Materials:

1 square piece of paper (6x6 inches or 15x15 cm works well)

Instructions:

1. Step 1: Start with a Square

   Place the square paper with the colored side facing up (if using colored paper).

2. Step 2: Fold the Square in Half Diagonally

   Fold the paper diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner, and crease well. Unfold.

   Fold the paper diagonally the other way, from the remaining corners, and crease well. Unfold. You now have an "X" crease pattern.

3. Step 3: Fold in Half Horizontally and Vertically

   Fold the paper in half horizontally (top edge to bottom edge), crease well, and unfold.

   Fold the paper in half vertically (left edge to right edge), crease well, and unfold. You now have a grid of creases.

4. Step 4: Collapse the Paper into a Square Base

   Push in the sides of the square toward the center, and collapse the paper along the crease lines into a smaller square, called a “square base.” It should look like a smaller square with flaps on top.

5. Step 5: Fold the Bottom Corners Up

   Take the bottom corners of the square (the layers on the top) and fold them up to the center of the square. Crease well.

   Unfold these folds. Repeat for the other three corners. After this step, the square base should have creases showing a "star" pattern.

6. Step 6: Fold the Top Corners to the Center

   Fold the top corners down to meet the center of the square (along the same crease lines you made in Step 5). This will create a diamond shape. Crease well.

7. Step 7: Fold the Edges to the Center

   Fold the left and right edges of the diamond inward, aligning them with the center crease. Crease well. This should form a kite shape.

8. Step 8: Lift the Layers (Petal Fold)

   Carefully lift the top flap of each side, and fold the edge outward along the creases you just made to form a "petal."

   Repeat for each of the four flaps. This creates the petals of the flower.

9. Step 9: Open the Petals

   Gently pull the sides of the petals apart, and use your fingers to open them up, creating the shape of a flower. The petals should be rounded and spread outward.

10. Step 10: Fold the Inner Layer (Petal Adjustments)

    Turn the paper over. You should see the back of the flower. The next step is to fold the inner layer (the part of each petal nearest the center of the flower) in slightly to give the petals more shape.

    Fold the inner part of each petal back toward the center, pinching it slightly to create a "narrower" look at the base of each petal.

11. Step 11: Final Touches

    Gently pull the petals out further to give them more volume and adjust them as needed. You can also use your fingers to curl the edges slightly for a more natural look.

12. Optional: Add a Stem

    If you'd like to add a stem, fold a long strip of green paper into a thin rectangle, and attach it to the bottom of the flower. You can also fold the remaining paper from the square base to create a leaf.

Now you have a beautiful intermediate-level origami lotus flower! This model requires more precision than a simple flower but is a great way to practice both basic folds and petal shaping. Once you master it, you can experiment with different sizes of paper and colors to create a stunning collection of lotus flowers.