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How to fold an origami flower meadow

A real project. Fold a long-tailed swallowtail butterfly from four pieces, tulips, daisies and poppies on V-folded stems, bees, a ladybug, a hedgehog with a pale snout and a cottage on a hill. Stand it up.

You need: 27 pieces: pale yellow A4, greens, pink, orange, red, white, yellow, blue, black and brown (sizes in steps). Glue and a black pen.. Challenge, 110 steps, about 110 minutes.

Steps

  1. Hill: slope it. Start with the hill: a 14.3 × 7.2 cm light green piece, green side up, lying long. Fold the top left corner behind 5 cm each way, the top right one 3 cm.
  2. Hill: round the top. Fold the two new top corners behind, 1.2 cm each, so the hill is round.
  3. Meadow: new sheet. Set the hill aside. For the meadow, take a 29.7 × 10.5 cm green piece, green side up, lying long.
  4. Meadow: straight edge. Fold the top edge behind 6 mm, for a straight edge.
  5. Meadow: a ridge, fold up. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 4 cm below the top edge. The white side shows for now.
  6. Meadow: a ridge, fold down. Fold it back down 4 mm higher. The pleat makes a grassy ridge across the meadow.
  7. Cottage: new sheet. Set the meadow aside. For the little cottage, take one 5.4 × 5.4 cm blue square, white side up.
  8. Cottage: top edge to the middle. Fold the top edge down to the middle of the sheet. This coloured band becomes the roof.
  9. Cottage: chimney strip behind. Fold a strip about a finger wide (an eighth of the sheet's width) on the right edge behind. This strip becomes the chimney.
  10. Cottage: crease the roof. Fold both top corners down so the top edges meet in the middle. Crease well, then unfold.
  11. Cottage: snip the chimney free. Cut along the right-hand fold, from the top down to where the roof crease meets it. This frees the top of the chimney strip.
  12. Cottage: fold the roof. Fold both corners down again on their creases. On the right, leave the chimney strip behind: it stays standing up.
  13. Cottage: top the chimney. Fold the top of the chimney down a little, so it is lower than the roof's peak.
  14. Front wings: new sheet. Set the cottage aside. For the swallowtail butterfly, the hard part: its front wings from a 7.1 × 3.3 cm yellow piece, white side up, lying long.
  15. Swallowtail: front wings: fold in half. Lay the 14 × 3.3 cm piece across, white side up. Fold the top half down, so it's yellow on both sides.
  16. Swallowtail: front wings: shape the tips. At the right end fold the top corner behind on a long slant, from 1.5 cm in to halfway down the end. Do the same to the bottom corner at the left end.
  17. Swallowtail: front wings: round them. Fold the two other corners behind a little, so each wing tip is round.
  18. Swallowtail: front wings: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle, so the two wings spread wide apart.
  19. Back wings: new sheet. Set the front wings aside. For its back wings, take a 7.9 × 3.1 cm yellow piece, white side up, lying long.
  20. Swallowtail: back wings: fold in half. Fold the top half down, so it's yellow on both sides.
  21. Swallowtail: back wings: start the tails. At the right end fold the bottom corner behind on a long slant, from 8 mm right of the middle to the middle of the end. Same for the left end's top corner.
  22. Swallowtail: back wings: thin the tails. Fold the other two corners behind too, from 2.3 cm out to the middle of the end, so each end tapers to a long thin tail.
  23. Swallowtail: back wings: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle, so the two tails spread in a V.
  24. Feelers: new sheet. Set the back wings aside. For its feelers, take a 3.1 × 0.8 cm black strip, white side up, lying long.
  25. Swallowtail: feelers: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, brown side out.
  26. Swallowtail: feelers: point the tips. At the right end fold the top corner behind on a long slant to the middle of the end. Do the same to the bottom corner at the left end.
  27. Swallowtail: feelers: point the tips. Fold the other two corners behind the same way. Each end is now a thin leaf, wide near the middle and pointed at the tip.
  28. Swallowtail: feelers: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle into a V.
  29. Butterfly body: new sheet. Set the feelers aside. For its body, take a 1.2 × 4.2 cm black strip, black side up, standing tall.
  30. Swallowtail: body: sides behind. Fold both long sides behind, 3 mm each, so the black strip is narrower.
  31. Swallowtail: body: pleat the head. Fold the top down on a crease 8 mm from the top.
  32. Swallowtail: body: and back up. Fold it back up on a crease 2 mm lower. The step it leaves is the neck.
  33. Swallowtail: body: pleat the chest. Fold the bottom up on a crease 1.3 cm below the neck.
  34. Swallowtail: body: and back down. Fold it back down on a crease 2 mm higher. Now there is a head, a fluffy chest and a tummy.
  35. Swallowtail: body: round the ends. Fold the corners behind: small ones at the head, long slants at the tummy so it tapers to a round tip.
  36. Butterfly: new sheet. Set the butterfly body aside. For the small butterfly, take one 3 cm blue square, white side up, as a diamond.
  37. Butterfly: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner.
  38. Butterfly: corners down. Fold the left and right corners down to meet the bottom point.
  39. Butterfly: snip the wings free. Cut along both slanted folds, from the outer corners about three-quarters of the way to the top centre.
  40. Butterfly: wings up. Fold both flaps up and out, creasing from the end of each cut, so their points stick out to the upper left and right. These are the big wings.
  41. Butterfly: shape the little wings. Fold the bottom point behind, and the two side corners of the bottom part a little behind too.
  42. Bee: new sheet. Set the butterfly aside. For a bee, take one 2.4 cm yellow square, yellow side up, as a diamond.
  43. Bee: make a triangle. Start yellow side up, like a diamond. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner. White shows.
  44. Bee: fold in half. Fold the left half behind the right half.
  45. Bee: snip the wings. Snip a slanted piece off the top corner by the fold, then round off the pointy tip with three little snips.
  46. Bee: open it. Unfold the left half again. Now there is a V-shaped gap between two round white wings.
  47. Bee: fold up the body. Fold just the front layer's bottom point up so its tip pokes into the gap between the wings. Yellow shows in the middle.
  48. Bee: new sheet. Set the bee aside. For a bee, take one 2.4 cm yellow square, yellow side up, as a diamond.
  49. Bee: make a triangle. Start yellow side up, like a diamond. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner. White shows.
  50. Bee: fold in half. Fold the left half behind the right half.
  51. Bee: snip the wings. Snip a slanted piece off the top corner by the fold, then round off the pointy tip with three little snips.
  52. Bee: open it. Unfold the left half again. Now there is a V-shaped gap between two round white wings.
  53. Bee: fold up the body. Fold just the front layer's bottom point up so its tip pokes into the gap between the wings. Yellow shows in the middle.
  54. Stems: new sheet. Set the bee aside. For two stems, take a 18.3 × 1 cm green strip, white side up, lying long.
  55. Stems: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a thin green stem.
  56. Stems: left stem up. Fold the left part up on a slant, 9.8 cm from its end, creasing from the bottom edge.
  57. Stems: right stem up. Fold the right part up the same way from that point. Two stems rise from one foot.
  58. Stems: new sheet. Set the stems aside. For two more stems, take a 20.5 × 1 cm green strip, white side up, lying long.
  59. Stems: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a thin green stem.
  60. Stems: left stem up. Fold the left part up on a slant, 11.2 cm from its end, creasing from the bottom edge.
  61. Stems: right stem up. Fold the right part up the same way from that point. Two stems rise from one foot.
  62. Stems: new sheet. Set the stems aside. For two more stems, take a 15 × 1 cm green strip, white side up, lying long.
  63. Stems: narrow it. Fold both long edges in to meet along the middle, for a thin green stem.
  64. Stems: left stem up. Fold the left part up on a slant, 8.1 cm from its end, creasing from the bottom edge.
  65. Stems: right stem up. Fold the right part up the same way from that point. Two stems rise from one foot.
  66. Tulip: new sheet. Set the stems aside. For a tulip, take one 3 cm pink square, white side up, as a diamond.
  67. Tulip: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  68. Tulip: fold the left petal. Fold the left corner up and inwards so its tip sticks out a little past the left edge, about two-thirds of the way up.
  69. Tulip: fold the right petal. Do the same on the right side, mirroring the left petal.
  70. Tulip: turn it over. Flip the paper over from left to right.
  71. Daisy petals: new sheet. Set the tulip aside. For a daisy, take one 2.6 × 2.6 cm white square.
  72. Daisy: blunt the corners. Fold each corner of a white square a little way behind, so the four petals have soft tips.
  73. Petals: new sheet. Set the daisy petals aside. For its second layer of petals, take another 2.6 cm white square.
  74. Daisy: blunt these corners. Fold its four corners a little way behind too, the same amount.
  75. Daisy middle: new sheet. Set the petals aside. For its middle, take one 1.3 × 1.3 cm yellow square.
  76. Daisy: middle: round it. Fold all four corners a little way behind to make a round-ish middle.
  77. Poppy: new sheet. Set the daisy middle aside. For a poppy, take one 3 × 3 cm red square, red side up.
  78. Poppy: blunt the corners. Red side up, fold each corner behind, about a third of the way along each edge.
  79. Poppy: round it off. Fold the eight new little corners behind too, just a tiny bit. Now it is nice and round.
  80. Tulip: new sheet. Set the poppy aside. For a tulip, take one 3 cm orange square, white side up, as a diamond.
  81. Tulip: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  82. Tulip: fold the left petal. Fold the left corner up and inwards so its tip sticks out a little past the left edge, about two-thirds of the way up.
  83. Tulip: fold the right petal. Do the same on the right side, mirroring the left petal.
  84. Tulip: turn it over. Flip the paper over from left to right.
  85. Daisy petals: new sheet. Set the tulip aside. For a daisy, take one 2.6 × 2.6 cm white square.
  86. Daisy: blunt the corners. Fold each corner of a white square a little way behind, so the four petals have soft tips.
  87. Petals: new sheet. Set the daisy petals aside. For its second layer of petals, take another 2.6 cm white square.
  88. Daisy: blunt these corners. Fold its four corners a little way behind too, the same amount.
  89. Daisy middle: new sheet. Set the petals aside. For its middle, take one 1.3 × 1.3 cm yellow square.
  90. Daisy: middle: round it. Fold all four corners a little way behind to make a round-ish middle.
  91. Poppy: new sheet. Set the daisy middle aside. For a poppy, take one 3 × 3 cm red square, red side up.
  92. Poppy: blunt the corners. Red side up, fold each corner behind, about a third of the way along each edge.
  93. Poppy: round it off. Fold the eight new little corners behind too, just a tiny bit. Now it is nice and round.
  94. Ladybug: new sheet. Set the poppy aside. For the ladybug, take one 4.2 cm red square, white side up, as a diamond.
  95. Ladybug: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner.
  96. Ladybug: front point up. Fold just the front layer's bottom point up to the middle of the top edge. White shows.
  97. Ladybug: wings down. Fold the left and right corners down so their tips land just either side of the bottom point, leaving a thin white V between the wings.
  98. Ladybug: top point behind. Fold the top point a little behind, to flatten the top.
  99. Ladybug: round the body. Fold the side corners and the bottom point a little behind.
  100. Hedgehog: new sheet. Set the ladybug aside. For the hedgehog, take a 7.1 cm brown square, white side up, as a diamond.
  101. Hedgehog: fold in half. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. The fold along the bottom is the hedgehog's tummy.
  102. Hedgehog: round the back. Fold the top point behind through both layers, 1.5 cm down, and the left point behind 1.3 cm in.
  103. Hedgehog: soften it. Fold the four corners round the back behind, 6 mm each, for a soft round hedgehog.
  104. Snout: new sheet. Set the hedgehog aside. For its pale snout, take a 3.4 cm tan square, white side up, as a diamond.
  105. Snout: make a kite. Fold the two right edges in to lie along the line between the left and right corners: a kite pointing right.
  106. Snout: blunt the back. Fold the left corner behind, 1.4 cm in, level with the kite's side corners.
  107. Snout: fold in half. Fold the bottom half behind onto the top half. A pointed tan snout with a flat chin.
  108. Sky: new sheet. Set the snout aside. Last, the sky: a pale yellow A4 sheet, coloured side up, lying long.
  109. Build the scene. Glue the hill on the right, the meadow along the bottom, the cottage on the hill, the butterflies and bees in the sky, then the stems, flowers, ladybug and hedgehog.
  110. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you just left of the hill, and stand the flower meadow up on the table.

Buzz buzz!

Draw the butterflies' spots, the bees' and ladybug's faces, the cottage's door and windows, and the hedgehog's nose, eye and spines.

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