What in the word?

In honor of National Poetry Month, Planet Word is celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 27. Whether you will be visiting the museum or staying at home, we encourage you to join in the celebration! Use resources created by the Academy of American Poets and share your favorite poem with friends and family.

To get ready for Poem in Your Pocket Day, learn how to make fun pocket-sized origami envelopes to hold your favorite poems!

STEP 1: Gather Materials

All you need is a square piece of paper.

Get as creative as you would like! You can use patterned origami paper or solid-colored paper, or even draw your own designs.

STEP 2: Assemble the Envelope

1. Fold your square piece of paper in half diagonally. Crease well and unfold.
2. Fold the bottom corner up to the middle crease.
3. Fold the paper in half along the middle crease.
4. Now is the tricky part! Fold the corners in so the tip of each just touches the crease made on the other side. In other words, fold the paper in thirds left to right. You should have the right flap on top of the left flap.
5. Now fold the top flap so the tip touches the bottom right corner of the envelope. Crease well.
6. Bring the corner you just folded down to the center and flatten it into a little diamond.
7. Fold the top corner down and align it with the diamond shape you just made.
8. Now you can close it by tucking the top corner into the diamond!

STEP 3: Fill with Your Favorite Poem

Pick your favorite poem!

Having trouble picking a poem? Read the list of 49 poems featured in our Poetry Nook for inspiration. Both the Poetry Foundation and the Academy of American Poets also have large catalogs of poems available to read on their websites.

STEP 4: Share with Us

We would love to see your favorite poems and completed envelopes! Share yours by posting on social media and tagging @PlanetWordDC with the hashtag #PocketPoem.