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Origami how-to: Make a one-way arrow street sign with Post-it® Notes

Origami how-to: Make a one-way arrow street sign with Post-it® Notes

Use Post-it® Notes to create an arrow street sign with this fun idea from Jenny W. Chan.


  • Using the New York Post-it® Color Collection as inspiration, origami artist Jenny W. Chan translated the sights and sounds of New York City into a miniature paper-folded world. She's created one original origami design for each color in the collection, including a taxi, street lamp, subway train and food stand umbrella.

    This one-way street sign is a quick study. There are fewer steps than in the other designs, but some interesting paper folds mix things up and make it fun! Start by watching the video or following the written instructions below.

  • Step-by-step directions

  • What you’ll need:

    1 – 3" x 3" Post-it® Super Sticky Note 
    1 pair of scissors 
    1 marker or other writing utensil

  • One Post-it® Note makes two arrows

    1. Fold the Post-it® Super Sticky Note in half horizontally, with the adhesive side facing out. After you fold it, you should have adhesive on both sides. Then unfold it and cut it in half along the crease you just created.
  • First it’ll look like a stick of gum

    1. Take one of the Post-it® Super Sticky Note halves and fold it in half lengthwise, making another horizontal crease. The adhesive should face the inside. Then unfold.


    2. With the adhesive on the left and facing you, fold the bottom edge of the note up so it meets the middle crease you just made. Then do the same thing with the top edge, folding it down so it meets the middle crease.


    3. Now you have a long rectangle shape that kind of looks like a stick of gum. Fold the rectangle in half (with the flaps you created in step 3 facing in) so it looks like a half piece of gum. Then unfold.

  • Wait, what?

    1. This part’s a bit tricky. The adhesive should still be on the left. Lift the right side of the top flap and align the bottom edge of this flap with the vertical crease in the center of the unit. As you do this, it will start to create a triangle shape next to the vertical crease. Flatten the diagonal line of that triangle shape and that will hold the rest of the flap open. Then repeat this step with the bottom flap. Now you should have two triangle shapes adjacent to the center line, and it should look like the top and bottom flaps are being held open by those triangles.

  • Then it will look like a mushroom

    1. With the open flaps still on your right side and facing you, fold the right side of the unit over to the left, making a crease immediately adjacent to the right tips of the two triangles. As you flatten out this crease, you’ll also be flattening out the third side of both triangles. Now the unit looks a little like a mushroom stem with a top.

  • Before you know it, you’re almost done

    1. Hold the unit so the mushroom top is on the right. Take that mushroom top flap and open it, folding it to the right as far as it will let you go. When you fold it, the crease will end up just a bit to the right of the center line.


    2. With the mushroom top still on your right, fold the bottom right corner up to the center crease, folding it diagonally so it forms a triangle. Then do the same thing with the top right corner.


    3. Flip the arrow over, and you’re ready to decorate!

creativity origami jenny_w_chan super_sticky_notes

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