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How to fold an origami hyena

Fold a kite body with a wide head end, slit long front legs and short back ones, then crimp the back half down so the back slopes. Blunt the nose and add a folded ear.

You need: 1 sandy square (15 cm), a small dark brown square (2 cm), scissors, glue and a black pen. Hard, 20 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 9 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the hyena's head.
  3. Narrow the tail end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 4.5 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
  4. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 3.5 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 a strip. Fold the bottom edge up 0.8 cm, all layers together, and crease it hard. This strip gives the legs.
  7. Open it. Unfold the strip again.
  8. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 4.1 cm, and from the back end in 3.5 cm.
  9. Front legs. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers forward and the back ones behind, a little apart.
  10. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way. Now the hyena stands on four legs.
  11. Slope: crease. Fold the back half over on an upright crease 0.8 cm in front of the middle, all layers together.
  12. Slope: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting a little from the same top point, so the back slopes down to a low rump.
  13. Tail: crease. Fold the tail point over on a crease straight across it, 2.5 cm from its tip.
  14. Tail: crimp. Fold it back on a crease from the same top point, so the short tail hangs down.
  15. Head: crease. Fold the wide left end over on an upright crease 3.7 cm from its tip, all layers together.
  16. Head: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same top point, so the big head dips a little.
  17. Blunt nose. Fold the sharp tip of the head behind, about 1.3 cm, all layers together, so the muzzle ends broad and blunt.
  18. Ear: new sheet. Take the small dark brown square, coloured side up.
  19. Ear: round it. Fold all four corners behind, about 6 mm, so the square becomes a round ear.
  20. Glue on the ear. Glue the ear behind the top of the head, so its round top stands up behind the eye.

Hee-hee-hyena!

Dot dark spots over the body and legs, colour the muzzle tip dark and add a shiny eye.

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