How to make an origami Twin Boats (Nisobune)にそうぶねTwin Boats (Nisobune)
Two little boats joined back to back. Pull out the corners to make a hexagon, then fold it in half and open it up. The first steps are the same as the Trick Boat and the Pinwheel.
★Sailboat (First Fold)★★Sailboat (Easy)★★★Trick Boat (Damashibune) (Medium)
- 7 steps
- about 10 min
- 1 sheet of origami paper
- Age 7+
7
How to fold
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たてと横に半分に折って、折りすじをつける
Fold in half both ways and unfold.
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左右のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折る
Fold the left and right edges to the center line.
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上と下のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折りすじをつける
Fold the top and bottom edges to the center line and unfold.
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下も同じように、角を左右へ引き出してつぶす（六角形になる）
Do the same at the bottom. Now the paper is a long hexagon.
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まん中の線で、うしろへ半分に折る
Fold in half behind along the center line.
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ふねの中に指を入れて開き、2そうのふねにする
Put your fingers inside and open them up to make two boats.
上のまん中の折り目を指でつまみ、手前と おくの下のほうを そっと広げて、ふねの形にととのえます。
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できあがり！にそうぶねのできあがり！ 2そうのふねが、せなかあわせに ならんでいます。
Finished! Your twin boats are finished! Two little boats sit side by side, joined back to back.
角をつまんで外へ引き出すと、とがった三角ができます。How to play
水にうかべてみよう（紙なので、すこしの間だけ）。ふねの中に 小さなビーズや豆を のせて、はこぶ あそびもできます。
Try floating it on water for a short time. You can also carry small beads or beans in the boats.
Fun fact
「艘（そう）」は、ふねを数えることばです。「にそう」は「2そう」という意味で、名前のとおり 1まいの紙から ふねが2そうできます。
In Japanese, "so" is the word used for counting boats, so "ni-so-bune" means "two boats." Just as the name says, one sheet of paper makes two boats.
Origami English in this model
- unfold開く（元に戻す）
- crease折りすじ（折りすじをつける）
- open開く
- pull引く（引っぱる）
- flatten平らにする
- fold in half半分に折る
- corner角
- edge辺（ふち）
- center line中心線
- boatふね
- twinふたご
- hexagon六角形
- floatうかぶ
- pull out引き出す
❓ FAQ
- What age is this origami Twin Boats (Nisobune) for?
- About Age 7+. It is rated “Medium” (level 3 of 5), with 7 steps, and takes about 10 minutes.
- What paper do I need?
- One sheet of square origami paper (15 cm / 6 in). No scissors or glue are needed.
- What is it called in Japanese?
- In Japanese it is “にそうぶね”. The word origami (折り紙) itself means “folding paper”: ori = fold, kami = paper.
- Can I print the instructions?
- Yes. “Print the diagram” puts every step on one page (or a PDF), and the practice sheet has the crease lines printed on the paper. Free for home and classroom use.
