How to fold an origami barn owl
A long golden rectangle folded in half is pleated across each wing for a row of feathers, then cut into arched wings. A round head and a heart face cut from folded paper go on top.
You need: A golden rectangle 28 × 11 cm and a golden 6.4 cm square, both white on the back; a white 5.5 cm square; scissors, glue, black pen. Hard, 11 steps, about 30 minutes.
Steps
- Fold in half. Golden rectangle, white side up, long sides level. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge. The fold on top is the front of the wings.
- Pleat: fold in. Fold each wing in over itself on a slanted line from 5 cm out on the bottom edge to 5.5 cm out on the top fold.
- Pleat: fold out. Fold each wing back out from the same bottom point, 1 cm closer to the middle on top. The thin pleat tilts the wing up.
- Cut the wings. Cut the back edge of each wing on a slant up to the tip, so the wings taper, and round the tips. Leave the middle as the body.
- Head: new sheet. Set the wings aside. Take the small golden square, golden side up.
- Round the head. Fold the four corners behind, 1.1 cm in from each corner, so the head is nearly round.
- Face: new sheet. Set the head aside. Take the white square.
- Fold the face. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
- Cut half a heart. Cut half a heart from the fold: start 1.4 cm above the middle, round over the top and side, and end at the fold 2.6 cm below the middle.
- Open the heart. Unfold it: a white heart, the barn owl's famous face.
- Glue it together. Glue the head on the middle of the wings, half above the front edge. Glue the heart face on the head, point down.
Silent swoop!
Draw two big black eyes and a small beak between them. Dot pale speckles over the wings and draw feather lines at the tips.