Sawadee ka! (I’m saying “hello” in Thai!)

Today I’m going to show you how to make your own chopstick holders, great for decorating the dinner table or giving away as presents. I got the idea from this cool web site!

I didn’t have my chopsticks on me when I first made them, so I used pencils to show where the chopsticks would normally go.

First, take a regular-sized sheet of paper—already drawn on or left blank to decorate later—and fold it horizontally (also known as “hamburger style”). Cut down the crease so you now have two rectangles.

Take one of the rectangles and fold it in thirds so that one flap can easily fold on top of the other. Open it back up and fold the top two corners.

Next, fold the flaps back down again with the corners folded down so it looks like the photo below. If the flaps don’t stay down, you can use stickers or tape to keep the top flap down.

Now flip it over and fold the bottom up, securing it with tape. You can also use a sticker, like the green one in the picture.

Now you have your very own chopstick holders!

Don’t know how to use chopsticks? Here’s a short, instructional video I made with the help of my friend Emily at the Museum:

If you’re still having trouble, here’s a trick for all beginners:

Cut a small segment of a straw and bend it in half. Stick the two ends of the chopsticks in the openings and then tape around the straw enough so the straw stays bent, but you can still move the chopsticks up and down. If you’re having trouble moving the chopsticks up and down, try taping the straw at a bigger angle for more springiness.

Now you have your own practice chopsticks! What sorts of things can you pick up with your chopsticks? How will you decorate your chopstick holders?