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Paper Play

Animals

Flapping bird

The traditional bird that flaps its wings when you pull its tail. It starts from the same bird base as the crane.

  • DifficultyChallenging
  • PaperSquare, 15 × 15 cm
  • Steps17
  • About15 min

Why this level: Two petal folds make the bird base, then three inside reverse folds go through many layers.

You need: 1 sheet of origami paper

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Start folding

Steps at a glance

  1. 1. Fold in half and unfold

    White side up. Fold the bottom edge to the top edge and unfold, then fold the left edge to the right edge and unfold.

  2. 2. Turn over

    Turn over so the colored side is up.

  3. 3. Fold both diagonals

    Fold one corner to the opposite corner to make a triangle, then unfold. Repeat on the other diagonal.

  4. 4. Collapse into a square base

    Turn the paper so a corner points down. Using the creases, bring the top, left and right corners down to the bottom corner and flatten.

  5. 5. Fold the sides to the center

    Open end pointing down. Top layer only: fold the two lower edges to the center line to make a kite shape.

  6. 6. Fold the top down and unfold

    Fold the top triangle down over the flaps, crease firmly, and unfold.

  7. 7. Unfold the side flaps

    Unfold the two side flaps. The creases stay.

  8. 8. Petal fold

    Lift the bottom corner of the top layer upward. Let the sides fold in along the creases to meet at the center, and flatten into a long diamond.

  9. 9. Turn over

    Turn the model over.

  10. 10. Fold the sides on this side

    As before, fold the lower edges of the top layer to the center line.

  11. 11. Unfold the side flaps

    Unfold the two flaps again.

  12. 12. Petal fold this side

    Petal fold just like the other side. This shape is the bird base.

  13. 13. Make the neck

    Do not narrow the two lower points. Push the right point up between the front and back layers of the body so it sticks out at a slant (inside reverse fold). The crease starts at the center, where the two points split.

  14. 14. Make the tail

    Do the same with the left point. The neck and tail now spread out like a V.

  15. 15. Make the head

    Inside reverse fold the tip of the neck downward to form the head.

  16. 16. Fold the wings down

    Along the line joining the points where the neck and tail leave the body, fold the front wing down in front and the back wing down behind. Crease firmly.

  17. 17. Raise the wings — done

    Lift both wings back up, spread them out to the sides and stand the bird up — done! Hold the base of the neck and gently pull the tail to make the wings flap.

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