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How to fold an origami jellyfish

Fold a square in half, fold up a rim and fold the corners behind into a round bell. Three light strips folded thin, zigzagged into waves and folded into Vs make six tentacles.

You need: 1 square sheet (15 cm), pink or purple on one side, 3 light strips 15 × 1.5 cm, a glue stick and a pen. Medium, 32 steps, about 15 minutes.

Steps

  1. Fold in half. Start white side up. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge, coloured side out. The folded edge along the bottom is the bell's rim.
  2. Fold up the rim. Fold the folded edge up 1.2 cm over the front, to make a thick rim.
  3. Pleat the rim. Fold the rim's top half back down, so it sits as a little step along the bottom.
  4. Sides behind. Fold 1.6 cm of each side behind.
  5. Make the dome. Fold the two top corners behind on a big slant, from 2.8 cm down each side to 2.8 cm in along the top.
  6. Round the dome. Fold the four new corners behind a little, so the top of the bell is round.
  7. Tentacles 1: a strip. Set the bell aside. Take a light strip as long as the square and 1.5 cm wide, white side up.
  8. Tentacles 1: narrow it. Fold it in half the long way.
  9. Tentacles 1: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick.
  10. Tentacles 1: wave 1. Bend both ends down a little, 1.2 cm from the middle.
  11. Tentacles 1: wave 2. 1.8 cm further on, bend both ends back up the other way.
  12. Tentacles 1: wave 3. 1.8 cm further on, bend them down again.
  13. Tentacles 1: wave 4. And once more up, so each end zigzags like a wave.
  14. Tentacles 1: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle, so the two wavy ends hang side by side in a narrow V.
  15. Tentacles 2: a strip. Set it aside and fold the next strip the same way.
  16. Tentacles 2: narrow it. Fold it in half the long way.
  17. Tentacles 2: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick.
  18. Tentacles 2: wave 1. Bend both ends down a little, 1.2 cm from the middle.
  19. Tentacles 2: wave 2. 1.8 cm further on, bend both ends back up the other way.
  20. Tentacles 2: wave 3. 1.8 cm further on, bend them down again.
  21. Tentacles 2: wave 4. And once more up, so each end zigzags like a wave.
  22. Tentacles 2: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle, so the two wavy ends hang side by side in a narrow V.
  23. Tentacles 3: a strip. Set it aside and fold the next strip the same way.
  24. Tentacles 3: narrow it. Fold it in half the long way.
  25. Tentacles 3: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way, so it's a thin stick.
  26. Tentacles 3: wave 1. Bend both ends down a little, 1.2 cm from the middle.
  27. Tentacles 3: wave 2. 1.8 cm further on, bend both ends back up the other way.
  28. Tentacles 3: wave 3. 1.8 cm further on, bend them down again.
  29. Tentacles 3: wave 4. And once more up, so each end zigzags like a wave.
  30. Tentacles 3: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle, so the two wavy ends hang side by side in a narrow V.
  31. Hang them down. Turn the last V so its tentacles hang straight down.
  32. Glue it together. Glue the three Vs of tentacles under the rim, side by side, so they hang down. Then glue the bell on top.

Bloop, a jellyfish!

Draw two eyes and a smile on the bell. Hang it from a thread and let the wavy tentacles sway.

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