Origami Secret Stepper Box Tutorial

Origami Secret Stepper Box Tutorial via @paper_kawaii
Origami Secret Stepper Box Tutorial via @paper_kawaii

Learn how to make a useful origami stepper box, this origami gift box has 3 – 4 levels and is easy to make. Perfect to store jewellery or give gifts.

This secret stepper box is made by putting together two different origami models. One is a hinge box and the little boxes inside are masu boxes.

Included are two different heights of box, one has three levels and the other has four… you could actually make one with more if you can work that out.

You can make a cover for this or use some ribbon or something to secure it. The pink one I made stays shut by itself and doesn’t need it. If you want it to do that, you may need to use slightly larger paper for the masu boxes, just 1 or 2 mm more. Or if using textured paper, it will probably stay shut.

A small rant: This box became really popular on youtube, which is great but unfortunately a lot of people re-made my tutorial, without giving any information or crediting me for the design. At the time I was quite upset about this and actually asked a few people to add credit, some did and others didn’t. Some people actually got angry with me for even suggesting that they needed to. After that a very large channel made a tutorial for this box, and then [5 minute crafts] did one. They refused to even reply to my messages about this. This issue honestly made me question even wanting to continue with Paper Kawaii, as weird as that may sound, it upset me that much. It’s 2021 now and I haven’t been posting like I used to, this issue still bothers me, even now.

The diagram for this origami stepper box can be found here.

Design: © Paper Kawaii Copyright Information
Level: ★★☆☆☆

You will need:

▸ 1 sheet of rectangular paper
(4 levels): 29.7 x 19.8 cm
(3 levels): 29.7 x 17.8 cm
▸ 4 sheets of square paper: 13.5 x 13.5 cm
▸ Optional rectangular paper to make a cover
▸ Glue, pencil, ruler

Final model size: 10 x 5 cm

The ratio for the rectangular paper is 2:3 (4 levels) and 3:5 (3 levels). I used A4 paper to start with.
The boxes to fit inside are the width of the rectangular paper divided by 2.2

Some other sizes you can use are:

Cut from US LETTER PAPER: 11 x 7.3 inch (4 levels) 11 x 6.57 inch (3 levels) & 5 x 5 inches for the boxes.
30 x 20 cm (4 levels) 30 x 18 cm (3 levels) & 13.6 x 13.6 for boxes.
20 x 13.3 cm (4 levels) 20 x 12 cm (3 levels) & 9 x 9 cm for boxes.
15 x 10 cm (4 levels) 15 x 9 cm (3 levels) & 6.8 x 6.8 cm boxes.

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38 Comments
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A person who loves origami
A person who loves origami
4 months ago

What paper size should I use for the inside boxes if I use a peice of A4 paper for the outside box?

Steve Maddy Frank Night Calvert Jonhson
Steve Maddy Frank Night Calvert Jonhson
1 year ago

hi this is so good

CH
CH
1 year ago

If I have 22.5 cm x 30 cm construction paper, then what size would I need for the boxes

Ajay
Ajay
1 year ago

What would the sizes be if you have 28×21.7 size paper?

Ajay
Ajay
1 year ago
Reply to  Ajay

*28×21.7 cm

A
A
1 year ago

What is the finished size for this?
20 x 12 cm (3 levels) & 9 x 9 cm for boxes.

Matthew
Matthew
2 years ago

Hi, my small boxes were too big to fit into the big opening box.

Fleur
Fleur
2 years ago

Hello 🙂 Is there any way to make the box shut and not pop back open?

Violet
Violet
2 years ago

How big would the outside box need to be if I had 15 x 15 cm origami paper for the inside boxes?

Yeah
Yeah
2 years ago
Reply to  Violet

I think it might be 33cm x 33cm but it might be wrong

Yeah
Yeah
2 years ago
Reply to  Yeah

Of you were to do four

Yeah
Yeah
2 years ago
Reply to  Yeah

No it’s wrong sorry

Lucy
Lucy
2 years ago

,this thing looks Cool 😎

Sophie
Sophie
3 years ago

Is it possible to make the hinged box with a length of 15cm? If so, what is the width and what are the measurements of the smaller boxes?

Miranda
Miranda
4 years ago

Hi,
I am hoping to be able to make this box so that each drawer will hold a different type of tea packet. Most tea packets are 2.5×3 in. I would like it to have 3 drawers each 3x3in. What size paper would I need to be able to make the outer box? What size paper do I need to make each drawer? Thanks!

Ruth Ann
Ruth Ann
4 years ago

This is sooo CUTE. I made like a dozen of them xD

Ally
Ally
4 years ago

Hi Chrissy,
I really like this design!!
To have a completed inner box 1.5 inches in length and wide, what size would I need for the square sheets and the rectangular piece of paper?

Ally
Ally
4 years ago
Reply to  Chrissy

Thank you so much!! also, how tall would a finished inner box be??
Sorry for troubling you

Brendan
Brendan
4 years ago

Hi Chrissy,

I need the boxes to fit tea light candles. What paper could I use and what sizes for the sheets will work?

Thank you! These look really great!!!

Brendan

joanna
joanna
4 years ago

I have origami paper 14.6 x14.6 for the inside boxes, what size would the outside box be?

Joanna
Joanna
4 years ago
Reply to  Chrissy

thank you!

Victoria
Victoria
5 years ago

This is really cute! Just a question, can you make this with average American letter paper? Thanks again!

Frances
Frances
5 years ago

This is an awesome tutorial!! I want to recreate it but to bigger scale. How big should the paper size be if I want the finished container to be 27.9cm long?

Sheila
Sheila
5 years ago

This is a fantastic tutorial, thank you! I noticed in making these that the boxes/shelves are just about the right size to fit a battery-operated/flameless tealight candle on the top box (with a little packing to make it higher and cutting a hole in the top. It makes it serve as a “candle” (kind of – the “flame” barely pokes out of the top). Do you have any plans to make a similar stepper box design that’s more rounded, with shallower boxes so it might mimic a candle? Just an idea if you wanted to play around with it.

Thanks again for all of the great tutorials!

Helen
Helen
5 years ago

Hi, I’m just wondering: in the video it says at around 0:49 that you divided your paper into three sections, you stated that 29.6 / 3 = 9.9. Does this imply that your paper was 29.6 cm long, nor 29.7? Because in the text right below the video you said to use paper that was 29.7 by 17.8 (three-layer.). Should I use 29.6 or 29.7?
Sorry if this is a bother! ?

Savanah LIiya
Savanah LIiya
5 years ago

Please do a picture tutorial for this

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