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How to fold an origami city street

A real project. Snip and fold three stepped-gable shop houses, a bus on folded wheels, a taxi, a traffic light and a pleated tree, then a walker whose legs stride and a reverse-folded dachshund on a lead. Stand it up.

You need: 28 pieces: pale blue A4, red, teal, mustard, greys, black, brown, green, blue, navy, pink, yellow, white and skin (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 107 steps, about 120 minutes.

Steps

  1. House: shop window. Start with a house: a 8.6 × 14.2 cm brick red piece, red side up, standing tall. Fold the bottom edge up 3 cm.
  2. House: awning. Fold the top edge of the white band back down 5 mm, so a coloured awning runs over the shop window.
  3. House: crease the gable. Fold the top down, creasing 2.4 cm below the top edge.
  4. House: open it. Unfold it again.
  5. House: crease the top step. Fold the top down again, creasing 1.2 cm below the top edge this time.
  6. House: open it. Unfold it again. Two creases run across the top.
  7. House: snip the steps. Snip along the lower crease 1.2 cm in from each side, and along the upper crease 2.4 cm in from each side.
  8. House: stepped gable. Fold the snipped side flaps behind: 1.2 cm on the lower step, 2.4 cm on the top step. A stepped gable!
  9. House: new sheet. Set the house aside. For the next house, take a 8.6 × 16.4 cm teal piece, teal side up, standing tall.
  10. House: shop window. Fold the bottom edge up 3 cm. The white side shows: that's the shop window.
  11. House: awning. Fold the top edge of the white band back down 5 mm, so a coloured awning runs over the shop window.
  12. House: crease the gable. Fold the top down, creasing 2.4 cm below the top edge.
  13. House: open it. Unfold it again.
  14. House: crease the top step. Fold the top down again, creasing 1.2 cm below the top edge this time.
  15. House: open it. Unfold it again. Two creases run across the top.
  16. House: snip the steps. Snip along the lower crease 1.2 cm in from each side, and along the upper crease 2.4 cm in from each side.
  17. House: stepped gable. Fold the snipped side flaps behind: 1.2 cm on the lower step, 2.4 cm on the top step. A stepped gable!
  18. House: new sheet. Set the house aside. For the next house, take a 8.6 × 13.4 cm mustard piece, yellow side up, standing tall.
  19. House: shop window. Fold the bottom edge up 3 cm. The white side shows: that's the shop window.
  20. House: awning. Fold the top edge of the white band back down 5 mm, so a coloured awning runs over the shop window.
  21. House: crease the gable. Fold the top down, creasing 2.4 cm below the top edge.
  22. House: open it. Unfold it again.
  23. House: crease the top step. Fold the top down again, creasing 1.2 cm below the top edge this time.
  24. House: open it. Unfold it again. Two creases run across the top.
  25. House: snip the steps. Snip along the lower crease 1.2 cm in from each side, and along the upper crease 2.4 cm in from each side.
  26. House: stepped gable. Fold the snipped side flaps behind: 1.2 cm on the lower step, 2.4 cm on the top step. A stepped gable!
  27. Trunk: new sheet. Set the house aside. For the tree trunk, take a 1.8 × 5 cm brown piece, brown side up, standing tall.
  28. Trunk: taper it. Fold both long sides behind on a slant: 5 mm at the top, 1 mm at the bottom, so the trunk spreads at its roots.
  29. Treetop: new sheet. Set the trunk aside. For the treetop, take a 6 × 7.2 cm green piece, green side up.
  30. Treetop: tier 1, fold up. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 2 cm below the top edge. The white side shows for now.
  31. Treetop: tier 1, fold down. Fold it back down 3 mm higher, a pleat that leaves a ledge of leaves.
  32. Treetop: tier 2, fold up. Again: fold the bottom edge up, creasing 2 cm below the first ledge.
  33. Treetop: tier 2, fold down. Fold it back down 3 mm higher, a pleat that leaves a ledge of leaves.
  34. Treetop: corners behind. Fold each corner behind through all the layers, 1.4 cm along each edge.
  35. Treetop: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 5 mm each, for a round treetop.
  36. Pole: new sheet. Set the treetop aside. For the traffic light pole, take a 1.6 × 6.2 cm dark grey strip, white side up, standing tall.
  37. Pole: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a grey pole.
  38. Light box: new sheet. Set the pole aside. For the light box, take a 1.8 × 5 cm black piece, black side up.
  39. Light box: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge.
  40. Red light: new sheet. Set the light box aside. For the red light, take a 1.2 cm red square, coloured side up.
  41. Red light: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, so the light is round.
  42. Amber light: new sheet. Set the red light aside. For the amber light, take a 1.2 cm amber square, coloured side up.
  43. Amber light: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, so the light is round.
  44. Green light: new sheet. Set the amber light aside. For the green light, take a 1.2 cm green square, coloured side up.
  45. Green light: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, so the light is round.
  46. Pavement: new sheet. Set the green light aside. For the pavement, take a 29.7 × 3.2 cm light grey strip, grey side up, lying long.
  47. Pavement: straight edge. Fold the top edge behind 4 mm.
  48. Road: new sheet. Set the pavement aside. For the road, take a 29.7 × 5 cm dark grey strip, grey side up, lying long.
  49. Road: white kerb. Fold the top edge down 5 mm. The white side shows as a kerb along the pavement.
  50. Legs: new sheet. Set the road aside. For the walker's legs, take a 7 × 1.4 cm navy strip, white side up, lying long.
  51. Legs: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a navy strip.
  52. Legs: walking stride. Fold each half down on a slant from the middle of the top edge: the left a bit steeper, the right a bit wider, like legs mid-stride.
  53. Coat: new sheet. Set the legs aside. For the coat, take a 3.2 × 4.4 cm blue piece, blue side up, standing tall.
  54. Coat: flare it. Fold both long sides behind on a slant: 5.5 mm at the top, almost nothing at the bottom, so the coat flares out.
  55. Coat: shoulders. Fold both top corners behind, 4.5 mm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  56. Hair: new sheet. Set the coat aside. For the hair, take a 2.5 × 1.5 cm brown piece, brown side up.
  57. Hair: round it. Fold the top corners behind: the left one 8 mm along each edge, the right one 5 mm, so the hair is round.
  58. Head: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For the head, take a 1.9 cm square of skin colour, coloured side up.
  59. Head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge, for a round face.
  60. Lead: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the dog lead, take a 8.8 × 0.8 cm pink strip, white side up, lying long.
  61. Lead: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a thin pink lead.
  62. Dog: new sheet. Set the lead aside. For the dog, the hard part: one 7.5 cm reddish brown square, white side up, as a diamond.
  63. Dog: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the dog's back.
  64. Dog: crease the front legs. Fold the right part over on an upright crease 1.8 cm right of the middle, and crease it hard. This marks the back of the front legs.
  65. Dog: open it. Unfold it back into the triangle.
  66. Dog: crease the hind legs. Fold the left part over on an upright crease 2.3 cm left of the middle. This marks the front of the hind legs.
  67. Dog: open it. Unfold it again.
  68. Dog: ends back. Outside-reverse-fold both ends back over the body, on upright creases 2.7 cm from the right point and 1.1 cm from the left point.
  69. Dog: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 2 cm below the top fold. Cut up both leg creases 5 mm, and straight across between them for the belly.
  70. Dog: cut the head and tail. Cut up both end folds, leaving 1.3 cm at the front and 3 mm at the back. Trim the head flaps to a 5 mm snout and the tail flaps to a thin point.
  71. Dog: lift the head. Outside-reverse-fold the head up and forward on a crease from its bottom corner, so the long snout points ahead and a little up.
  72. Dog: lift the tail. Outside-reverse-fold the tail out backwards on a crease from its bottom corner, so it points back and a little up.
  73. Dog's ear: new sheet. Set the dog aside. For its ear, take one 1.4 cm dark brown square, brown side up, as a diamond.
  74. Dog: ear: narrow it. Fold the left and right corners behind, so it is a long narrow shape.
  75. Dog: ear: round the tip. Snip the bottom point off round with three little cuts, so the ear ends soft and floppy.
  76. Arm: new sheet. Set the dog's ear aside. For the arm, take a 1.2 × 3.8 cm blue strip, white side up, standing tall.
  77. Arm: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a blue sleeve.
  78. Arm: bend the elbow. Fold the bottom 2.2 cm forward on a slant from the left edge, so the forearm reaches out to hold the lead.
  79. Wheel: new sheet. Set the arm aside. For a bus wheel, take a 2.6 cm black square, white side up.
  80. Wheel: corners in. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  81. Wheel: hubcap. Fold each point back out 4 mm, so a little white square shows in the middle: the hubcap.
  82. Wheel: round it. Fold the four points of the square a little way behind, so the wheel looks round.
  83. Wheel: new sheet. Set the wheel aside. For the other bus wheel, take another 2.6 cm black square, white side up.
  84. Wheel: corners in. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  85. Wheel: hubcap. Fold each point back out 4 mm, so a little white square shows in the middle: the hubcap.
  86. Wheel: round it. Fold the four points of the square a little way behind, so the wheel looks round.
  87. Bus: new sheet. Set the wheel aside. For the bus, take a 9.8 × 7.2 cm red piece, red side up, lying long.
  88. Bus: straight bottom. Fold the bottom edge behind 6 mm.
  89. Bus: window band. Fold the top edge down 1.5 cm. The white band is the row of windows.
  90. Bus: round the corners. Fold the corners behind: the front top one 1 cm along each edge for the windscreen, the back top one 6 mm and the bottom ones 3 mm.
  91. Taxi: new sheet. Set the bus aside. For the taxi, take a 9 × 4.5 cm yellow piece, yellow side up, long edge at the bottom.
  92. Taxi: body: fold the bottom behind. Fold the bottom strip behind, a bit less than a third.
  93. Taxi: body: slope the cabin. Fold the two top corners behind on a slant: a long slope at the front (right) for the bonnet and windscreen, a shorter one at the back.
  94. Taxi: body: round the bumpers. Fold the two bottom corners behind, just a little, so the bumpers look round.
  95. Taxi sign: new sheet. Set the taxi aside. For the taxi sign, take a 1.9 × 1.2 cm white strip.
  96. Taxi: sign: fold in half. Fold the strip in half the long way, bottom half behind, and crease it flat.
  97. Taxi wheel: new sheet. Set the taxi sign aside. For a taxi wheel, take a 1.7 × 1.7 cm black square, white side up.
  98. Taxi: wheel 2: corners in. Fold all four corners in to the middle.
  99. Taxi: wheel 2: hubcap. Fold each point back out a little for the hubcap.
  100. Taxi: wheel 2: round it. Fold the four points behind to round it off.
  101. Taxi wheel: new sheet. Set the taxi wheel aside. For the other taxi wheel, take another 1.7 × 1.7 cm black square, white side up.
  102. Taxi: wheel 1: corners in. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  103. Taxi: wheel 1: hubcap. Fold each point back out a little, so a small white square shows in the middle. That's the hubcap.
  104. Taxi: wheel 1: round it. Fold the four points of the square a little way behind, so the wheel looks round.
  105. Sky: new sheet. Set the taxi wheel aside. Last, the sky: a pale blue A4 sheet, coloured side up, lying long.
  106. Build the scene. Glue the three houses in a row, then the tree, traffic light, pavement and road, the walker with the lead and the dog, the bus and the taxi.
  107. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you just right of the bus, and stand the city street up on the table.

Beep beep!

Draw white windows and shop doors, the bus windows and door, the taxi's checkers, road dashes, the walker's face and shoes and the dog's eye.

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