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How to fold an origami hummingbird

Two outside reverse folds and a snip give the needle beak; the bottom corner folds up and is cut into two raised wings. A forked tail and a pink tulip flower are glued on.

You need: A 15 cm square, green on one side and white on the other; a green 3 × 4.5 cm rectangle; a pink 7.5 cm square; scissors, glue. Hard, 15 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Fold in half. Green square, white side up, turned like a diamond: fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the back.
  2. Beak back. Outside-reverse-fold the right corner back over the body, on an upright crease 4.5 cm from the corner. Each layer wraps round the outside.
  3. Cut the beak. Cut up the beak's fold, leaving 5 mm under the top fold. Then cut the flap to a thin needle, from there to its point.
  4. Wings up. Fold the bottom corner up on a slanted line 3.4 cm below the back in the middle, 2.3 cm at the head: the front layer over the front, the back one behind.
  5. Cut the wings. Cut along the wing fold except for 1.4 cm in the middle. Cut each layer to a long pointed wing. Cut the back end on a slant and round the chin.
  6. Beak out. Outside-reverse-fold the needle forward again on a crease at its root, so it sticks out in front of the head, tipped up a little.
  7. Tail: new sheet. Set the bird aside. Take a green rectangle 3 cm by 4.5 cm, green side up, long sides upright.
  8. Tail: fold in half. Fold the right half behind, onto the left half.
  9. Tail: cut the fork. Cut from the fold 1 cm above the bottom down to the bottom left corner. Then cut the top narrower, from 9 mm left of the fold down to the middle of the left edge.
  10. Tail: open it. Unfold it: a tail that fans out to two sharp points.
  11. Flower: new sheet. Set the tail aside. Take a pink square half the size, pink side up, turned like a diamond.
  12. Flower: fold in half. Fold the bottom corner behind, up to the top corner: a triangle pointing up.
  13. Flower: petals. Fold the left and right corners up beside the top point, from just either side of the middle of the bottom fold. Now it is a tulip-shaped flower.
  14. Flower: turn it. Turn the flower so it hangs down with its open petals facing down to the left.
  15. Glue it together. Glue the bird tilted up, its beak tip tucked behind the flower. Glue the tail behind the back end, pointing down and back.

Buzz buzz!

Colour the beak black, draw an eye, and add a few quick lines by the wings to show them buzzing.

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