This article describes a method for folding long, single-stranded DNA molecules into arbitrary two-dimensional shapes with high spatial resolution. The approach, called 'scaffolded DNA origami', uses a long single-stranded DNA scaffold and over 200 short oligonucleotide 'staple strands' to hold the scaffold in place. The DNA structures are approximately 100 nm in diameter and can approximate desired shapes such as squares, disks, and five-pointed stars with a spatial resolution of 6 nm. The method allows for the creation of complex patterns, including words and images, on the surfaces of the DNA structures. The DNA structures can also be programmed to form larger assemblies, including extended periodic lattices and a hexamer of triangles. The method is based on the self-assembly of DNA molecules, which is a promising alternative to 'top-down' methods for creating nanostructures. The self-assembly of DNA molecules provides an attractive route towards creating nanostructures of high complexity. The design of a DNA origami involves five steps, including building a geometric model of the desired shape, folding a single long scaffold strand back and forth in a raster fill pattern, and designing a set of staple strands that provide Watson–Crick complements for the scaffold. The method was tested using circular genomic DNA from the virus M13mp18 as the scaffold. The DNA structures were imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the results showed that the method can create complex shapes with high spatial resolution. The method also allows for the creation of arbitrary patterns on the surfaces of the DNA structures, with the ability to create patterns with more than 200 individual pixels. The patterns on the DNA shapes have a complexity that is tenfold higher than that of any previously self-assembled arbitrary pattern and comparable to that achieved using AFM and STM surface manipulation. The method has the potential to be used in various applications, including the creation of 'nanobreadboards' to which diverse components could be added. The attachment of proteins, for example, might allow novel biological experiments aimed at modelling complex protein assemblies and examining the effects of spatial organization, whereas molecular electronic or plasmonic circuits might be created by attaching nanowires, carbon nanotubes or gold nanoparticles. The method is also expected to be used in fields as diverse as molecular biology and device physics.This article describes a method for folding long, single-stranded DNA molecules into arbitrary two-dimensional shapes with high spatial resolution. The approach, called 'scaffolded DNA origami', uses a long single-stranded DNA scaffold and over 200 short oligonucleotide 'staple strands' to hold the scaffold in place. The DNA structures are approximately 100 nm in diameter and can approximate desired shapes such as squares, disks, and five-pointed stars with a spatial resolution of 6 nm. The method allows for the creation of complex patterns, including words and images, on the surfaces of the DNA structures. The DNA structures can also be programmed to form larger assemblies, including extended periodic lattices and a hexamer of triangles. The method is based on the self-assembly of DNA molecules, which is a promising alternative to 'top-down' methods for creating nanostructures. The self-assembly of DNA molecules provides an attractive route towards creating nanostructures of high complexity. The design of a DNA origami involves five steps, including building a geometric model of the desired shape, folding a single long scaffold strand back and forth in a raster fill pattern, and designing a set of staple strands that provide Watson–Crick complements for the scaffold. The method was tested using circular genomic DNA from the virus M13mp18 as the scaffold. The DNA structures were imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the results showed that the method can create complex shapes with high spatial resolution. The method also allows for the creation of arbitrary patterns on the surfaces of the DNA structures, with the ability to create patterns with more than 200 individual pixels. The patterns on the DNA shapes have a complexity that is tenfold higher than that of any previously self-assembled arbitrary pattern and comparable to that achieved using AFM and STM surface manipulation. The method has the potential to be used in various applications, including the creation of 'nanobreadboards' to which diverse components could be added. The attachment of proteins, for example, might allow novel biological experiments aimed at modelling complex protein assemblies and examining the effects of spatial organization, whereas molecular electronic or plasmonic circuits might be created by attaching nanowires, carbon nanotubes or gold nanoparticles. The method is also expected to be used in fields as diverse as molecular biology and device physics.