The 5 x 5 grid is the tricky cousin of the easy grids. Quarters and thirds you can more or less find with a couple of quick folds, but fifths refuse to cooperate — there is no neat way to reach them by simple halving. That is exactly why this method is worth having in your pocket: one small crease at the top, one diagonal fold, and suddenly the paper quietly tells you exactly where all five divisions live.

It takes twenty steps the first time, which sounds like a lot, but most of them are the same two or three moves repeated — fold to a crease, unfold, fold the next edge over. After a couple of boxes, you will be able to run through it without even thinking. And the payoff is real: a clean 5 x 5 grid opens the door to five-part boxes, modular stars, and tessellations that simply cannot be built on any other division. Grab a square sheet and let's find the fifths.

There are many origami models, boxes especially, that call for a grid of 5 x 5. It's not as easy as quarters or thirds, but once you've done it a couple of times it will be easy to remember.

STEP 1. Start with a square sheet of paper.

STEP 2. Bring the right edge to the left edge and make a small crease along the top edge.

STEP 3. Let the paper fall back to its original position. You can see the small crease at the top.

STEP 4. Bring the top right corner diagonally over to the left — the top point should start at the crease you made in step 2, the bottom point should start from the bottom right corner.

STEP 5. You can now see a small crease on the left side. You can create this crease by bringing the left edge over to the right, aligning it with the point of the triangular flap.

STEP 6. Unfold the triangular flap and completely fold the left edge over along the small crease you just made.

STEP 7. Fold the right edge over to the left edge.

STEP 8. Unfold the previous step.

STEP 9. Fold the right edge to the crease you made in the previous step.

STEP 10. Open up the left flap.

STEP 11. Fold the left edge over to the right edge.

STEP 12. Unfold all of the flaps.

STEP 13. Fold one of the corners diagonally.

STEP 14. Fold the top edge down to meet the edge of the flap you created in the previous step.

STEP 15. Unfold all of the flaps.

STEP 16. Fold the top edge down to the crease you made in the previous step.

STEP 17. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge.

STEP 18. Unfold the previous step.

STEP 19. Fold the bottom edge up to the crease you made in the previous step.

STEP 20. Unfold the paper to reveal the 5 by 5 grid.