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How to fold an origami housefly

Fold a dark kite into a fly's body, fold a grey strip into a pair of wings that lie back over it, and glue a red band of big round eyes on the head.

You need: 1 dark square, a red square a third its size, a grey strip 3 cm wide, a glue stick, a black pen and a white gel pen. Easy, 11 steps, about 10 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: kite. Start white side up, like a diamond. Fold the two lower edges in to meet on the middle line.
  2. Body: turn over. Turn it over, so it's dark all over.
  3. Body: shape it. Fold the top point, the bottom point and both side corners behind, to make a plump body.
  4. Wings: grey strip. Set the body aside. Take the grey strip, lying across.
  5. Wings: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way.
  6. Wings: round the tips. Fold the four corners at the ends behind, so the wing tips are round.
  7. Wings: bend. Fold the left half down on a slanted crease through the middle, so the wings make a V.
  8. Eyes: red square. Set the wings aside. Take the red square, white side up.
  9. Eyes: fold in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
  10. Eyes: round them. Fold all four corners behind, so the band is round at both ends.
  11. Glue it together. Glue the body under the eyes, then the wings on its back, so they sweep back in a V.

Bzz, shoo fly!

Colour a black wedge in the middle of the red band to split it into two big eyes, and add a white shine to each.

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