How to make an origami samurai helmet
This page has a UK and a US version. US version of this page
The kabuto is a traditional Japanese paper helmet with two horns and a brim. Fold it from a small square for a table decoration, or from a big square of newspaper and you can wear it. Children in Japan fold it for Children’s Day on 5 May.
- Medium
- Age 6+
- About 15 minutes
- 8 steps
- No scissors
- Moves: Turn it round
Lesson at a glance
- You need
- A square of paper (15 cm or 6 inches); a big newspaper square to wear it. No scissors or glue.
- Time
- About 15 minutes (allow longer the first time)
- Level
- Medium · age 6+
- How to teach it
- Show the 3D folder on the board and pause after each step, or print the step sheet for each table. Both show the same folds.
Finished!
Step 1 of 8Start with the square white side up. Fold it in half from corner to corner to make a big triangle. Turn the triangle so the long folded edge is at the top and the point is at the bottom.
Keys: left and right arrows go back and forward, Space plays or pauses, R plays the step again, B shows the back. On the 3D picture, the arrow keys turn it and + and − zoom.
How to fold a samurai helmet: step by step
You need: one square of paper. A 15 cm (6 inch) square makes a small model. To make one you can wear, use a square about 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) across: fold a double page of newspaper so the bottom edge meets the side, and tear off the extra strip.
Start with the square white side up. Fold it in half from corner to corner to make a big triangle. Turn the triangle so the long folded edge is at the top and the point is at the bottom.
Fold the left and right corners down to meet the bottom point. You now have a square standing on a corner.
Fold the bottom points of these two flaps up to meet the top point.
Fold the tips of the two flaps out and down at an angle, so they stick out at the sides like horns.
Fold the bottom point of the front layer only up, so the point sits just below the horns.
Fold the same layer up again along the bottom edge of the horns. This is the brim of the helmet.
Fold the last bottom point up behind the helmet (a mountain fold), or tuck it up inside.
Gently open the bottom of the helmet by pulling the front and back apart. Put it on – if you used a big square of newspaper, it fits your head!
Finished!
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How to wear it
- Open it: put your fingers inside the bottom edge and gently pull the front and back apart to make a hat shape.
- Wear it: a helmet folded from a 50–60 cm square fits most children’s heads. Fold a bigger square for adults.
- Decorate it: add a crest on the front in felt tips before you open it, or tape on a paper plume.
- Display it: small helmets stand up on a table – make a row of them in different colours.
If it goes wrong
- The horns are different sizes: the tips in step 4 should be folded out at the same angle. Line them up by eye before creasing.
- The brim looks crooked: in step 5 fold only the front layer, and in step 6 crease right along the bottom edge of the horns.
- It is too small to wear: start with a bigger square – the helmet ends up about half as wide as the square.
- It will not stay open: tuck the last point up inside (step 7) instead of folding it behind; that gives a firmer rim.
What children learn
- Culture: in Japan, families display helmets and fold paper kabuto for Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi) on 5 May.
- Shape: square, right-angled triangle and trapezium all appear; the finished helmet has one line of symmetry.
- Measure and scale: the helmet is about half the width of the starting square. How big a square do you need for your head?
- Fine motor skills: lining up points and folding one layer at a time.
Classroom tips for teachers
- Two sizes: demonstrate with a 15 cm square on the board, then let everyone fold a wearable one from newspaper.
- Maths link: measure your head, then work out how big the starting square must be (about twice the width you need).
- Geography and RE link: use it in a topic on Japan or festivals – compare Children’s Day with festivals your class knows.
- Drama: helmets make instant costumes for stories and plays.
- SEND tips: big newspaper squares are easier to fold than small ones. Mark the points that meet with dots before folding.
Curriculum links
- Geography (KS1–KS2): learn about Japan and how people there celebrate Children’s Day.
- Maths (Year 2–4, geometry): name 2-D shapes as you fold and find the line of symmetry of the finished helmet.
- Maths (Year 3–5, measurement): measure lengths in cm and work out the size of square you need to fit your head.
- Design and technology (KS1): make a product for a purpose (a hat to wear) and evaluate it.
Links to the National Curriculum in England and the EYFS framework. Check the wording against your own school’s plans. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Safety
No scissors or glue are needed. If you tear newspaper into a square, crease the line hard first and tear slowly. Newspaper ink can rub off on hands, so wash hands afterwards.
More origami to try
More for your classroom
Questions teachers ask
How big a square do I need to make a samurai helmet I can wear?
About 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) across for a child – a double page of newspaper torn into a square works well.
What is a kabuto?
Kabuto is the Japanese word for a samurai helmet. Paper kabuto are traditionally folded for Children’s Day on 5 May.
Is the samurai helmet hard to fold?
It is a medium model with eight steps. Most children from about age 6 can fold it, especially with big paper.
Can I make it without newspaper?
Yes. Any square works; a 15 cm origami square makes a small helmet for display.