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How to fold an origami cat

Crease and cut a triangle into a body with four legs and a thin tail. Swing the tail up and hook its tip, then fold a cat face with pointy ears and add tabby stripes.

You need: 1 orange square (15 cm), a small orange square (6 cm), scissors, a ruler, glue and a black pen. Hard, 17 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the cat's back; it faces right.
  2. Body: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 2 cm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  3. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  4. Body: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 1.6 cm left of the middle.
  5. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  6. Body: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 3.4 cm left of the middle.
  7. Body: open it. Unfold it. Everything left of this crease will be the tail.
  8. Body: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 5 cm below the top. Cut up the front leg crease to 2.9 cm below the top and the hind one to 2.2 cm, then across between them.
  9. Body: cut the tail. Cut up the rump crease to 7 mm below the top, then straight out to the left point. Round the chest, curve the thighs and taper the legs.
  10. 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.
  11. Curl the tail. Fold the top 2 cm of the tail forward and down on a slant, so the tail ends in a happy hook.
  12. Head: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the small orange square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  13. Head: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  14. Head: top down. Fold the top point down to the middle of the bottom edge.
  15. Head: ears up. Fold both bottom corners up on a slant so their points stick out above the top edge.
  16. Head: turn it over. Flip the head over so the smooth side faces you.
  17. Glue it together. Glue the head over the front of the body, so its chin sits on the chest and the ears stand above the back.

Meow!

Draw tabby stripes on the back, legs and tail, and an M on the forehead. Add eyes, a nose, a mouth and whiskers.

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