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How to fold an origami jungle river

A big jungle build. Fold a river that winds on turned creases, a pleated waterfall, a crimped palm, vines, a spiky crocodile, a hippo, a parrot and an explorer in his canoe.

You need: 20 pieces: pale green A4, greens, brown, blue, pale blue, red, purple-grey, khaki, cream and skin-tone paper (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 95 steps, about 100 minutes.

Steps

  1. Far jungle: treetops. Start with the far jungle, a 29.7 × 8 cm dark green strip. Fold the top corners behind on long slants, 9 cm and 11 cm along the top.
  2. Far jungle: round them. Fold the two new corners on the top edge behind a little, about 1 cm, so the treetops roll softly.
  3. Riverbank: new sheet. Set the far jungle aside. For the riverbank, take a 29.7 × 10 cm light green piece, green side up, lying long.
  4. Riverbank: low banks. Fold the top corners behind on gentle slants, 6 cm along the top on the left and 5 cm on the right.
  5. Cliff: new sheet. Set the riverbank aside. For the cliff, take a 10.4 × 10.1 cm brown piece, brown side up.
  6. Cliff: rock ledge, fold up. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 4.1 cm above it.
  7. Cliff: rock ledge, fold down. Fold it back down 5 mm higher. The little step is a rocky ledge.
  8. Cliff: craggy top. Fold the top corners behind on steep slants, 3 cm along the top on the left and 2.5 cm on the right, for a rough rocky cliff.
  9. River: new sheet. Set the cliff aside. For the river, take a 10 × 25.4 cm blue strip, white side up, lying long.
  10. River: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. Now the strip is blue on both sides.
  11. River: wind it. Fold the left end up on a slant, crossing the middle 7.5 cm from the end. Fold the right end straight down, crossing the middle 3.7 cm from the end.
  12. Waterfall: new sheet. Set the river aside. For the waterfall, take a 5.4 × 11.1 cm pale blue piece, blue side up.
  13. Waterfall: first ledge, up. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 3 cm below the top.
  14. Waterfall: first ledge, down. Fold it back down 4 mm higher. The step is where the water tumbles over a rock.
  15. Waterfall: second ledge. Make a second ledge lower down the same way: fold up creasing 5.6 cm below the top...
  16. Waterfall: second ledge, down. ...and back down 4 mm higher. Two little drops in the falling water.
  17. Waterfall: spread the foot. Fold both long sides behind on slants, 1 cm in at the top and nothing at the bottom, so the water spreads out as it falls.
  18. Draped vine: new sheet. Set the waterfall aside. For a draped vine, take a 12 × 1.4 cm dark green strip, white side up, lying long.
  19. Draped vine: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge, for a thin vine, green on both sides.
  20. Draped vine: dip it. Fold the right half up on a slanted crease through the middle, so the vine dips like a V between its two ends.
  21. Hanging vine: new sheet. Set the draped vine aside. For a hanging vine, take a 1.4 × 9.5 cm dark green strip, white side up, standing tall.
  22. Hanging vine: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge, for a thin vine.
  23. Hanging vine: first kink. Fold the bottom part to the right on a slant, crossing the vine 3.4 cm from the top.
  24. Hanging vine: second kink. Fold the end back to the left on a slant 3 cm further down, so the vine wiggles.
  25. Palm trunk: new sheet. Set the hanging vine aside. For the palm trunk, take a 2.6 × 17 cm brown strip, white side up, standing tall.
  26. Palm trunk: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge, for a narrow brown trunk.
  27. Palm trunk: bend 1, down. Fold the top end down, creasing 6 cm above the bottom at the right edge and 3 mm higher at the left.
  28. Palm trunk: bend 1, up. Fold it back up, creasing straight across from the same point on the right edge. The trunk leans over and gets a ring.
  29. Palm trunk: bend 2, down. Fold the top end down, creasing 11.5 cm above the bottom at the right edge and 3 mm higher at the left.
  30. Palm trunk: bend 2, up. Fold it back up, creasing straight across from the same point on the right edge. The trunk leans over and gets a ring.
  31. Drooping fronds: new sheet. Set the palm trunk aside. For the drooping fronds, take a 17 × 2.6 cm green strip, white side up, lying long.
  32. Drooping fronds: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. Now it is green on both sides.
  33. Drooping fronds: pointed tips. Fold the top corner at each end behind on a long slant, from the bottom corner to 4 cm along the top. Each end tapers to a leaf tip.
  34. Drooping fronds: bend them. Fold the right half down on a slanted crease through the middle. Two fronds that droop out from the top of the palm.
  35. Top fronds: new sheet. Set the drooping fronds aside. For the top fronds, take a 13 × 2.6 cm green strip, white side up, lying long.
  36. Top fronds: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge, as before.
  37. Top fronds: pointed tips. Fold the top corner at each end behind on a long slant, from the bottom corner to 4 cm along the top. Each end tapers to a leaf tip.
  38. Top fronds: bend them. Fold the right half up on a slant through the middle, for two fronds that reach up and out.
  39. Parrot: new sheet. Set the top fronds aside. For the parrot, take a 4.5 cm red square, white side up.
  40. Parrot: crease the diagonal. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  41. Parrot: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the centre crease.
  42. Parrot: narrow the tail. Fold the two upper edges in to lie along the centre crease too, making a long diamond.
  43. Parrot: turn it over. Flip the diamond over.
  44. Parrot: head up. Fold the bottom point up so its tip lands 1.3 cm above the side corners. This becomes the head.
  45. Parrot: fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the centre crease, head on the outside.
  46. Parrot: lay it down. Turn the model so the long fold is at the bottom and the head flap's fold is on the right.
  47. Parrot: pull out the head. Outside-reverse-fold the head out to the right, tilted a little up. Start the crease at the bottom right corner.
  48. Parrot: hook the beak. Outside-reverse-fold the last 9 mm of the head down and back, so the beak curls under.
  49. Parrot: perch it. Stand the parrot up, head at the top and the long tail pointing down.
  50. Scutes: new sheet. Set the parrot aside. For the crocodile's spiky scutes, take a 5.9 × 0.7 cm dark green strip, coloured side up, lying long.
  51. Scutes: fold in half. Fold the right end over onto the left end.
  52. Scutes: again. Fold the right end over to the left end again.
  53. Scutes: and again. And once more, so it is 7 mm wide and eight layers thick. Press it flat.
  54. Scutes: snip a peak. Cut a slant off each top corner, from the middle of the top edge down to each side 3 mm below the top.
  55. Scutes: open. Unfold the last fold.
  56. Scutes: open again. Unfold the next fold.
  57. Scutes: open it out. Unfold the first fold. Eight sharp scutes stand in a row!
  58. Crocodile: new sheet. Set the scutes aside. For the crocodile, take a 9.3 × 4.7 cm green piece, white side up, lying long.
  59. Crocodile: fold in half. White side up, long sides at the top and bottom. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge. The fold at the top is the crocodile's back.
  60. Crocodile: crease the legs. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 4.6 cm from the left edge, and the right end behind on one 3.1 cm from the right edge.
  61. Crocodile: open them. Unfold both ends again. The two creases mark the inside edges of the legs.
  62. Crocodile: tail back. Outside-reverse-fold the left end back over the body on an upright crease 3.7 cm from the left edge. Each layer wraps round the outside.
  63. Crocodile: cut the tail. Cut up the tail fold, leaving its top 9 mm. Cut the tail flap to a point, from the end of that cut to its tip on the top fold.
  64. Crocodile: tail out. Outside-reverse-fold the tail out on a crease from its top corner, so the long tail stretches out behind, level with the back.
  65. Crocodile: head back. Outside-reverse-fold the right end back over the body the same way, on a crease 2.2 cm from the right edge.
  66. Crocodile: cut the head. Cut up the head fold, leaving its top 10 mm. Taper the head flap from there to 5 mm deep at its tip.
  67. Crocodile: snout out. Outside-reverse-fold the head out the same way, from its top corner, so the long snout points forward.
  68. Crocodile: cut the legs. Cut up both leg creases to 1.6 cm below the back and cut the belly between them in a shallow curve. Slant each leg's inside edge out 4 mm at the foot.
  69. Crocodile: fold up the teeth. Fold the bottom edge of the head up on each side, from nothing at the neck to 2 mm at the snout, so a white band shows along the mouth.
  70. Hippo: new sheet. Set the crocodile aside. For the hippo, take a 4.6 × 5 cm purple-grey piece, grey side up.
  71. Hippo: muzzle, fold up. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing just above the middle. It pokes out past the top.
  72. Hippo: muzzle, fold down. Fold it back down on a crease 3 mm higher. The wide double layer is the hippo's big muzzle.
  73. Hippo: narrow the head. Fold both sides of the head behind on slants, from the muzzle's top corners to 9 mm in at the top. The muzzle stays wide.
  74. Hippo: round the muzzle. Fold the muzzle's bottom corners behind, 7 mm along each edge, so it is round and chunky.
  75. Hippo: round the head. Fold the head's two top corners behind, 6 mm along each edge, for a round head.
  76. Paddle: new sheet. Set the hippo aside. For the paddle, take a 0.6 × 4.7 cm brown strip, brown side up, standing tall.
  77. Paddle: thin handle. Fold both long edges behind on a slant, from the middle of the strip to near the top. The top becomes a thin handle, the bottom a wide blade.
  78. Paddle: round the blade. Fold the two bottom corners of the blade a little way behind.
  79. Canoe: tilt the paddle. Lean the paddle over, handle to the right.
  80. Explorer's shirt: new sheet. Set the paddle aside. For the explorer's shirt, take a 2.4 cm khaki square, khaki side up.
  81. Shirt: shoulders. Fold the top corners behind, 6 mm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  82. Explorer's face: new sheet. Set the explorer's shirt aside. For the face, take a 1.4 cm skin-tone square, coloured side up.
  83. Face: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge, to make a round face.
  84. Pith helmet: new sheet. Set the explorer's face aside. For the pith helmet, take a 2.4 × 1.8 cm cream piece, cream side up.
  85. Pith helmet: brim, fold up. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 5 mm above it.
  86. Pith helmet: brim, fold down. Fold it back down 2 mm higher, for a brim with a little ridge.
  87. Pith helmet: dome. Fold the sides above the brim behind on slants, from the brim's ends to 6 mm in at the top.
  88. Pith helmet: round the top. Fold the two top corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, so the dome is round.
  89. Canoe: new sheet. Set the pith helmet aside. For the canoe, take a 7.5 cm red-brown square, coloured side up, turned like a diamond.
  90. Canoe: flatten the diamond. Colour side up, turned like a diamond. Fold the top and bottom corners behind, each about a third of the way to the middle.
  91. Canoe: fold in half. Fold the top half behind along the middle. Now you have a long boat shape with pointed ends.
  92. Canoe: turn up the ends. Fold each pointed end behind on a slant, the crease starting on the top edge and sloping down inwards. The points peek up above the sides.
  93. Sky: new sheet. Set the canoe aside. Last, the sky: a pale green A4 sheet, coloured side up, lying long.
  94. Build the scene. Glue the far jungle, bank, cliff, river and waterfall on the sky, then the vines and the palm with its parrot. Add the crocodile, hippo, paddle, explorer and canoe.
  95. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you, just right of the waterfall, and stand the jungle river up on the table.

Into the jungle!

Draw the explorer's face and collar, the hippo's eyes, nostrils and teeth, the crocodile's eye and teeth, white spray and ripples, and coconuts in the palm.

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