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How to fold an origami ice cream parlour

A sweet build. Fold the shop with its serving hatch and flared awning, the server in his tall hat, three cones and a counter, a girl, a sunshade table with a sundae and a bench, then stand it up.

You need: 30 pieces: light-blue A4; grey, yellow, purple, teal, pale, red, skin, brown, pink, mint, raspberry, white, lilac (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 108 steps, about 90 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sky: crease the middle. Start with the sky: a light-blue A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Pavement: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For the pavement, take a 29.7 × 10 cm grey strip, white side up, long side across.
  3. Pavement: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the front edge of the scene.
  4. Pavement: gentle slopes. Fold the top left and right corners behind on long slants, 1.2 cm down the ends, so the ground rises in the middle.
  5. Shop: new sheet. Set the pavement aside. For the shop, take an 18.4 × 16.9 cm piece of pale-yellow paper, white side up.
  6. Shop: top and bottom bands. Fold the top edge down 1.2 cm and the bottom edge up 3.2 cm. Yellow bands for the top and bottom of the shop wall.
  7. Shop: sides in. Fold the left and right edges in 3.0 cm, through all layers. The white gap left in the middle is the serving hatch.
  8. Hatch: new sheet. Set the shop aside. For the inside of the hatch, take a 7 × 8.7 cm piece of purple paper, purple side up.
  9. Hatch: top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges in 5 mm.
  10. Hatch: sides. Fold the sides in 5 mm too: a white frame round the dark shop inside.
  11. Awning: new sheet. Set the hatch aside. For the awning, take a 12.8 × 5.4 cm piece of teal paper, teal side up.
  12. Awning: frill. Fold the bottom edge up 1.1 cm. The white strip is the awning's frilly edge.
  13. Awning: flare it. Fold the left and right edges behind on slants, 1.4 cm at the top and nothing at the bottom, so the awning flares out over the shop.
  14. Server's arms: new sheet. Set the inside aside. Now the server, starting with his arms: a 6.5 × 0.4 cm piece of pale paper, white side up.
  15. Server's arms: bend them. 1 cm from the middle on each side, fold the strip down on a slanted crease: the left arm steeply down, the right one only a little, ready to scoop.
  16. Server's arms: white cuffs. Fold the last 5 mm of each arm straight back over itself for a white cuff.
  17. Server's jacket: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For his jacket, take a 2.9 × 3.1 cm piece of pale paper, coloured side up.
  18. Server's jacket: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  19. Server's jacket: cut the shoulder. Cut a slope off the top corner, from 6 mm from the fold down to 5 mm below the top.
  20. Server's jacket: open it. Open the jacket out flat.
  21. Server's neckerchief: new sheet. Set the jacket aside. For his neckerchief, take a 1.1 cm square of red paper, white side up, like a diamond.
  22. Server's neckerchief: fold it. Fold the top corner down onto the bottom corner: a red triangle.
  23. Server's head: new sheet. Set it aside. For his head, take a 2 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  24. Server's head: round it. Fold the four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge, for a round face.
  25. Server's moustache: new sheet. Set the head aside. For his moustache, take a 1.5 × 0.5 cm piece of dark brown paper.
  26. Server's moustache: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  27. Server's moustache: cut it. Cut a slant across the top that rises to the open end, then curve the bottom up to meet it in a pointed, turned-up tip.
  28. Server's moustache: open it. Open it out: a big handlebar moustache.
  29. Server's hat: new sheet. Set it aside. For his tall white hat, take a 2.5 × 3.2 cm piece of pale paper, coloured side up, standing tall.
  30. Server's hat: fold the band. Fold the bottom edge up 3 mm. The white side makes the hat's band.
  31. Server's hat: fold in a pleat. 7 mm from the middle of the top edge on each side, fold the outer part straight in over the hat.
  32. Server's hat: fold it back. Fold each flap back out on a line from the same top point, leaning in at the bottom. The band narrows and the top puffs out.
  33. Server's hat: round the top. Snip the top corners off in a smooth curve so the top of the hat is round and puffy.
  34. Strawberry cone: new sheet. Set the hat aside. For a strawberry cone, take a 4.2 cm square of pink paper, white side up, like a diamond.
  35. Strawberry cone: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease well, and unfold.
  36. Strawberry cone: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in so they lie along the centre crease.
  37. Strawberry cone: turn it over. Flip the kite over from side to side. The long point stays at the bottom.
  38. Strawberry cone: flatten the top. Fold the short top point behind, about a quarter of the way down to the side corners.
  39. Strawberry cone: round the scoop. Fold the two side corners behind a little, and the scoop gets round.
  40. Strawberry cone: cone up. Fold the long bottom point up behind, making the fold just under the scoop's round sides. The point sticks up past the top.
  41. Strawberry cone: cone back down. At the back, fold the point down again a little higher up. The cone now tucks up behind the scoop, and the scoop's rim sticks out.
  42. Chocolate cone: new sheet. Set the cone aside. For a chocolate cone, take a 4.2 cm square of brown paper, white side up, like a diamond.
  43. Chocolate cone: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease well, and unfold.
  44. Chocolate cone: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in so they lie along the centre crease.
  45. Chocolate cone: turn it over. Flip the kite over from side to side. The long point stays at the bottom.
  46. Chocolate cone: flatten the top. Fold the short top point behind, about a quarter of the way down to the side corners.
  47. Chocolate cone: round the scoop. Fold the two side corners behind a little, and the scoop gets round.
  48. Chocolate cone: cone up. Fold the long bottom point up behind, making the fold just under the scoop's round sides. The point sticks up past the top.
  49. Chocolate cone: cone back down. At the back, fold the point down again a little higher up. The cone now tucks up behind the scoop, and the scoop's rim sticks out.
  50. Mint cone: new sheet. Set the cone aside. For a mint cone, take a 4.2 cm square of mint-green paper, white side up, like a diamond.
  51. Mint cone: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease well, and unfold.
  52. Mint cone: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in so they lie along the centre crease.
  53. Mint cone: turn it over. Flip the kite over from side to side. The long point stays at the bottom.
  54. Mint cone: flatten the top. Fold the short top point behind, about a quarter of the way down to the side corners.
  55. Mint cone: round the scoop. Fold the two side corners behind a little, and the scoop gets round.
  56. Mint cone: cone up. Fold the long bottom point up behind, making the fold just under the scoop's round sides. The point sticks up past the top.
  57. Mint cone: cone back down. At the back, fold the point down again a little higher up. The cone now tucks up behind the scoop, and the scoop's rim sticks out.
  58. Counter: new sheet. Set the cone aside. For the counter, take an 8.4 × 5.8 cm piece of pink paper, pink side up.
  59. Counter: white trims. Fold the top edge down 1 cm and the bottom edge up 1 cm. The white strips are the counter top and its base.
  60. Girl's hair: new sheet. Set the counter aside. Now a girl, starting with her hair: a 3.2 × 2.6 cm brown piece, brown side up.
  61. Girl's hair: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 8 mm along each edge.
  62. Girl's cone: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For her own ice cream, take a 3 cm square of pink paper, white side up, like a diamond.
  63. Girl's cone: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease well, and unfold.
  64. Girl's cone: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in so they lie along the centre crease.
  65. Girl's cone: turn it over. Flip the kite over from side to side. The long point stays at the bottom.
  66. Girl's cone: flatten the top. Fold the short top point behind, about a quarter of the way down to the side corners.
  67. Girl's cone: round the scoop. Fold the two side corners behind a little, and the scoop gets round.
  68. Girl's cone: cone up. Fold the long bottom point up behind, making the fold just under the scoop's round sides. The point sticks up past the top.
  69. Girl's cone: cone back down. At the back, fold the point down again a little higher up. The cone now tucks up behind the scoop, and the scoop's rim sticks out.
  70. Girl's arms: new sheet. Set the cone aside. For her arms, take a 9.6 × 1.2 cm skin-tone strip, long side across.
  71. Girl's arms: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  72. Girl's arms: bend the ends. Fold the left end down and the right end up on slants from the corners: one arm hangs down, the other holds up her cone.
  73. Girl's legs: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For her legs, take a 10.8 × 1.4 cm skin-tone strip, long side across.
  74. Girl's legs: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  75. Girl's legs: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: two legs to stand on.
  76. Girl's dress: new sheet. Set the legs aside. For her dress, take a 4.6 × 4.800000000000001 cm raspberry piece, standing tall.
  77. Girl's dress: flare it. Fold the left and right edges behind on slants, 9 mm at the top and nothing at the bottom: a dress that flares out.
  78. Girl's head: new sheet. Set the dress aside. For her head, take a 2.6 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  79. Girl's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 6 mm along each edge: a round face.
  80. Sunshade: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the sunshade, take a 9.3 × 5.6 cm piece of yellow paper, yellow side up, long side across.
  81. Sunshade: fold in half. Fold the right edge over onto the left edge.
  82. Sunshade: in half again. Fold the left edge over onto the folded edge, making a narrow stack of four layers.
  83. Sunshade: snip the corners. Cut a small round curve off both bottom corners, through all four layers. These make the scallops on the rim.
  84. Sunshade: open once. Unfold the last fold.
  85. Sunshade: open flat. Open the canopy out flat. The bottom edge now has four round scallops.
  86. Sunshade: top corners. Fold both top corners behind on a slant.
  87. Sunshade: round the dome. Fold the four new corners behind, just a little, so the top is a smooth dome.
  88. Pole: new sheet. Set the sunshade aside. For its pole, take a 1.2 × 12.600000000000001 cm white strip, standing tall.
  89. Pole: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a stiff white pole.
  90. Table: new sheet. Set the pole aside. For the table, take a 15.8 × 1.8 cm brown strip, long side across.
  91. Table: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  92. Table: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: table legs.
  93. Pink scoop: new sheet. Set the table aside. For the sundae, take a 1.8 cm pink square.
  94. Pink scoop: round it. Fold all four corners behind a little: a round scoop of ice cream.
  95. Brown scoop: new sheet. Set it aside. Round a 1.8 cm brown square the same way.
  96. Brown scoop: round it. Fold the four corners behind.
  97. Cherry: new sheet. Set it aside. For the cherry, round a 9 mm red square the same way.
  98. Cherry: round it. Fold the four corners behind.
  99. Sundae glass: new sheet. Set the cherry aside. For the glass, take a 2.5 cm lilac square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  100. Sundae glass: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner: a wide lilac triangle.
  101. Sundae glass: flat bottom. Fold the bottom point up behind, 0.4 cm from the tip, so the glass stands on a flat bottom.
  102. Bench back: new sheet. Set the glass aside. For the bench back, take a 3.7 × 4.2 cm piece of brown paper, white side up.
  103. Bench back: two slats. Fold the top edge down and the bottom edge up 9 mm. Two brown slats with a gap between them.
  104. Bench seat: new sheet. Set it aside. For the seat, take a 8.9 × 1.6 cm brown strip, long side across.
  105. Bench seat: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  106. Bench seat: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: short bench legs.
  107. Build the scene. Glue the pavement, shop, hatch and awning on the sky. Put the server in the hatch, cones and counter in front, then the girl, sunshade, table, sundae and bench.
  108. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole ice cream parlour up on the table.

Two scoops, please!

Paint white stripes on the awning and draw its scallops. Draw the faces, the server's buttons, the girl's shoes, sprinkles and the cherry's stem.

What to fold next