How to Fold and Unfold Your Watercolor Painting: Step-by-Step for Beginners

One square of watercolor paper. Four completely different paintings. And when someone picks it up and starts rotating it, they genuinely can't figure out how you did it.

This origami watercolor folding technique is one of my favorite projects because it feels like a magic trick... but it's completely learnable. You fold the paper into a specific origami shape, paint one scene in each of the four panels, and end up with a rotating masterpiece that shows a different painting every time you turn it. If you can fold paper and hold a paintbrush, you can do this. I'll walk you through every step of this unique watercolor project!

I've broken it down here as best as I can, but if you're a auditory learner, you might benefit from watching and listening to the full video tutorial on YouTube.

What you'll need

Get these supplies together before you start:

A large square of watercolor paper — 9 x 9 inches is the minimum, and I'd recommend 140 lb weight. If 140 lb feels hard to fold (it is a bit stiff), 120 lb works too and still paints beautifully. Don't go smaller than 8 x 8 or the folds become really difficult to manage.

You'll also need a pencil for marking, scissors, painter's tape or drafting tape, and something metal and smooth for creasing your folds. I use the handle of a metal paintbrush. Whatever you use — do not use a regular pencil for creasing. The pigment rubs off onto the paper and shows through when you paint over it. A metal brush handle, the back of a butter knife, or even the flat edge of your scissors all work perfectly.

Finally, have your watercolor supplies ready for the painting phase — paints, brushes, water cup, whatever you normally use.

If you're newer to watercolor and not sure what supplies to start with, check out 5 Watercolor Mistakes Beginners Make before you dive in — it'll save you some frustration.

Step 1: Fold your paper into a grid

Start with your square of paper face down on a flat surface. Fold it in half, line up the edges carefully, and press the fold down firmly. Then open it back up and fold it the other direction so it creases both ways. Do this in both directions — horizontal and vertical — so you end up with four equal quadrants and the paper folds easily both ways.

Now fold each of those halves in half again, so you end up with three evenly spaced fold lines running horizontally and three running vertically. You'll have 16 squares total in a 4x4 grid. Press each crease firmly using your metal tool, and crease every fold in both directions.

This step takes patience — watercolor paper is thick and stiff, especially 140 lb. Take your time with each crease. The more precisely you fold now, the easier the rest of the project goes.

Step 2: Mark and cut out the center four squares

Once your grid is folded, use your pencil to mark an X through the four squares that sit in the very center of the paper. These four squares get cut out entirely.

Fold the paper so two of the marked squares sit directly on top of each other, and carefully cut along the fold lines on both sides. Then fold the other direction and cut again. The four center squares should lift out cleanly, leaving you with a frame shape — like a picture mat with a square hole in the middle.

Go slowly here. Small, careful cuts are better than one rushed one. If you need to tidy up a corner, that's fine.

Step 3: Tape the diagonal corners

This is what holds the whole origami shape together, so don't rush it.

Mark an X on two diagonal corners of your frame. Apply two small pieces of painter's tape to each of those corners — one on each side — and then fold that row of the frame inward, pressing the tape down firmly so it bonds to the paper beneath it.

Do this again but add tape to the corners that weren't taped in the last fold. 

Use painter's tape or drafting tape. Not liquid glue — it warps the paper. Not a glue stick — it won't hold on thick watercolor paper. Tape works perfectly and, crucially, lets you pull it off and try again if you mess up the fold. 

Step 4: Fold everything into the final square shape

With all four corners taped, take the outside edges of the frame and fold them inward. The whole structure should collapse into a neat square that opens in four different directions, like a book that unfolds four ways.

The first few times you open and close it, it'll feel a little stiff. That's normal. The more you fold it back and forth, the more the creases loosen up and the easier it gets to rotate through all four panels.

Step 5: Paint!

Open each panel of your origami painting and fill it with a watercolor scene — one painting per panel. Landscapes, florals, abstract shapes, a little kitchen scene, something from outside your window — anything works. Each panel is its own small painting, and they don't have to match at all. The contrast between four completely different images is actually part of what makes the finished piece so fun to look at.

I used soil-based watercolors from The Art of Soil for mine — beautiful earthy tones made with natural pigments — but use whatever paints you have.

If you need painting ideas, I have 30 free seasonal painting prompts you can grab at this link. If you want more structured guidance, the Watercolor Confidence Course has 30 short tutorials — most under 10 minutes — that work perfectly for small projects like this. You can also browse Watercolor Kits if you want everything in one place to get started.

Watch the full video tutorial here: Origami Watercolor Painting Tutorial

So what?

One square of paper, some patient folding, and you end up with four paintings in one rotating piece. It's the kind of project that looks more complicated than it is — once you go step by step, it's completely doable.

Tag me on Instagram @alyssawhetstoneart when you finish yours. I love seeing what people paint in each panel.

And if you want to keep learning, Why a Watercolor Workbook Is the Best Way to Start Painting is a good next read.

Happy painting! -Alyssa