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How to fold an origami highland cow

Fold a deep kite body on short legs. Split a strip on the head into two long horns, swing one forward and one back, turn their tips up and crimp the head down.

You need: 1 ginger or rusty orange square (15 cm or bigger), scissors and a black pen. Hard, 19 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Crease the middle. White side up, turned like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
  2. Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 7.9 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the cow's head.
  3. Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 9 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
  4. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 4.7 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
  5. Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half along the middle crease. The long fold on top is the back, the flat bottom is the tummy.
  6. Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 1.1 cm and the top edge down 0.8 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the horns.
  7. Open it. Unfold both strips again.
  8. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 4.4 cm, and from the back end in 3.6 cm.
  9. Free the horns. Cut along the top crease from the front end in 5.1 cm. Then cut the top fold open from the front point for 6.1 cm.
  10. Front legs. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers one way and the back ones behind, a little apart.
  11. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
  12. Feet. Snip the pointed tip off each leg straight across, so the feet are blunt.
  13. Head: crease. Fold the head end over on an upright crease at the end of the horn cut, 6.1 cm from the tip. Leave the strip on top.
  14. Head: crimp down. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same top point, so the big shaggy head hangs low.
  15. Blunt muzzle. Fold the sharp tip of the head behind, 1.1 cm from the tip, all layers together, so the cow has a broad muzzle.
  16. Horns out. Fold the front layer of the free strip up in front so it points forward, and the back layer up behind so it points back. Both hinge at the end of the cut.
  17. Curl the tips. Fold the last 1.2 cm of each horn up on a slanted crease, the front horn in front and the back horn behind, so the tips curl up.
  18. Short body. Fold the whole tail end behind on an upright crease 2.3 cm behind the back legs, all layers together.
  19. Round the rump. Fold the top back corner behind 1.3 cm along each edge and the bottom one 0.9 cm, so the rump is round.

Hairy coo!

Draw a few shaggy strokes of fringe hiding the eyes, and a dark nostril on the broad muzzle.

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