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How to fold an origami art studio

Fold a tall easel with a framed painting, a young painter in an apron holding a brush and palette, a stool with a jar of brushes, paint pots, pinned-up drawings and the studio cat, then stand it up.

You need: 30 pieces: peach A4; grey-brown, yellow, pink, green, wood, brown, blue, red, grey, tan, pale-blue, orange, black, skin paper (sizes in steps).. Challenge, 111 steps, about 120 minutes.

Steps

  1. Wall: crease the middle. Start with the wall: a peach A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Floor: new sheet. Set the wall aside. For the floor, take a 29.7 × 10 cm grey-brown strip, white side up, long side across.
  3. Floor: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the front edge of the room.
  4. Sun drawing: new sheet. Set the floor aside. For a child's drawing, take a 3.2 × 4.4 cm piece of yellow paper, coloured side up.
  5. Sun drawing: crisp edges. Fold the top and bottom edges behind 3 mm.
  6. Sun drawing: curl a corner. Fold the bottom right corner up on a slant, 1 cm along each edge. The white curl makes it a paper pinned to the wall.
  7. House drawing: new sheet. Set it aside. For the next drawing, take a 4 × 3.8 cm piece of pink paper, coloured side up.
  8. House drawing: crisp edges. Fold the top and bottom edges behind 3 mm.
  9. House drawing: curl a corner. Fold the bottom right corner up on a slant, 1 cm along each edge.
  10. Flower drawing: new sheet. Set it aside. For the next drawing, take a 3.2 × 4.4 cm piece of light-green paper, coloured side up.
  11. Flower drawing: crisp edges. Fold the top and bottom edges behind 3 mm.
  12. Flower drawing: curl a corner. Fold the bottom right corner up on a slant, 1 cm along each edge.
  13. Easel: new sheet. Set the drawing aside. For the easel's legs, take a 1.2 × 30.5 cm piece strip of wood-coloured paper.
  14. Easel: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a stiff strip, coloured on both sides.
  15. Easel: second leg. Fold the top half down to the left on a slant through the middle, so it hangs beside the bottom half: two legs joined at a point.
  16. Easel: stand it. Turn it a little so the point is at the top and the legs splay evenly.
  17. Canvas frame: new sheet. Set the easel aside. For the canvas frame, take a 7.6 × 6.9 cm piece of brown paper, white side up, long side across.
  18. Canvas frame: top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges in 5 mm.
  19. Canvas frame: sides. Fold the sides in 5 mm too: a brown frame.
  20. Sky: new sheet. Set the frame aside. For the painted sky, take a 6.5 × 5.8 cm piece of light-blue paper, blue side up.
  21. Sky: crisp edges. Fold all four edges behind 3 mm, top and bottom first, then the sides. It fits inside the frame.
  22. Sky: sides. Fold the sides behind 3 mm.
  23. Hill: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For a green hill, take a 5.6 × 2.1 cm piece of green paper, green side up.
  24. Hill: round the top. Fold the top left corner behind, 2 cm along each edge, and the top right corner 1.4 cm: a round hill.
  25. Sun: new sheet. Set the hill aside. For the painted sun, take a 1.4 cm yellow square.
  26. Sun: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 4.5 mm along each edge.
  27. Easel ledge: new sheet. Set the sun aside. For the ledge the canvas sits on, take an 8.6 × 0.9 cm wood-coloured strip.
  28. Easel ledge: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle: a stiff ledge.
  29. Painter's hair: new sheet. Set the ledge aside. Now the painter. Start with the hair: a 3.5 × 2.1 cm piece of black paper.
  30. Painter's hair: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 8 mm along each edge.
  31. Painter's legs: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For the legs, take a 2 × 11.3 cm piece of grey paper, coloured side up.
  32. Painter's legs: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a stiff strip, coloured on both sides.
  33. Painter's legs: second leg. Fold the top half down to the left on a slant through the middle, so it hangs beside the bottom half: two legs joined at a point.
  34. Painter's legs: stand it. Turn it a little so the point is at the top and the legs splay evenly.
  35. Painter's shirt: new sheet. Set the legs aside. For the shirt, take a 7.2 × 4.2 cm piece of blue paper, white side up.
  36. Painter's shirt: sides in. Fold the left and right edges in to meet in the middle: the two fronts.
  37. Painter's shirt: collar. Fold the top middle corners out on slants, 1 cm down. Their white backs make a neat collar.
  38. Painter's shirt: shoulders. Fold the top outer corners behind, 8 mm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  39. Apron: new sheet. Set the shirt aside. For the apron, take a 6.1 cm square of red paper, white side up.
  40. Apron: sides to the middle. Start white side up. Fold the left and right edges in to meet in the middle.
  41. Apron: fold out the ties. At the bottom, fold each flap's inner corner out, creasing from the bottom outer corner up to the middle. The tips will be the ties.
  42. Apron: bottom up. Fold the bottom up, a quarter of the way below the middle. The ties flip up to the waist and hang down, and the front turns coloured.
  43. Apron: shape the bib. Keep the front skirt flat and fold the layers behind it on a long slant, from a quarter in along the top to the bottom corner. The bib is narrow.
  44. Painter's head: new sheet. Set the apron aside. For the head, take a 2.7 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  45. Painter's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 6 mm along each edge: a round face.
  46. Brush: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the painter's brush, take a 3 × 6 cm piece of red paper, white side up.
  47. Brush: fold two strips. White side up, long side upright. Fold the top edge down a short way, and the bottom edge up a long way, leaving a thin white band between them.
  48. Brush: sides behind. Fold the left and right edges behind to meet in the middle.
  49. Brush: slim it again. Fold both sides behind once more, making a long thin stick.
  50. Brush: point the bristles. Fold the two top corners behind on a slant so the bristles come to a point.
  51. Brush: taper the handle. Fold a long thin slice off each side of the handle behind, from the white band down, so it gets narrow at the end.
  52. Brush: tilt it. Tilt it so the bristles point up at the canvas.
  53. Palette: new sheet. Set the brush aside. For the palette, take a 3.8 × 2.7 cm piece of tan paper, coloured side up.
  54. Palette: round it. Fold the four corners behind, each by a different amount (6 mm to 1.2 cm), for a wobbly bean shape.
  55. Red paint: new sheet. Set the palette aside. For a dab of red paint, take a 7 mm red square.
  56. Red paint: round it. Fold the four corners behind a little: a round blob.
  57. Blue paint: new sheet. Set the paint aside. For a dab of blue paint, take a 7 mm blue square.
  58. Blue paint: round it. Fold the four corners behind a little: a round blob.
  59. Yellow paint: new sheet. Set the paint aside. For a dab of yellow paint, take a 7 mm yellow square.
  60. Yellow paint: round it. Fold the four corners behind a little: a round blob.
  61. Stool: new sheet. Set the paint aside. For the stool, take a 14.4 × 1.4 cm piece wood-coloured strip.
  62. Stool: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  63. Stool: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they stand straight down: a stool with two legs.
  64. Blue brush: new sheet. Set the stool aside. For a brush in the jar, take a 3.3 × 6.6 cm piece of blue paper, white side up.
  65. Blue brush: fold two strips. White side up, long side upright. Fold the top edge down a short way, and the bottom edge up a long way, leaving a thin white band between them.
  66. Blue brush: sides behind. Fold the left and right edges behind to meet in the middle.
  67. Blue brush: slim it again. Fold both sides behind once more, making a long thin stick.
  68. Blue brush: point the bristles. Fold the two top corners behind on a slant so the bristles come to a point.
  69. Blue brush: taper the handle. Fold a long thin slice off each side of the handle behind, from the white band down, so it gets narrow at the end.
  70. Blue brush: tilt it. Lean it a little to the left.
  71. Green brush: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a green brush the same way.
  72. Green brush: fold two strips. White side up, long side upright. Fold the top edge down a short way, and the bottom edge up a long way, leaving a thin white band between them.
  73. Green brush: sides behind. Fold the left and right edges behind to meet in the middle.
  74. Green brush: slim it again. Fold both sides behind once more, making a long thin stick.
  75. Green brush: point the bristles. Fold the two top corners behind on a slant so the bristles come to a point.
  76. Green brush: taper the handle. Fold a long thin slice off each side of the handle behind, from the white band down, so it gets narrow at the end.
  77. Green brush: tilt it. Lean it a little to the right.
  78. Jar: new sheet. Set the brush aside. For the jar, take a 3 cm square of pale-blue paper, coloured side up, turned like a diamond.
  79. Jar: sides behind. Fold the left and right corners behind along straight up-and-down lines.
  80. Jar: top behind. Fold the top corner behind along a straight line across, a little above the middle.
  81. Jar: and back up. Behind, fold it back up a little lower, so a smaller lid peeks over the jar.
  82. Jar: flat lid. Fold the tip of the lid behind along a straight line across, so it has a flat top.
  83. Jar: flat bottom. Fold the bottom corner behind along a straight line across.
  84. Blue pot: new sheet. Set the jar aside. For a pot of blue paint, take a 1.5 × 2.2 cm blue piece, coloured side up.
  85. Blue pot: rim. Fold the top edge down 4 mm. The white band is the pot's rim.
  86. Blue pot: round base. Fold the two bottom corners behind, 3 mm along each edge.
  87. Red pot: new sheet. Set it aside. For a pot of red paint, take a 1.5 × 2.2 cm red piece, coloured side up.
  88. Red pot: rim. Fold the top edge down 4 mm for the white rim.
  89. Red pot: round base. Fold the two bottom corners behind, 3 mm along each edge.
  90. Yellow pot: new sheet. Set it aside. For a pot of yellow paint, take a 1.5 × 2.2 cm yellow piece, coloured side up.
  91. Yellow pot: rim. Fold the top edge down 4 mm for the white rim.
  92. Yellow pot: round base. Fold the two bottom corners behind, 3 mm along each edge.
  93. Cat: new sheet. Set the pot aside. Last, the studio cat: a 5.4 cm square of orange paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  94. Cat: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the cat's back; it faces right.
  95. Cat: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 7 mm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  96. Cat: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  97. Cat: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 6 mm left of the middle.
  98. Cat: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  99. Cat: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 1.2 cm left of the middle.
  100. Cat: open it. Unfold it. Everything left of this crease will be the tail.
  101. Cat: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 1.8 cm below the top. Cut up the front leg crease to 1 cm below the top and the hind one to 8 mm, then across between them.
  102. Cat: cut the tail. Cut up the rump crease to 3 mm below the top, then straight out to the left point. Round the chest, curve the thighs and taper the legs.
  103. Cat: tail up. Fold the tail up, both layers together, on a crease from the bottom corner of its root. It stands up from the rump, leaning back a little.
  104. Cat: curl the tail. Fold the top 7 mm of the tail forward and down on a slant, so the tail ends in a happy hook.
  105. Cat's head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 2.2 cm square of orange paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  106. Cat's head: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  107. Cat's head: top down. Fold the top point down to the middle of the bottom edge.
  108. Cat's head: ears up. Fold both bottom corners up on a slant so their points stick out above the top edge.
  109. Cat's head: turn it over. Flip the head over so the smooth side faces you.
  110. Build the scene. Glue the floor and drawings on the wall, the easel with its painting on the left, the painter in the middle, then the stool, jar, brushes, pots and cat.
  111. Stand it up. Bend the wall gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole studio up on the table.

A masterpiece!

Pin the drawings with a dot and draw a sun, a house and a flower on them. Add birds in the painted sky, the painter's face, a thumb hole and the cat's face.

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