How to fold an origami pouncing lion cub
Fold a kite body, slit fat legs and fling them out with blunt paws, free a thin tail strip and swish it up. A second square folds into a big round head with ears and a pale muzzle.
You need: 2 golden squares (15 cm and 10 cm), scissors, glue and a black pen. Hard, 24 steps, about 40 minutes.
Steps
- Crease the middle. White side up, turned like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
- Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 7.5 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the lion cub's chest.
- Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 6.4 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
- Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 4.5 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
- Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half along the middle crease. The long fold on top is the back, the flat bottom is the tummy.
- Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 1.3 cm and the top edge down 0.7 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the tail.
- Open it. Unfold both strips again.
- Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 4.5 cm, and from the back end in 4.5 cm.
- Free the tail. Cut along the top crease from the back end in 4.1 cm.
- Front legs: reach. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers one way and the back ones behind, a little apart.
- Back legs: push off. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
- Big paws. Fold the pointed tip of each leg back on a crease straight across it, front legs forward and back legs behind, so every foot is a big blunt paw.
- Chest. Fold the front point behind on an upright crease 5.2 cm from its tip, all layers but the legs. The head will cover it.
- Tail up. Fold the free tail strip up behind on a slanted crease from the end of its cut, both layers together, so the tail swishes up high.
- Round the rump. Fold the point under the tail behind on an upright crease 3.7 cm from its tip, all layers but the tail.
- Head: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the small square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
- Head: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the top of the head.
- Head: corners down. Fold the left and right corners down to the bottom point, so the head is a small square standing on its point.
- Ears. Fold the tip of each flap back up and out, so it sticks up past the top edge as a little ear.
- Round ears. Fold the tip of each ear behind, 0.5 cm along each edge, so the ears are round.
- Muzzle. Fold the front layer of the bottom point up on a crease 1.4 cm above it, so a pale muzzle shows.
- Brow and chin. Fold the top corner between the ears behind, and the bottom point behind, so the head is flat on top and round at the chin.
- Cheeks. Fold the side corners behind, 0.6 cm along each edge, so the head is big and round.
- Glue on the head. Glue the head onto the front of the body, so it sits big and round above the front paws.
Pounce!
Draw shiny eyes, a dark nose and a smiling mouth on the muzzle, and a dark tuft on the tail tip.