There is something instantly satisfying about turning a flat square of paper into a little car you can actually "drive" across the table. This origami car keeps things approachable—no fancy bases to memorize, just a friendly sequence of triangle folds, gentle reverses, and a couple of neat tucks that bring the wheels to life. The first time you flip it upright and see the roofline appear, it feels a bit like magic. It is a great pick for an afternoon craft with kids, and once you have made one, you will probably want a whole origami traffic jam. Roll on!

How to Fold

STEP 1. Fold the paper into a triangle.

STEP 2. Fold it into a triangle again.

STEP 3. Open the triangular flap and spread it apart.

STEP 4. Once it forms a rectangle like this, flip it over and fold the back side the same way.

STEP 5. Fold it along the dashed line.

STEP 6. Crease it along the dashed line.

STEP 7. Lift the top layer upward while opening it out…

STEP 8. Spread the section shown in the photo outward horizontally.

STEP 9. It should now look like this.

STEP 10. Fold as shown in the photo. Repeat on the other side.

STEP 11. Fold only one layer along the dashed line.

STEP 12. Fold it along the dashed line.

STEP 13. Fold it backward along the dashed line.

STEP 14. Fold the upper half downward.

STEP 15. Fold it upward along the dashed line.

STEP 16. Fold it downward along the dashed line.

STEP 17. Fold it inward along the dashed line. Do the same on the back side.

STEP 18. Fold it inward along the dashed line. Repeat on the back side.

STEP 19. The corners on the tires are removed and flattened. Next, make a crease along the dashed line above.

STEP 20. Press with your finger and push it inward using the crease you just made.

STEP 21. Fold it in half along the dashed line.

STEP 22. Your origami car is complete!

Folding Tips

Step 20 can be tricky for younger children, so give them a hand to help the flap fold neatly inside.

Open up the roof section of the car to give it a three-dimensional shape. How does it look? You can also color the tires black for a nice finishing touch.