How to fold an origami earwig
Narrow a strip into hooked pincers, fold thin legs with reverse-folded knees and antennae, then fold and pleat a long body into head, shield, wing cases and a segmented belly.
You need: Red-brown paper: a 15 × 4.5 cm piece, a 10 × 2.4 cm strip, an 8 × 0.8 cm strip and three 6 × 1.2 cm strips; glue. Hard, 34 steps, about 40 minutes.
Steps
- Pincers: fold in half. Lay the 10 × 2.4 cm strip white side up, lying across. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
- Pincers: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
- Pincers: taper. At each end, fold the corner on the folded edge behind on a long slant from 3 cm in, so both ends taper to a point.
- Pincers: hook the tips. 2 cm from each point, bend the tip over the same way round, so each pincer curves.
- Pincers: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle, so the pincers make a narrow V with the hooks curving towards each other.
- Antennae: a strip. Set the pincers aside. Take the 8 × 0.8 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
- Antennae: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
- Antennae: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
- Antennae: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle into a wide V.
- Legs 1: a strip. Set the antennae aside. Take a 6 × 1.2 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
- Legs 1: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
- Legs 1: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
- Legs 1: knees. 1.5 cm from each end, outside-reverse-fold the end towards the folded edge. Both knees bend the same way.
- Legs 2: a strip. Set it aside and take the next 6 × 1.2 cm strip.
- Legs 2: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
- Legs 2: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
- Legs 2: knees. 1.5 cm from each end, outside-reverse-fold the end towards the folded edge. Both knees bend the same way.
- Legs 3: a strip. Set it aside and take the next 6 × 1.2 cm strip.
- Legs 3: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
- Legs 3: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
- Legs 3: knees. 1.5 cm from each end, outside-reverse-fold the end towards the folded edge. Both knees bend the same way.
- Body: a strip. Set the legs aside. Take the 15 × 4.5 cm piece, white side up, lying across.
- Body: edges to the middle. Fold the top and bottom edges in to meet along the middle.
- Body: neck pleat. Fold the right end over on a crease 1.5 cm from it.
- Body: neck pleat back. Fold it back out on a crease 3 mm further left, leaving a step: the neck.
- Body: shield pleat. Fold the right end over again on a crease 2 cm left of the step.
- Body: shield pleat back. Fold it back out 3 mm further left. The part in front is the shield behind the head.
- Body: wing cases pleat. Fold the right end over on a crease 2.5 cm left of the last step.
- Body: wing cases pleat back. And back out 3 mm further left. The part in front is the short wing cases.
- Body: belly pleat. Fold the right end over on a crease 2.5 cm left of the last step.
- Body: belly pleat back. And back out 3 mm further left, for a segment line across the long belly.
- Body: shape the head. On the head, fold both sides behind on slants, from the neck step to 6 mm from the middle at the front, so the head narrows.
- Body: taper the tail. Fold both sides of the belly behind on long slants, from 4 cm in front of the tail end to 6 mm from the middle at the end.
- Glue it together. Cross the three leg strips under the shield and wing cases, knees bent back. Glue the antennae's V under the head and the pincers' V under the tail.
Pincers ready!
Dot two small white eyes on the sides of the head with a gel pen, if you like.