Introduction: Sampan Origami Boat - Small and Big

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Making an origami sampan boat is easy enough as all you need is a square sheet of paper. Some years ago, I made one large enough to float in. A large square of paper was made from a newspaper reel of paper glued together. The square took up most of the living room. It was then folded into a sampan boat. This wasn't that ridged, so it was used as a template and layers of corrugated cardboard laid into it and glued together using PVA glue and clamps. The finished cardboard boat was inserted into a large plastic tube of building plastic and the ends secured. While it wasn't terribly fast in the water, it was a great way to relax and enjoy a beer. The finished boat was light and could just fit into a car.

This project demonstrates how the template can be made from a small sheet of square paper.

Supplies

Three-inch square sheet of paper

Traditional Origami Sampan Instructions Step by Step - Origami Expressions

Step 1: Fold Corners Inwards

Make a crease in the paper from one corner to the other diagonally, both ways.

Fold and crease the corners into the center.

Step 2: Two Corners In, 2 Out

Fold two corners inside to the center and the other two outside.

Step 3: Fold Backwards

Turn it over and fold as shown.

Step 4: Corners Inwards

Fold the four corners inwards and crease down.

Step 5: Fold Inwards Again

Fold the same corners inwards again and then fold and crease the top and bottom to the center.

Step 6: Turn Inside Out

Holding the folds from the center, turn inside out.

Step 7: Sampan Completed

Shape the boat and its finished.

Step 8: Upscale

The boat can be upscaled to make it larger, used as a template for a corrugated cardboard boat and made waterproof by covering it with a large plastic tube of builder's plastic.