How to fold an origami ibex
Fold a kite body, slit two strips into four legs, crimp the neck up and the head forward and reverse-fold a beard. A tapered dark strip crimped five times makes the horn.
You need: 1 grey-brown square (15 cm), a dark brown strip (2 × 11 cm), scissors, glue and a black pen. Hard, 32 steps, about 40 minutes.
Steps
- Crease the middle. White side up, turned like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
- Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 8.3 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the ibex's head.
- Narrow the tail end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 5.3 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
- Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 3.3 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
- 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.
- Crease a strip. Fold the bottom edge up 0.8 cm, all layers together, and crease it hard. This strip gives the legs.
- Open it. Unfold the strip again.
- Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 4 cm, and from the back end in 3.4 cm.
- 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.
- Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way. Now the ibex stands on four legs.
- Neck: crease. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 5.5 cm from the tip, all layers together.
- Neck: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same bottom point, so the neck stands up high. That's a crimp.
- Head: crease. Fold the top of the neck over on a crease straight across it, 2.9 cm below the tip.
- Head: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same back point, so the head points forward.
- Beard. Fold the sharp tip of the head down on a slant, all layers together, so the snout ends blunt and the tip hangs under the chin as a beard.
- Tail: crease. Fold the tail end over on an upright crease 1.3 cm from its tip, all layers together.
- Tail: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same bottom point, so the stubby tail flicks up.
- Pleat: fold over. Fold the back part of the body over to the front on an upright crease through the middle of the back, all layers together.
- Pleat: fold back. Fold it back again on an upright crease 1.3 cm further forward. The pleat makes the body shorter and sturdier.
- Horn: new sheet. Take the dark brown strip, coloured side up, standing upright. It becomes the big curved horn.
- Horn: taper it. Fold both long edges behind on slants from the bottom corners, so the strip narrows to 0.7 cm at the top.
- Horn: ridge 1. Fold the top of the horn down on a crease straight across it, 2.3 cm up from the bottom.
- Horn: crimp 1. Fold it back up on a crease from the same left point, slanting a little, so the horn bends back. The pleat is a ridge.
- Horn: ridge 2. Fold the top down again across the horn, 1.7 cm further up.
- Horn: crimp 2. Fold it back up from the same left point, slanting a little, so the horn curls back a bit more.
- Horn: ridge 3. Fold the top down again across the horn, 1.6 cm further up.
- Horn: crimp 3. Fold it back up from the same left point, slanting a little, so the horn curls back a bit more.
- Horn: ridge 4. Fold the top down again across the horn, 1.6 cm further up.
- Horn: crimp 4. Fold it back up from the same left point, slanting a little, so the horn curls back a bit more.
- Horn: ridge 5. Fold the top down again across the horn, 1.5 cm further up.
- Horn: crimp 5. Fold it back up from the same left point, slanting a little, so the horn curls back a bit more.
- Glue on the horn. Glue the bottom of the horn onto the back of the head, so it sweeps back in a big curve over the body.
King of the cliffs!
Draw a shiny eye on the head and a dark nose tip.