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How to fold an origami koala

Fold a round grey body with a white chest, a pleated branch with a swung twig and a V of leaves, arms that swing round the branch, a head and one strip of big round ears.

You need: Grey squares (15 and 12 cm), 3 grey strips (21 × 6, 21 × 6, 24 × 7 cm), a brown strip (5 × 21 cm), a green strip (4 × 12 cm), scissors, glue. Hard, 26 steps, about 40 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: white chest. Take the big grey square, grey side up. Fold the top edge down 1.5 cm, so a white band shows. That is the koala's fluffy chest.
  2. Body: round the shoulders. Fold both top corners behind, 4 cm in along each edge.
  3. Body: round the bottom. Fold both bottom corners behind, 3 cm in, so the tummy is round.
  4. Branch: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the brown strip, white side up, standing tall.
  5. Branch: in half. Fold the strip in half from left to right, long edge to long edge.
  6. Branch: in half again. Fold it in half again from right to left, so you have a stick about 1.2 cm wide.
  7. Branch: pleat a knot. Fold the bottom part of the stick up on a crease 6 cm from the bottom.
  8. Branch: and back down. Fold it back down 5 mm higher up. The little step is a knot in the branch.
  9. Branch: a twig. Fold the top 4 cm out to the right on a steep slanted crease, so a twig sticks out sideways.
  10. Leaves: new sheet. Set the branch aside. Take the green strip, white side up, lying wide.
  11. Leaves: in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge.
  12. Leaves: fold a V. Fold the left half over to the right on an almost upright crease at the middle, so the two halves open into a V of leaves.
  13. Leaves: point the tips. Cut each leaf's end into a long point, 2.5 cm back along both edges. Eucalyptus leaves are long and slim.
  14. Arms: new sheet. Set the leaves aside. Take a grey 21 × 6 cm strip, white side up, lying wide.
  15. Arms: in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. This grey band goes over the koala's shoulders.
  16. Arms: swing them in. Fold each end down and in on a slanted crease, so the arms reach across the tummy. The right arm stays a little higher.
  17. Arms: round the paws. Snip the corners off the end of each arm, so the paws are round.
  18. Ears: new sheet. Set the arms aside. Take the grey 24 × 7 cm strip, grey side up, lying wide.
  19. Ears: fluffy edges. Fold each end in 1.5 cm, so a white band shows. That is the fluff on the edge of each ear.
  20. Ears: round the ends. Fold all four corners behind, 3 cm in along each edge, so both ends are round. They will stick out as big ears.
  21. Head: new sheet. Set the ears aside. Take the smaller grey square, grey side up.
  22. Head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 3 cm in along each edge, so the head is round.
  23. Legs: new sheet. Set the head aside. Take the other grey 21 × 6 cm strip, white side up, lying wide.
  24. Legs: in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge.
  25. Legs: round the feet. Snip all four corners off the ends, 1.5 cm in, so each foot is round.
  26. Glue it together. Glue the legs behind the body. Glue the branch slanting up across the tummy, the leaves on the twig, the arms over the branch, the ears behind and the head on top.

Cuddle time!

Draw shiny eyes, a big dark oval nose and a small smile. Draw little claws on the paws and the feet.

What to fold next