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How to fold an origami chameleon

Fold a square in half, reverse-fold both ends back and cut out legs that grip a branch. Lift the casque head, swing out the long tail and fold it round and round into a curl.

You need: A 15 cm green square and a 15 x 1.5 cm brown strip; scissors, a ruler and glue. Hard, 17 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Fold in half. White side up, fold the top edge down to the bottom edge. The fold at the top is the chameleon's back.
  2. Trim the bottom. Cut the bottom off level, 5.2 cm below the top fold.
  3. Crease the legs. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 7.5 cm from the left edge, and the right end behind on one 4.1 cm from the right edge.
  4. Open them. Unfold both ends again. The two creases mark the inside edges of the legs.
  5. Tail back. Outside-reverse-fold the left end back over the body on an upright crease 6.5 cm from the left edge. Each layer wraps round the outside.
  6. Cut the tail. Cut up the tail fold, leaving its top 1.2 cm. Cut the tail flap to a point, from the end of that cut to its tip on the top fold.
  7. Tail out. Outside-reverse-fold the tail out on a crease from its top corner, so it sweeps back and a little down.
  8. Curl the tail. Fold the tail down on a slanted crease 2.4 cm from the rump, so the rest of it points down and forward.
  9. Curl again. Fold the end over again 1.5 cm further along, turning the same way.
  10. Curl again. Fold the end over again 1.0 cm further along, turning the same way.
  11. Last curl. Fold the end over again 0.8 cm further along, turning the same way to close the curl.
  12. Head back. Outside-reverse-fold the right end back over the body the same way, on a crease 3.1 cm from the right edge.
  13. Cut the head. Cut up the head fold, leaving its top 2.6 cm, and cut the head flap off level there. Cut a slant off its tip, from 2.5 cm along the top to 3 mm above the bottom.
  14. Cut the legs. Cut up both leg creases to 3.6 cm below the top fold and cut the belly between them in a curve. Slant the inside edge of each leg in 4 mm.
  15. Lift the head. Outside-reverse-fold the head up on a crease from its bottom corner, so it points up and forward and its pointed casque stands above the back.
  16. Branch: new sheet. Set the chameleon aside. Lay the brown strip coloured side up, long sides at the top and bottom.
  17. Perch it. Glue the chameleon's feet across the branch, 1 cm up from its bottom edge.

Now you see me!

Draw a big round turret eye with a tiny pupil, a long smiling mouth, and two-toed feet gripping the branch.

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