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How to fold an origami scarlet ibis

A long diamond folded in half, with thin strips freed along the bottom for the neck and legs. Outside reverse folds raise the neck and curve the long bill down.

You need: 1 square sheet, 15 × 15 cm, scarlet on one side; scissors and a black pen. Hard, 17 steps, about 25 minutes.

Steps

  1. Turn it. White side up. Turn the square so a corner points up, like a diamond.
  2. Crease the diagonal. Fold the left corner over to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  3. Make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the centre crease.
  4. Narrow the top. Fold the two upper edges in to the centre crease too, making a long diamond.
  5. Fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the centre crease, so the flaps stay on the outside.
  6. Lay it down. Turn it so the fold runs along the bottom and the point that was at the bottom is on the right.
  7. Crease a strip. Fold the bottom edge up 7 mm along its whole length, through all the layers, and crease it hard.
  8. Open it. Unfold the strip again.
  9. Free the neck and legs. Cut along the crease from the right end to 2 cm behind the peak, and from the left end to 2.8 cm behind the peak. Snip the left strip along the bottom fold as far.
  10. Shape the body. Fold the long point above the neck behind on an upright crease 1.2 cm in front of the peak. Fold the tail point behind 6.5 cm behind the peak.
  11. Round the breast. Fold the body's top front corner behind, from 2.4 cm up its front edge to 1.6 cm behind the peak.
  12. Neck back. Outside-reverse-fold the neck strip back over itself on an upright crease 1.6 cm in front of the peak, so it points back along the body.
  13. Neck up. Outside-reverse-fold it up from the bottom of that crease, so the neck stands up leaning a little forward.
  14. Head. 4.5 cm up, outside-reverse-fold the rest forward and down. The tapering end is the bill.
  15. Curve the bill. 3 cm along, fold the bill tip down a little more, through both layers, so the bill curves like a sickle.
  16. Legs down. Fold the front leg strip down from the end of its cut. Fold the back one down behind, leaning a little back.
  17. Fold the feet. Fold the last 1 cm of each leg forward along the ground: the front foot over the front, the back foot behind.

Probing the mud!

Draw a small black eye just behind the bill. Stand it on a green paper marsh.

What to fold next