Let’s go into the i.d.e.a. Museum archives and create some origami of dogs!

The activity we’re sharing comes from our It’s a Dog’s Life exhibition from Fall/Winter of 2016-17. Instructions and tips for this activity below.

Or watch the video:

Origami & the Akita

What is origami? It’s the Japanese art of folding paper. The word origami comes from ori (meaning folding) and kami (meaning paper) in Japanese.

In Japan, the popular Akita is the oldest native dog to the region. Akitas have a long history of loyalty and nobility that dates back 500 years.

You may know two famous Akitas. Hatchiko, an Akita who loyally waited by a train station for his owner for years (the link has some lessons tied to the children’s book from the University of Colorado-Boulder). Another is Hellen Keller’s service dog.

Find some Akita worksheets from kidskonnect to learn more.

Artful fun!

Using origami paper and some markers, you can create a dog face following the steps below. Does your dog look like an Akita? Try folding the ears up.

Step 1 – Place a perfectly square piece of origami paper (or lightweight copy paper) on a flat surface. Make sure edges point up and down, like a diamond.

Note: To fold correctly, the edges should all be even – a perfect square.

Step 2 – Mark your paper between two points. You will end up folding your paper into a triange.

Step 3 – Fold your paper in half. Then fold once more and open paper to form a crease down the middle.

Step 4 – Fold down ears.

Step 5 – Fold the bottom of your paper up.

Step 6 – Draw a face to complete. You might also use crayons, markers, stickers or other decorations on your masterpiece.

Now you have your own dog origami! Let’s start a conversation about your new pup:

  • What will you name your cute dog?
  • What’s his/her story?
  • What makes your dog special?

Connect with us!

Share your dog origami with us by posting your pictures on social media with the hashtags #ideaAtHome or #dogorigami. Tag us at @ideaMuseum on Facebook and @ideaMuseumMesa on Twitter and Instagram.