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How to fold an origami lighthouse harbor

A real project. Pleat and taper a red lighthouse tower, cut a lantern with a roof and gallery, add a shining beam and rocks, then a wavy sea, a pier on posts, a boat, buoys and a gull. It all stands up.

You need: 13 pieces: red, dark grey, yellow, grey, brown, blue, orange, white, light blue (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, black pen, white gel pen.. Challenge, 65 steps, about 50 minutes.

Steps

  1. Tower: first pleat. Start with the hard part, the tower: a 3.4 cm × 9.1 cm red strip, red side up. Fold the bottom up on a line 2.9 cm below the top.
  2. Tower: fold it back down. Fold the strip back down on a line 4 mm higher. The little step is the first ledge.
  3. Tower: second pleat. Fold the bottom up again, on a line 5.4 cm below the top.
  4. Tower: and back down. Fold it back down 4 mm higher for the second ledge. Glue the pleats flat.
  5. Tower: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  6. Tower: taper it. Cut from the bottom right corner up to the top edge, 1.1 cm from the fold, through all the layers.
  7. Tower: open it. Open it out: a tall tower, wider at the bottom, with two ledges.
  8. Lantern: new sheet. Set the tower aside. For the lantern, take a 3.2 cm × 3.9 cm dark grey piece, grey side up.
  9. Lantern: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  10. Lantern: crease the gallery. Fold the bottom 7 mm up and crease hard.
  11. Lantern: open it. Open it again. Below the crease is the gallery, the balcony round the lamp.
  12. Lantern: crease the roof. Fold the top 1.6 cm down and crease hard.
  13. Lantern: open it. Open it again. Above this crease is the roof.
  14. Lantern: cut the shape. Snip along both creases from the open edge to 9 mm from the fold. Cut the middle strip off there. Cut the roof from the fold top down to the corner.
  15. Lantern: open it. Open it out: a pointed roof, a narrow lamp room and a wide gallery underneath.
  16. Beam: new sheet. Set the lantern aside. For the light beam, take a 12.4 cm × 4 cm yellow strip, yellow side up.
  17. Beam: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  18. Beam: cut. Cut from each far corner to the fold, stopping 6 mm above and below the middle. Keep the long wedge.
  19. Beam: open it. Open it: two beams spreading out from a narrow middle, the glowing lamp.
  20. Rocks: new sheet. Set the beam aside. For the rocks, take a 11 cm × 6.4 cm grey piece, grey side up.
  21. Rocks: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  22. Rocks: cut. Cut a lumpy curve from the top of the fold down to the right edge, low at the side.
  23. Rocks: open it. Open it: a big rocky mound.
  24. Build the lighthouse. Glue the tower behind the top of the rocks, the lantern on top of the tower, and the beam across the lamp room.
  25. Pier: new sheet. Set the lighthouse aside. For the pier, take a 7 cm × 5.6 cm brown piece, brown side up, long side across.
  26. Pier: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  27. Pier: in half again. Fold the right end back over onto the left fold.
  28. Pier: crease the deck. Fold the bottom up on a line 7 mm below the top and crease hard.
  29. Pier: open it. Open it again. The thin strip above the crease is the deck.
  30. Pier: cut the posts. Snip along the crease from the right fold to 5 mm from the left side, then cut straight down. Throw the block away.
  31. Pier: open it. Unfold the last fold.
  32. Pier: open flat. Open it flat: a deck on three posts.
  33. Sea: new sheet. Set the pier aside. For the sea, take a 28 cm × 3.8 cm blue strip, blue side up, lying long.
  34. Sea: fold in half. Fold the left end over onto the right end.
  35. Sea: in half again. Fold the right end back over onto the left fold.
  36. Sea: and again. Fold it in half once more, the same way. Crease hard.
  37. Sea: cut a wave. Cut the top into one round hump: from 7 mm down at the left fold, up to the top edge in the middle, and down again at the right.
  38. Sea: open it. Unfold the last fold.
  39. Sea: open again. Unfold the next fold.
  40. Sea: open flat. Open it flat. Eight waves roll along the top.
  41. Boat: new sheet. Set the sea aside. For the boat, take a 7.2 cm × 2 cm orange strip, orange side up, lying long.
  42. Boat: fold a white rim. Fold the top edge down 4 mm. The white back shows as a stripe along the top.
  43. Boat: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  44. Boat: cut. Cut from the top right corner down to the bottom edge, 10 mm in from the end, through all the layers.
  45. Boat: open it. Open it: a hull with a sloping bow and stern.
  46. Cabin: new sheet. Set the hull aside. For the cabin, take a 2.2 cm × 2 cm white piece.
  47. Cabin: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  48. Cabin: cut. Cut from the top of the fold down to the right edge, 5 mm below the top: a sloping roof.
  49. Cabin: open it. Open it: a little cabin with a pointed roof.
  50. Buoy 1: new sheet. Set the cabin aside. For a buoy, take a 1.2 cm × 1 cm red piece, red side up.
  51. Buoy 1: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  52. Buoy 1: cut. Cut a round curve from the top of the fold down to the bottom right corner.
  53. Buoy 1: open it. Open it: a round-topped buoy.
  54. Buoy 2: new sheet. Set the first buoy aside. For a buoy, take a 1.2 cm × 1 cm red piece, red side up.
  55. Buoy 2: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  56. Buoy 2: cut. Cut a round curve from the top of the fold down to the bottom right corner.
  57. Buoy 2: open it. Open it: a round-topped buoy.
  58. Seagull: new sheet. Set the buoy aside. For the seagull, take a 3.4 cm × 1.8 cm white piece.
  59. Seagull: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  60. Seagull: cut. Cut from the middle of the fold up to the top right corner, then from the bottom of the fold up to 5 mm below that corner.
  61. Seagull: open it. Open it: a seagull gliding with its wings up.
  62. Sky: new sheet. Set the seagull aside. Last, the sky: a 28 cm × 20.5 cm light blue sheet, blue side up, lying long.
  63. Sky: round the corners. Snip a little corner off each top corner, 1.2 cm each way.
  64. Build the harbour. Glue the lighthouse on the left and the pier on the right, then the sea over their feet. Add the boat, its cabin, the buoys and the seagull.
  65. Stand it up. Bend the right end of the sky gently towards you, 4 cm from the end, and stand the whole harbour up on the table.

Ahoy!

Add white stripes on the tower and buoys, then draw the door, windows, lamp panes, rail, rock cracks, deck planks, the mast and flag, and white clouds.

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