How to fold an origami soaring hawk
One square folded in half: the back layer pops up as the head, the front layer is snipped free and folded into a fanned tail, and a pleat at each wing tip turns the feathers back.
You need: 1 square sheet, 15 × 15 cm, brown on one side; scissors, a ruler and a white pen. Hard, 10 steps, about 25 minutes.
Steps
- Fold in half. White side up, like a diamond. Fold the top corner down onto the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the front edge of the wings.
- Crease the wings. Fold the bottom point up through both layers on a level crease 4.1 cm below the top fold.
- Open it. Unfold it again. The crease marks the back edge of the wings.
- Head up. Fold only the back layer's point up behind on the same crease, so its tip pokes 2.4 cm above the top fold. That is the head.
- Free the tail. Cut along the crease from each side edge, stopping 9 mm from the middle. The front point hanging below is now the tail.
- Fan the tail. Fold each side of the tail behind, creasing from the end of a cut down to the tail's slanted edge, 3.4 cm below the cut. It widens like a fan.
- Square the tail. Fold the tail's point behind on a level crease between the bottoms of those two creases.
- Flat head. Fold the tip of the head behind, 9 mm down, so it is blunt like a hawk seen from above.
- Pleat the tips. Fold each wing tip in on an upright crease 4.6 cm from the tip.
- Tips out. Fold each tip back out on a crease from the same top point, leaning a little toward the body. The tip turns back and steps out like spread feathers.
Ride the wind!
Draw two small white eyes on the sides of the head. Hold it high by the back and let it circle slowly, like a hawk riding warm air.