Decor & Crafting Origami instructions | Fold paper Fold origami animals: 37 simple instructions with video

3D Origami Fish: Easy Folding Instructions with Photos and Video

Hello! Are you looking for a cool idea for an easy yet impressive origami project? Then our tutorial on folding 3D origami fish is just what you need! These adorable three-dimensional fish are not only simple to fold but also look great as decorations or as a creative gift. All our tutorials consist of videos and photographs with extensive text commentary and tips. This way, you’ll have no trouble recreating these awesome 3D fish.

All videos and photos you see here are produced by us. They’re all also available on our YouTube channel. If you click on the video title link, you can go directly to our channel and subscribe. That would be great!

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Tutorial with Photos and Commentary

In this craft tutorial and all our other guides, we make an effort to use only materials that can be found in any household or easily purchased at a nearby store. For our 3D origami fish, you only need a few basic crafting materials.

You’ll need the following for the 3D Origami Fish:

A square sheet of paper (colored, if possible)
A black marker for the eyes
Optional: additional markers for extra decorations

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Guide with Photos and Comments. Image 1 — Fold the square sheet so that the fold lines divide it into 16 equal parts.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Guide with Photos and Comments. Image 2 — To do this, fold the sheet first vertically and then horizontally.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos and Comments. Image 3 — Cut off the excess with scissors, then fold the sheet along both diagonals.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Guide with Photos and Comments. Image 4 — Fold the middle part of the sheet inward.

3D Origami Fisch: Schritt-für-Schritt Anleitung mit Fotos und Kommentaren. Das Bild 5 — Next, make folds on one of the four corners.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos and Comments. Image 6 — Make such folds on both sides. Watch how I do it in the video. In the end, there should be upward-pointing tips on both sides.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Guide with Photos and Comments. Image 7 — Now we begin to shape the fish’s body. You need to make sure that the so-called “wings” appear on the sides.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos and Comments. Image 8 — Make folds on these wings on both sides.

3D Origami Fish: Step-by-Step Guide with Photos and Comments. Image 9 — Now take markers and decorate your fish. That’s it. Look at the great fish you’ve made!

Origami Animals and the Development of Children’s Fine Motor Skills

Folding origami animals like our 3D fish is not only entertaining but also a great way to practice various skills. By precisely folding the paper, children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They learn patience, concentration, and spatial thinking as they create a three-dimensional object from a flat sheet of paper.

Origami animals also offer a wonderful opportunity to talk with children about nature and different species. With this fish, for example, you can discuss various types of fish, their habitats in the sea or in freshwater, and their importance to the ecosystem.

You can also expand the project by creating an entire underwater world of origami animals. Maybe you’d like to fold starfish, jellyfish, or seahorses in addition to the fish? Or you could craft a blue paper underwater scene where your folded sea creatures can swim.

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In Conclusion

We have invested a lot of time and effort to make our section on craft tutorials and DIY ideas as extensive as possible. If this tutorial was even slightly interesting to you, that is already a reward for us. If you’ve enjoyed this type of creative project, be sure to check out our origami and DIY ideas for kids sections. Maybe you’ll find more inspiring projects there.

We wish you much success folding your own 3D origami fish and lots of fun creatively designing your paper underwater world!

Published on May 8, 2025 by Vitalii Shynakov

Published on: May 8, 2025
From Vitalii Shynakov

Vitalii Shynakov has been working in the areas of online retail, marketing and customer satisfaction since 2012. Until 2022, he was the head of personnel development and online sales department of four successful stores. He has been part of the TutKit.com team since 2024.