Make a Traditional Origami Tato

Learn about the art of origami and create paper objects with two tutorial videos

Hello! I am Estela Moreno Orteso, also known as Cartoncita (@cartoncita). I manage a studio of the same name, where I specialize in designing and creating objects, sets, and unique decor in paper and card. The house specialties are origami and papercut. I thrive in adapting traditional and manual techniques to modern needs.

Traditional origami: Tatos

A tato is a Japanese envelope or flat pouch made of paper or card. The original models have been around for centuries, but the origin of most of them is not known. Generally, they are very simple pieces to put together and an excellent starting point to learn the basics of origami. They are an easy project for children and for grown-ups who wish to work on design projects 100% by hand using simple materials.

Today, I want to share my passion for paper with a couple of tutorials and teach anyone (child or grown-up) how to create traditional origami tatoes quickly and easily.

For both pieces, you’ll need a 20cm x 20cm sheet of paper. Once completed, you will be able to personalize your tato and use it as an invite card, as a small book or anything that takes your fancy.

You can use a scoring tool, a ruler, and a marker, or download the below template if easier:

Let’s get started!

Origami tato: simple envelope

In this video, I will show you how to fold a simple tato envelope. If you follow the traditional folding method, all you need is a square piece of paper (origami paper, for example). If, like me, you like precision, you can opt to use a ruler and a scoring tool to fold some of the creases beforehand.

Traditional Origami tato

The next exercise is an excellent way to increase the level of complexity and understand the basics of multiple folding techniques. You will also learn how to flatten the tato and create movement.

This post was written by Estela Moreno (@cartoncita), a specialist in origami and set design. She teaches the Domestika course Creation of Origami Lamps With Paper, where you can learn the basics to decorate your spaces in this technique, which has evolved to designing contemporary functional products.

You may also like:

- OrigamiSimulator: The Simulator That Will Teach You to Become an Origami Master
- Fold-out Inspiration From a Pop-Up Book Creator
- Origami for Beginners: Materials and Basic Folding Techniques