The helmet base is one of the 12 traditional origami bases and is named after its resemblance to the origami samurai helmet.
Origami bases are pretty nifty folds that are essential starting points for many origami designs. For example, the helmet base can be the starting point for designs like the samurai helmet or the Cicada (my favorite fold). For a full list of designs that can be made using this base, scroll down to the bottom of this guide (or click here)!
This easy base consists of only three valley folds and takes about a minute to complete.
To fold this base, you will need a single square sheet of paper— origami paper works the best and will provide you with cleaner creases. However, if you don’t have origami paper, you can also check out our guide on how to make a square sheet out of printer paper.
In this tutorial, I’ll be using a dual-color 6 x 6 sheet of origami paper.
Step 1: Start white side up
Start by flipping your paper over so that the white side faces up and the colored side faces down. If you are using a single-colored piece of paper, you can skip this step.
Step 2: Fold the paper in half diagonally
Begin by folding the paper in half diagonally—bringing the bottom-left corner to the top-right corner. Crease well.
Step 3: Fold the right corner to the top corner
Rotate the paper so that the flat side is pointing towards you. Then fold the right corner up to the top corner and crease.
Step 4: Fold the left corner to the top corner
Like the previous step, fold the left corner to the top corner and crease!
Flatten everything down well, and there you have it, the helmet base! Pretty easy, right?
The Helmet Base: Continued Folding
The helmet base may be one of the most simple origami bases, but don’t let that fool you. With some additional folds, it can be continued into quite a few cool origami designs.
Below is our collection of origami guides that can be folded using this particular base.
You can click the images below to visit each step-by-step guide!
Origami Cicada
The Cicada is a giant winged insect known throughout Japan for its loud mating call. This cool traditional fold is the perfect first design to use your helmet base. Not to mention it is one of my favorite origami creatures. Check out our cicada guide here!
Origami Samurai Helmet
Why not continue your base into the very design it was named after? The origami samurai helmet requires a few additional folds and is a classic design to add to your origami arsenal. Check out our samurai helmet guide here!
Origami Ladybug
The origami ladybug uses a modified helmet base but nonetheless is a very unique and cool design that you can decorate to your liking! If you like paper bugs, this one is for you. Learn how to fold an origami ladybug here.
Closing Thoughts
Origami bases are a fun and easy way to memorize all your favorite folds.
If you would like to learn how to fold more origami bases, check out our beginner’s guide to origami base folds. Or, if you’re looking for some cool things to fold, check out our growing collection of origami designs here.
Happy folding!