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How to fold an origami bakery

A real project. Fold a striped awning and a framed window, cut and pleat a three-tier display stand, fill it with loaves, croissants and a cake, then dress the baker and stand it up.

You need: 22 pieces: sage A4, pink, wheat, grey, pale blue, dark brown, golden, light pink, red, dark grey, blue, skin and white bits. Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 58 steps, about 90 minutes.

Steps

  1. Awning: neat top. Start with the awning: a 28.4 × 4 cm pink strip, pink side up, lying long. Fold the top edge behind 5 mm.
  2. Awning: white hem. Fold the bottom edge up in front, 5 mm. The white band is the awning's frilly hem.
  3. Awning: slope the ends. Fold both ends behind on a slant, from 9 mm in along the top edge down to the bottom corner. The awning now spreads out over the shop.
  4. Sign: new sheet. Set the awning aside. For the shop sign, take a 12.4 × 2.5 cm wheat-yellow piece, yellow side up.
  5. Sign: round the corners. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm along each edge.
  6. Pavement: new sheet. Set the sign aside. For the pavement, take a 29.7 × 1.6 cm grey strip, grey side up, lying long.
  7. Pavement: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 4 mm, for a straight kerb.
  8. Window: new sheet. Set the pavement aside. For the shop window, take a 16.8 × 12.8 cm pale blue piece, blue side up.
  9. Window: frame top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges over in front, 5 mm. The white strips are the window frame.
  10. Window: frame the sides. Fold the left and right edges over in front, 5 mm, to finish the white frame all round.
  11. Shelves: new sheet. Set the window aside. For the tiered shelves, take a 14.6 × 10.9 cm dark brown piece, brown side up.
  12. Shelves: slope the sides. Cut both sides on a slant, from 4.4 cm in at the top down to the bottom corners. Now it is wide at the bottom, narrow at the top.
  13. Shelves: first pleat, down. Fold the top part down in front, creasing 3.4 cm above the bottom edge.
  14. Shelves: first pleat, up. Fold it back up, creasing 7 mm lower. Its sides now sit inside the bottom shelf: a step!
  15. Shelves: second pleat, down. Fold the top part down in front again, creasing 3.4 cm above the first ledge.
  16. Shelves: second pleat, up. Fold it back up, creasing 7 mm lower. Three tiers, each a step narrower, like a wedding-cake stand.
  17. Loaf 1: new sheet. Set the shelves aside. For a loaf of bread, take a 3.4 × 1.8 cm golden-brown piece, brown side up.
  18. Loaf 1: shape it. Fold the top corners behind 8 mm along each edge for a domed crust, and the bottom corners behind 3 mm.
  19. Loaf 2: new sheet. Set the loaf aside. For a loaf of bread, take a 3.4 × 1.8 cm golden-brown piece, brown side up.
  20. Loaf 2: shape it. Fold the top corners behind 8 mm along each edge for a domed crust, and the bottom corners behind 3 mm.
  21. Loaf 3: new sheet. Set the loaf aside. For a loaf of bread, take a 3.4 × 1.8 cm golden-brown piece, brown side up.
  22. Loaf 3: shape it. Fold the top corners behind 8 mm along each edge for a domed crust, and the bottom corners behind 3 mm.
  23. Croissant 1: new sheet. Set the loaf aside. For a croissant, take a 1.9 cm golden square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  24. Croissant 1: triangle. Fold the bottom corner up onto the top corner: a golden triangle.
  25. Croissant 1: blunt the top. Fold the top point behind, 4.5 mm, so the croissant is low and plump with pointy ends.
  26. Croissant 2: new sheet. Set the croissant aside. For a croissant, take a 1.9 cm golden square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  27. Croissant 2: triangle. Fold the bottom corner up onto the top corner: a golden triangle.
  28. Croissant 2: blunt the top. Fold the top point behind, 4.5 mm, so the croissant is low and plump with pointy ends.
  29. Croissant 3: new sheet. Set the croissant aside. For a croissant, take a 1.9 cm golden square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  30. Croissant 3: triangle. Fold the bottom corner up onto the top corner: a golden triangle.
  31. Croissant 3: blunt the top. Fold the top point behind, 4.5 mm, so the croissant is low and plump with pointy ends.
  32. Cake tier 1: new sheet. Set the croissant aside. For a cake tier, take a 4.2 × 1.6 cm pink piece, pink side up.
  33. Cake tier 1: icing. Fold the top edge down in front, 3.5 mm. The white band is the icing.
  34. Cake tier 2: new sheet. Set the tier aside. For a cake tier, take a 3.1 × 1.2 cm pink piece, pink side up.
  35. Cake tier 2: icing. Fold the top edge down in front, 3.5 mm. The white band is the icing.
  36. Cake tier 3: new sheet. Set the tier aside. For a cake tier, take a 2 × 1 cm pink piece, pink side up.
  37. Cake tier 3: icing. Fold the top edge down in front, 3.5 mm. The white band is the icing.
  38. Cherry: new sheet. Set the top tier aside. For the cherry, take a 6 mm red square, red side up.
  39. Cherry: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 2 mm along each edge.
  40. Door: new sheet. Set the cherry aside. For the door, take a 6.2 × 13.1 cm red piece, red side up.
  41. Door: arch the top. Fold both top corners behind, 1.4 cm along each edge, for an arched doorway.
  42. Trousers: new sheet. Set the door aside. For the baker's trousers, take a 2.4 × 2.5 cm dark grey piece, grey side up.
  43. Trousers: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  44. Trousers: cut the legs. Cut a slant from the fold 1 cm below the top to 4.5 mm from the fold at the bottom.
  45. Trousers: open them. Open it out: two legs to stand on.
  46. Baker's shirt: new sheet. Set the trousers aside. For the baker's shirt, take a 3.4 × 5 cm blue piece, blue side up.
  47. Baker's shirt: shoulders. Fold both top corners behind, 9 mm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  48. Baker's head: new sheet. Set the shirt aside. For the head, take a 2.3 × 2.4 cm piece of skin colour, coloured side up.
  49. Baker's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 4.5 mm along each edge.
  50. Chef's hat: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the tall chef's hat, take a 2.8 × 3.9 cm white piece, standing tall.
  51. Chef's hat: puff the top. Fold both top corners behind, 9 mm along each edge, for a puffy top.
  52. Chef's hat: narrow the band. Cut both sides of the lower part on a slant, from the edge 1.9 cm below the top to 4 mm in at the bottom.
  53. Chef's hat: fold the band. Fold the bottom edge up in front, 5 mm, for the hat's band.
  54. Baguette: new sheet. Set the hat aside. For a long baguette, take a 5.6 × 1 cm golden-brown strip, brown side up, on a slant.
  55. Baguette: point the ends. Snip all four corners off on a slant, 7 mm along the long edges, so both ends are pointed.
  56. Shop wall: new sheet. Set the baguette aside. Last, the shop wall: a sage green A4 sheet, green side up, lying long.
  57. Open the bakery. Glue on the awning, sign, pavement and window, the shelves inside, then loaves, croissants and the cake. Then the door, the baker, his hat and baguette.
  58. Stand it up. Bend the wall gently towards you between the window and the door, and stand the bakery up on the table.

Fresh from the oven!

Write BAKERY on the sign, paint the awning stripes and lace, slash the loaves, swirl the croissants, drip the icing and draw the baker's moustache and apron.

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