Welcome Inventors! I have a 10-year-old son who an origami enthusiast. Last week, he showed me a boredom buster box he made. You have got to try this!

If you are new to making origami, the box is a doable first project. Go slow and pause/replay the video as needed. This is a 5-step tutorial. Let’s get started.

STEP 1: KNOWLEDGE – what is origami? Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures. To make the box, you will need 6 pieces of square paper.

I squared my paper by folding a top triangle down of a standard size piece of paper (8 ½ x 11 – as shown) and I tore the extra off. You can also cut the paper into 8 ½ x 8 ½ inch squares.

STEP 2: SIMPLE APPLICATION – follow the steps of this link to make the box. This video was not made by me or my son and it is an excellent guide! When Ben and I watched the video, we had our six papers all set to go before we began, and it took us about 10 minutes.

This wonderful, 3-minute video by VENTUNOART shows how to make this box. Click HERE to watch the video. You can do it! When I was done, my box looked like this:

STEP 3: LEVEL-UP – I love learning new things, but what really jazzes me is learning something new and then finding a way to make it my own. Ben turned this work of art into a game by writing ideas of things to do when he is bored on the triangles on each side of the cube.

STEP 4: BUILD IT –  We’d already built the box, but once we started throwing around the Boredom Buster Box, it was in danger of being destroyed by use. To protect it, Ben put clear tape on the edges to protect and strengthen it. This made a huge difference!

STEP 5: LAUNCH – I like to write stories, and like any writer, I get stuck sometimes. Instead of making a boredom buster box, I made a writer’s box. My box showcased different characters and sent them off on adventures – depending on how the box lands. I love it!

INVENT YOUR STORY! These beautiful boxes can also be used to teach kids fractions (again, that one was Ben’s idea) or they can be strung together to make a fun banner or decoration. Whatever you use this for, it’s a great boredom buster!

Thank you for stopping by. I’d love to find out what you decide to create! Leave a comment if you can, and then go – invent YOUR story! ????