There is a particular pleasure in models that turn into something recognizable with almost no effort. This paper house is one of them: a single square, nine folds, and suddenly there is a roof on it.

Everything is built from creases you already know - fold in half, unfold, fold the edges to the middle - and the one move worth pausing on is the squash fold that opens a pocket and flattens it into the roof. Fold a few in different colors and line them up, and you have a small paper village in about as long as it takes to make a cup of tea.

What you need

1 sheet of standard origami paper (15 cm x 15 cm)

How to fold a house

STEP 1.

Place the paper with the uncolored side facing up and valley-fold it in half vertically to make a crease.

STEP 2.

Make the valley fold, then unfold the paper.

STEP 3.

After unfolding, valley-fold the paper in half horizontally.

STEP 4.

Valley-fold along the dotted line, bringing the edge in to meet the center crease.

STEP 5.

Valley-fold along the dotted line to make a crease.

STEP 6.

Make the valley fold, then unfold the paper.

STEP 7.

Take the front layer over to the left, open out the pocket and squash-fold it flat.

While opening it out like this, fold along the dotted crease line.

STEP 8.

Take the front layer over to the right, open out the pocket and squash-fold it flat.

While opening it out like this, fold along the crease.

STEP 9.

This completes the house!