Toilet Paper Origami Taking the Ordinary to Extraordinary!

Elaborately folded toilet paper in hotel bathrooms is a bit extra, but really it’s just proof that the bathroom has been cleaned. At the same time, that little bit extra seems special, right? So why not bring the habit home with you. Toilet paper origami became a trend during covid and seems to be here to stay. You’ll be surprised what you can create with just a few folds.

Before you get started, here are a few basic tips.

1. When folding toilet paper, it’s important not to slide your fingers along the line too hard, as you may rip the sheet. It’s better to press gently when making your folds.
2. The secret to creating a neat, triangular point is to make sure each side meets exactly in the middle. Do this by bringing the two corners together at the same time, to help line them up.
3. Thin, single ply tissue is less likely to hold a fold accurately so use quilted, two-ply sheets for your toilet paper origami.

An online search will reveal an abundance of patterns to choose from. We started at the Origami Resource Centre. There you will find step-by-step instructions to create a simple triangle, basket, boat, leaf, pleated tuck, heart, butterfly, and bird.

There are even books dedicated to toilet paper origami. Linda Wright’s book, Toilet Paper Origami on a Roll, has a ton of ideas and tips. Make sure to take photos, sadly, this art is so very temporary!

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Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash