4. Fold so that the two marked edges lie on top of each other.

STEP 5. Fold again so that the marked edges line up.

STEP 6. Fold the piece back along the dotted line.

STEP 7. Trim the tip into a rounded petal shape as shown.

STEP 8. Open out the bottom of the shape and the blossom is finished.

Make another two or three blossoms in the same way.

How to Fold the Branch

STEP 1. Fold the sheet diagonally to make a crease.

STEP 2. Fold the top and bottom edges in to the center crease.

STEP 3. Fold it in again.

STEP 4. Fold once more along the center crease.

STEP 5. Fold a second sheet in exactly the same way.

STEP 6. Fold along the dotted line and crease it.

STEP 7. Open the inner layers out and fold them back along the existing creases.

STEP 8. Lay one strip over the other and fold back at the marked position — the branch is ready.

STEP 9. Add the plum blossoms to the branch and you are done.