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How to fold an origami alpaca

Fold a plump kite body and swing sturdy legs down. Slim and crimp the thick neck up, tip a strip at its top back into an ear and crimp the small head forward under it.

You need: 1 fawn square (15 cm or bigger), scissors and a black pen. Hard, 20 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Crease the middle. White side up, turned like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
  2. Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 5.6 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the alpaca's neck and head.
  3. Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 6.8 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the rump.
  4. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 3.6 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
  5. Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half along the middle crease. The long fold on top is the back, the flat bottom is the tummy.
  6. Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 0.9 cm and the top edge down 0.6 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the ear.
  7. Open it. Unfold both strips again.
  8. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 4.4 cm, and from the back end in 3.7 cm.
  9. Free the ear. Cut along the top crease from the front end in 1.7 cm.
  10. Front legs. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers one way and the back ones behind, a little apart.
  11. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
  12. Ear up. Fold the free strip up behind on a slanted crease from the end of its cut, both layers together, so it points up and forward.
  13. Slim the neck. Fold the bottom edge of the neck end in on a slant from the chest to near the tip, front layers forward and back ones behind.
  14. Hooves. Fold the pointed tip of each leg back on a crease straight across it, the front legs forward and the back ones behind, so the feet are blunt.
  15. Neck: crease. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 8.2 cm from its tip, all layers together.
  16. Neck: crimp up. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same bottom point, so the thick neck stands up tall.
  17. Head: crease. Fold the top of the neck over on a crease straight across it, at the bottom of the ear. Leave the ear up.
  18. Head: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same back point, so the small head points forward.
  19. Short body. Fold the whole tail end behind on an upright crease just behind the back legs, 2.8 cm from them, all layers together.
  20. Round the rump. Fold both back corners behind, 0.9 cm along each edge, so the woolly rump is round.

Fluffy and proud!

Draw a big shiny eye and a little nose on the small head.

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