Sampan Origami Boat - Small and Big

Making an origami sampan boat is easy enough as all you need is a square sheet of paper. Some years ago, I made one large enough to float in. A large square of paper was made from a newspaper reel of paper glued together. The square took up most of the living room. It was then folded into a sampan boat. This wasn't that ridged, so it was used as a template and layers of corrugated cardboard laid into it and glued together using PVA glue and clamps. The finished cardboard boat was inserted into a large plastic tube of building plastic and the ends secured. While it wasn't terribly fast in the water, it was a great way to relax and enjoy a beer. The finished boat was light and could just fit into a car.

This project demonstrates how the template can be made from a small sheet of square paper.

Three-inch square sheet of paper

Traditional Origami Sampan Instructions Step by Step - Origami Expressions

Make a crease in the paper from one corner to the other diagonally, both ways.

Fold and crease the corners into the center.

Fold two corners inside to the center and the other two outside.

Turn it over and fold as shown.

Fold the four corners inwards and crease down.

Fold the same corners inwards again and then fold and crease the top and bottom to the center.

Holding the folds from the center, turn inside out.

Shape the boat and its finished.

The boat can be upscaled to make it larger, used as a template for a corrugated cardboard boat and made waterproof by covering it with a large plastic tube of builder's plastic.