Boxes and Coxes – A Tutorial

This is the simplest origami trick, and so incredibly useful whenever you need a small box or tray.

Take any old piece of A4 paper, fold it lengthways to locate the centre, and carefully fold the two long edges in to that crease

Press all creases firmly, open the paper up, and now fold the short edges in to the centre. Press creases again

Now fold the four corners up to meet those folds which are a quarter of the way along. Press firmly again.

Fold over the narrow exposed part of the long edges. Crease well.

Put your fingers inside, and gently open up your box

Practice, and you can do this in less than a minute with any rectangle of paper. [But not with a square piece!]

This means that when you need a small box, you can fold one up almost instantly.

Like when you notice some blackberries and some windfall coxes pippin apples in the lane where you parked your car, you can quickly make a little box, and pick just enough fruit for a dessert for two – then carry the fruit home safely on the passenger seat!

I made individual blackberry and apple crumbles using those huge red spotty cups I had last Christmas [ I have used them before to serve desserts] I microwaved the fruit in the cups with a little sugar, and then put on a crumble topping – microwaved again briefly, then finished them off in a hot oven…

…there’s just enough room in the top of the cups for a splash of custard.

Gorgeous!