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How to fold an origami diplodocus

Fold a long strip in half, reverse-fold a very long neck and tail out nearly level and cut four pillar legs. Crimp the small head down and the end of the tail into a whip.

You need: A 36 x 12 cm strip, purple on one side; scissors and a ruler. Hard, 15 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Fold in half. White side up, long sides at the top and bottom, fold the top edge down to the bottom edge. The fold at the top is the back.
  2. Crease the legs. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 14.4 cm from the left edge, and the right end behind on one 13.2 cm from the right edge.
  3. Open them. Unfold both ends again. The two creases mark the inside edges of the legs.
  4. Tail end back. Outside-reverse-fold the left end back over the body on an upright crease 12 cm from the left edge.
  5. Cut the tail. Cut up the left end fold, leaving 2 cm at the top. Trim the flap to a long point: a slant from there to its far end on the top fold.
  6. Tail out. Outside-reverse-fold the tail strip out on a crease from its bottom corner, so the long tail points back and a little up.
  7. Whip: back. Outside-reverse-fold the thin end of the tail, 6 cm from the tip, back along the tail on a crease from its top edge.
  8. Whip: out. Reverse-fold it out again from the same point, so the whip trails back and down toward the ground.
  9. Neck end back. Outside-reverse-fold the right end back over the body on an upright crease 11 cm from the right edge.
  10. Cut the neck. Cut up the right end fold, leaving 2.2 cm at the top. Trim the flap in a long slant to 1.1 cm deep at its tip, and round the tip's corners.
  11. Cut the legs. Cut up both leg creases to 3.4 cm below the top fold. Cut the belly between them in a shallow curve, 3.9 cm below the top in the middle.
  12. Shape the legs. Slant the outside edge of each leg in 4 mm at the foot and the inside edge 3 mm, so the four pillars taper.
  13. Neck out. Outside-reverse-fold the neck strip out on a crease from its bottom corner, so the long neck stretches forward and a little up.
  14. Head back. Outside-reverse-fold the top 2.4 cm of the neck back along it, on a crease from its back edge.
  15. Head down. Reverse-fold it out again from the same point, so the small head points forward and down.

So long!

Draw a small eye on each side of the head. Measure it: nose to whip tip, it is longer than your arm is from elbow to hand!

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