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How to fold an origami garden party

A sunny garden build. Fold a gazebo with a tent roof, a string of pennants, a long table and cloth, a cupcake and teapot, a girl in a princess dress, a puppy and tulips, then stand it up.

You need: 30 pieces (sizes in steps): pale-blue A4; green, white, red, blue, pink, yellow, orange, purple, brown, lilac, gold, skin, tan. Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 110 steps, about 110 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sky: crease the middle. Start with the sky: a pale-blue A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Lawn: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For the lawn, take a 29.7 × 10 cm green strip, white side up, long side across.
  3. Lawn: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the front edge of the scene.
  4. Lawn: slopes. Fold the two top corners behind on long slants: gentle green slopes.
  5. Gazebo posts: new sheet. Set the lawn aside. For the gazebo's posts, take a 30.7 × 1.6 cm piece white strip, long side across.
  6. Gazebo posts: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  7. Gazebo posts: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they stand straight down: a beam on two tall posts.
  8. Roof: new sheet. Set the posts aside. For the roof, take a 7.6 cm red square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  9. Roof: fold up. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner: a wide red tent roof.
  10. Roof: blunt the eaves. Fold the left and right points behind, 1 cm, and the top point behind 5 mm.
  11. String: new sheet. Set the roof aside. For the bunting string, take a 23 × 0.6 cm piece white strip.
  12. String: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle: a thin, stiff string.
  13. Flag 1: new sheet. Set the string aside. For the flags, take six 2.5 cm squares in bright colours. Start with yellow, white side up, as a diamond.
  14. Flag 1: fold down. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner: a coloured triangle pointing down.
  15. Flag 1: slim it. Fold the two side points behind, 4 mm each, for a slim pennant.
  16. Flag 2: new sheet. Set it aside. Take the blue square, white side up, as a diamond.
  17. Flag 2: fold down. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  18. Flag 2: slim it. Fold the side points behind, 4 mm each.
  19. Flag 3: new sheet. Set it aside. Take the pink square, white side up, as a diamond.
  20. Flag 3: fold down. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  21. Flag 3: slim it. Fold the side points behind, 4 mm each.
  22. Flag 4: new sheet. Set it aside. Take the green square, white side up, as a diamond.
  23. Flag 4: fold down. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  24. Flag 4: slim it. Fold the side points behind, 4 mm each.
  25. Flag 5: new sheet. Set it aside. Take the orange square, white side up, as a diamond.
  26. Flag 5: fold down. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  27. Flag 5: slim it. Fold the side points behind, 4 mm each.
  28. Flag 6: new sheet. Set it aside. Take the purple square, white side up, as a diamond.
  29. Flag 6: fold down. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  30. Flag 6: slim it. Fold the side points behind, 4 mm each.
  31. Table: new sheet. Set the flags aside. For the long table, take a 22 × 1.4 cm piece brown strip, long side across.
  32. Table: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  33. Table: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they stand straight down: a long table on two legs.
  34. Tablecloth: new sheet. Set the table aside. For the cloth, take a 14 × 3.6 cm piece of lilac paper, lilac side up, long side across.
  35. Tablecloth: lace hem. Fold the bottom edge up 6 mm. Its white back is a lacy hem.
  36. Tablecloth: drape the corners. Fold the two bottom corners behind on slants, 1 cm along each edge, so the cloth hangs softly.
  37. Cupcake: new sheet. Set the cloth aside. For a big party cupcake, take a 5.1 cm square of pink paper.
  38. Cupcake: fold up the case. Fold the bottom edge up to the middle of the sheet. The white band is the cupcake case.
  39. Cupcake: taper the case. Fold the two bottom corners behind, from the top corners of the white band down to a little in from the bottom corners.
  40. Cupcake: shape the frosting. Fold the two top corners behind at a slant, to make a dome.
  41. Cupcake: round the dome. Fold the four new corners of the dome behind, just a little, so the frosting looks soft and round.
  42. Teapot handle: new sheet. Set the cupcake aside. For the teapot's handle, take a 0.5 × 3 cm piece blue strip, white side up, standing tall.
  43. Teapot handle: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length, left edge over onto the right edge, and glue it flat.
  44. Teapot handle: bend the ends. Fold the top 8 mm over to the right on a 45° slant, so it sticks out sideways. Do the same with the bottom end, making a square bracket.
  45. Spout: new sheet. Set the handle aside. For the spout, take a 1 × 2.8 cm piece blue strip, white side up, standing tall.
  46. Spout: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length, left edge over onto the right edge, and glue it flat.
  47. Spout: taper it. Cut a long slim slice off the open edge, from the bottom corner to just under 3 mm from the fold at the top, so it tapers. Snip the top on a slant.
  48. Spout: tilt it. Turn the spout so it leans out and up to the right.
  49. Teapot: new sheet. Set the spout aside. For the teapot, take a 3.8 cm square of blue paper.
  50. Teapot: flat top. Body first. Put the square coloured side up, turned like a diamond. Fold the top corner behind about 9 mm, making a flat top.
  51. Teapot: pleat the knob. Turn it over. Fold that point back up on a line about 3 mm below the top edge, so its tip pokes about 4 mm above it. Turn it back: that's the knob.
  52. Teapot: round the sides. Fold the left and right corners behind, about 8 mm each, so the sides are straight.
  53. Teapot: flat bottom. Fold the bottom corner behind about 8 mm, so the pot stands on a flat bottom. Now it's round all over.
  54. Princess's hair: new sheet. Set the teapot aside. Now the princess. For her long hair, take a 3.5 × 4.7 cm piece of yellow paper.
  55. Princess's hair: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 1 cm along each edge.
  56. Skirt: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For the dress's skirt, take a 6.3 cm square of pink paper.
  57. Skirt: the ruffle. Fold a strip at the bottom up to show a white band: the ruffle at the hem.
  58. Skirt: flare it out. Keep the middle third of the top edge. Fold each side behind on a long slant from there to the side edge, a quarter of the way up from the bottom.
  59. Sleeves: new sheet. Set the skirt aside. For the puff sleeves, take a 4.2 × 1.3 cm piece of pink paper.
  60. Sleeves: round the ends. Fold all four corners a little way behind, so both ends of the strip turn round and puffy.
  61. Bodice: new sheet. Set the sleeves aside. For the top, take a 3.4 cm square of pink paper.
  62. Bodice: neckline and sash. Fold a thin strip at the top down and a slightly wider strip at the bottom up, so two white bands show: the neckline and the sash.
  63. Bodice: fold the sides behind. Fold each side behind on a slant, a little more at the bottom than at the top, so the top is wide at the shoulders and slim at the waist.
  64. Bodice: trim the points. Snip off the two little points of the side flaps that peek out above the neckline.
  65. Bow: new sheet. Set the top aside. For the bow, take a 1.2 × 0.8 cm piece of gold paper.
  66. Bow: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  67. Bow: snip a V. Hold the folded edge. Snip a slanted corner off at the top and at the bottom of the fold, both layers at once.
  68. Bow: open it. Open it out again: a little gold bow with a narrow knot in the middle.
  69. Princess's head: new sheet. Set the bow aside. For her head, take a 2.4 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  70. Princess's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm along each edge: a round face.
  71. Tiara: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the tiara, take a 1.7 cm gold square, white side up, as a diamond.
  72. Tiara: fold up. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner: a gold point.
  73. Tiara: side points. Fold the left and right corners up on slants, 4 mm either side of the middle, so they stand up as two more points.
  74. Puppy: new sheet. Set the tiara aside. For the puppy, take a 6.8 cm square of tan paper, white side up, as a diamond.
  75. Puppy: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the dog's back; it faces right.
  76. Puppy: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 10 mm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  77. Puppy: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  78. Puppy: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 8 mm left of the middle.
  79. Puppy: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  80. Puppy: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 1.7 cm left of the middle.
  81. Puppy: open it. Unfold it. The strip along the top left of this crease will be the tail.
  82. Puppy: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 2.4 cm below the top. Cut up the front leg crease to 1.4 cm below the top and the hind one to 1.1 cm, then across between them.
  83. Puppy: cut the tail. Cut up the rump crease to 4 mm below the top, then out to the left, and cut the tail off 2.3 cm long. Round the chest and thighs, and taper the legs.
  84. Puppy: snip the chest. Snip 5 mm along the top fold from the front edge, so the two chest layers come apart.
  85. Puppy: white bib. Fold the chest edge of each layer inside, on a crease from 1.9 cm down the front leg to 4 mm in at the top, so a white bib shows.
  86. Puppy: tail up. Fold the tail up and back, both layers together, on a crease from the bottom corner of its root, so it sticks up high.
  87. Puppy: white tail tip. Fold the last 5 mm of the tail down over itself, the front layer to the front and the back layer behind, so the tip turns white.
  88. Puppy head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 2.4 cm square of tan paper, white side up, as a diamond.
  89. Puppy head: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  90. Puppy head: floppy ears. Fold the left and right corners down on a slant, so they hang beside the face like floppy ears.
  91. Puppy head: nose. Fold the front layer's bottom tip up a little to make a white muzzle, and fold the back tip behind so the chin is flat.
  92. Hedge: new sheet. Set the puppy's head aside. For the flower hedge, take a 10 × 3.3 cm piece of dark-green paper.
  93. Hedge: round the top. Fold the two top corners behind, 1.6 cm along each edge, and the new corners behind a little: a round bush.
  94. Tulip 1: new sheet. Set the hedge aside. For the tulips, take three 3.3 cm squares: pink, yellow, red. Start with the pink one, white side up, as a diamond.
  95. Tulip 1: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  96. Tulip 1: 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.
  97. Tulip 1: fold the right petal. Do the same on the right side, mirroring the left petal.
  98. Tulip 1: turn it over. Flip the paper over from left to right.
  99. Tulip 2: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold the yellow tulip the same way.
  100. Tulip 2: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  101. Tulip 2: 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.
  102. Tulip 2: fold the right petal. Do the same on the right side, mirroring the left petal.
  103. Tulip 2: turn it over. Flip the paper over from left to right.
  104. Tulip 3: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold the red tulip the same way.
  105. Tulip 3: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  106. Tulip 3: 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.
  107. Tulip 3: fold the right petal. Do the same on the right side, mirroring the left petal.
  108. Tulip 3: turn it over. Flip the paper over from left to right.
  109. Build the scene. Glue the lawn on the sky, then the gazebo, the bunting and the table with its cloth. Add the cupcake, teapot, princess, puppy and the hedge with its tulips.
  110. Stand it up. Bend the backdrop gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole garden party up on the table.

Tea is served!

Paint white stripes down the roof. Draw the cupcake's cherry, teapot dots, sparkles on the dress, the princess's face and the puppy's eyes, nose and patches.

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