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How to fold an origami earthworm

Fold a long pink strip and pleat it on pairs of creases that fan from one edge, twice one way and twice the other, so it wiggles into an S. Tuck its tail behind a brown mound.

You need: A pink strip 5 cm wide cut down the long side of A4, a brown square about 9 cm, scissors, glue and a black pen. Medium, 14 steps, about 12 minutes.

Steps

  1. Fold the strip. Start white side up. Fold the strip in half the long way, left edge over to the right edge.
  2. Round the head. Fold the two corners at the top a little behind.
  3. Wiggle 1: fold down. Fold the head end down on a crease from the left edge, a sixth of the way down, leaning a little up.
  4. Wiggle 1: fold back. Fold it back up on a crease from the same point, leaning a little down. The worm bends at the narrow pleat.
  5. Wiggle 2: fold down. Fold the whole top part down again, a little lower, on a crease from the left edge leaning a little up.
  6. Wiggle 2: fold back. Fold it back up on a crease from the same point, leaning a little down. The worm bends at the narrow pleat.
  7. Wiggle 3: fold down. Fold the whole top part down again, a little lower, on a crease from the right edge leaning a little up.
  8. Wiggle 3: fold back. Fold it back up on a crease from the same point, leaning a little down. The worm bends at the narrow pleat.
  9. Wiggle 4: fold down. Fold the whole top part down again, a little lower, on a crease from the right edge leaning a little up.
  10. Wiggle 4: fold back. Fold it back up on a crease from the same point, leaning a little down. The worm bends at the narrow pleat.
  11. Mound: brown square. Set the worm aside. Take the brown square, white side up.
  12. Mound: fold in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
  13. Mound: cut a dome. Round off both top corners with small snips, so the band becomes a low dome.
  14. Pop out the worm. Glue the worm's tail end behind the mound, leaning a little right, so it wiggles up out of the soil.

Wiggle wiggle!

Draw rings along the worm, two little eyes and a smile. Dot some pebbles on the soil.

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