All models

How to fold an origami gibbon

Fold a long arm strip with two very long arms and white reverse-folded hands, a slim body, tucked legs with white feet, and a head whose white side becomes a face ring.

You need: Dark brown or black paper: strips 31.5 × 1.8 and 14 × 1.8 cm, a 4 × 8 cm piece, a 5 cm square; a brown 25 × 2.5 cm strip; scissors, glue. Hard, 18 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Arms: in half. Take the long dark strip, white side up, lying wide. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge, so it is dark on both sides.
  2. Arms: one up, one out. 2 cm either side of the middle, fold the ends up on slanted creases: the left arm almost straight up, the right one out and up at a slant.
  3. Arms: white hands. Outside-reverse-fold 1.8 cm at each end, so the white inside shows: the left hand hooks right over the top, the right hand curls up.
  4. Body: new sheet. Set the arms aside. Take the 4 × 8 cm dark piece, dark side up, standing tall.
  5. Body: slim it. Fold the top corners behind 1 cm and the bottom corners 1.5 cm, so the body is slim with round ends.
  6. Body: smooth it. Snip off the small corners all round, so the body is smooth.
  7. Legs: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the 14 cm dark strip, white side up, lying wide.
  8. Legs: in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
  9. Legs: knees. 3.5 cm either side of the middle, fold both ends down on slanted creases, so the shins hang down from bent knees.
  10. Legs: white feet. Outside-reverse-fold 1 cm at each end, so the white feet turn in toward each other.
  11. Head: new sheet. Set the legs aside. Take the 5 cm dark square, white side up.
  12. Head: top. Fold the top edge down 1.3 cm.
  13. Head: sides. Fold the left and right edges in 6 mm, leaving a white patch in the middle.
  14. Head: round it. Fold the top corners behind 1 cm and the bottom corners 1.1 cm, so the head is round.
  15. Head: smooth it. Snip off the small corners all round.
  16. Branch: new sheet. Set the head aside. Take the brown strip, white side up, lying wide.
  17. Branch: in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge, so it is brown on both sides.
  18. Glue it together. Glue the arms on the branch so the left hand hooks over it. Glue the body below the shoulders, swung right, the legs across its bottom and the head on top.

Swing!

Draw a round black face inside the white patch, leaving a white ring all round it, with bright eyes, a small nose and a mouth.

What to fold next