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How to fold an origami ant

Pleat a strip into a head, a slim chest and a big back end, with two small slits at the waist. Fold thin strips into six bent legs and elbowed feelers.

You need: Red paper: a 4 × 15 cm strip, three 15 × 1.3 cm strips and a 9 × 1 cm strip; scissors, glue, black and white pens. Hard, 28 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Waist: bottom up. Stand the 4 × 15 cm strip up, red side up. Fold the bottom up on a crease 5.5 cm from the bottom.
  2. Snip the waist. Snip along the bottom fold from each side, stopping 5 mm from the middle. Only the thin middle will join the chest to the back end.
  3. Shape the back end. On the flap, fold the two corners next to the fold up on a slant, from 1 cm either side of the middle to the sides 2.6 cm higher.
  4. Waist: back down. Fold the flap back down on a crease 4 mm above the bottom fold. It hangs below as the big back end, with sloping shoulders.
  5. Head pleat: top down. Fold the top down on a crease 3.4 cm from the top.
  6. Head pleat: back up. Fold it back up on a crease 4 mm lower. This ledge is the neck: above it is the head, below it the chest.
  7. Slim the chest. Fold the chest's sides behind on a slant, from 4 mm in at the neck to 1.5 cm in at the snips. Leave the back end flat.
  8. Slimmer still. Fold the sides behind once more on a slant, down to the end of each snip, so the chest narrows to a thin waist.
  9. Round the head. Fold the two top corners of the head behind on a slant, so the head is round.
  10. Round the tail. Fold the two bottom corners behind on long slants, so the back end is a fat oval.
  11. Feelers. Set the body aside. Take the 9 × 1 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
  12. Feelers: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  13. Feelers: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick. Crease it hard.
  14. Feelers: elbows. 2.2 cm from each end, bend the end the same way round, so the strip makes a long flat S.
  15. Feelers: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle into a V. The elbows bend out the same way on both sides.
  16. Front and back legs: a strip. Set the feelers aside. Take a 15 × 1.3 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
  17. Front and back legs: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  18. Front and back legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick. Crease it hard.
  19. Front and back legs: bend the knees. Bend both ends the same way round, 5.5 cm from the middle. One leg will reach forward, the other back.
  20. Other front and back legs: a strip. Set it aside and take the next 15 × 1.3 cm strip, white side up.
  21. Other front and back legs: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  22. Other front and back legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick. Crease it hard.
  23. Other front and back legs: bend the knees. Bend both ends the other way round, 5.5 cm from the middle.
  24. Middle legs: a strip. Set it aside and take the next 15 × 1.3 cm strip, white side up.
  25. Middle legs: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  26. Middle legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick. Crease it hard.
  27. Middle legs: bend the knees. Bend both ends down a little, 5.5 cm from the middle.
  28. Glue it together. Cross two strips in an X under the middle legs. Glue the body on top, its chest over the crossing, and the feelers' V under the head.

Off to the picnic!

Draw two black eyes on the sides of the head, a few lines across the back end and a white shine on it.

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