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How to fold an origami lobster

Pleat a red strip into a ridged tail with a fan and fold it to shape. Zigzag thin strips into pincer claws and legs, fold a V of antennae, then glue it all together.

You need: Red paper: a 6 × 20 cm strip, a 3 × 38 cm strip, a 1 × 53 cm strip and a 6 mm × 21 cm strip (tape strips end to end); scissors, glue and a black pen. Hard, 29 steps, about 40 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: pleat the tail. Hold the 6 × 20 cm strip upright. Fold the bottom up on a crease 8.8 cm from the top.
  2. Body: fold it back. Fold it back down on a crease 3 mm higher. The little step it leaves is the edge of a tail segment.
  3. Body: pleat 2. Fold the bottom up again, on a crease 10.8 cm from the top.
  4. Body: back down 2. Fold it back down 3 mm higher, leaving another step.
  5. Body: pleat 3. Fold the bottom up again, on a crease 12.8 cm from the top.
  6. Body: back down 3. Fold it back down 3 mm higher, leaving another step.
  7. Body: fan up. Fold the bottom up once more, on a crease 14.8 cm from the top. This is the tail fan, kept up out of the way while you shape the body.
  8. Body: two snips. Holding the fan up, snip along its fold from each side to 1.2 cm from the middle.
  9. Body: slim the tail. Fold each side of the body behind on a long slant, from 6 cm down the side to the end of its snip, so the tail tapers.
  10. Body: point the head. Fold the two top corners behind on slants, from near the middle of the top edge to 3 cm down each side.
  11. Body: fan down. Fold the fan back down 3 mm higher, like the other pleats.
  12. Body: round the fan. Fold the fan's bottom corners behind on short slants.
  13. Antennae. Set the body aside. Take the 6 mm strip, white side up, lying across.
  14. Antennae: fold thin. Fold the strip in half the long way, bottom edge up to the top, red outside.
  15. Antennae: fold a V. Fold the right half down and back over the left on a steep slant at the middle, so the two halves make a narrow V.
  16. Claws. Set the antennae aside. Take the 3 × 38 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
  17. Claws: fold thin. Fold the strip in half the long way, bottom edge up to the top, so it's red on both sides.
  18. Claws: arms. 2.25 cm out from the middle, fold each half up and out on a slant: the arms.
  19. Claws: long pincers. 3.75 cm along each arm, fold the strip up steeper, leaning back a little.
  20. Claws: fold back. 4.6 cm out, fold it straight back down to where it turned.
  21. Claws: short pincers. Fold it out to the side: the short pincer. Each claw now opens in a V!
  22. Legs. Set the claws aside. Take the 1 × 53 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
  23. Legs: fold thin. Fold the strip in half the long way, bottom edge up to the top, so it's red on both sides.
  24. Legs: first legs. 1.9 cm out from the middle, fold each half out and a little down.
  25. Legs: fold back. 4.9 cm out, fold each strip straight back, so the first leg is doubled.
  26. Legs: second legs. Where it turned, fold it down and out on a steeper slant.
  27. Legs: fold back again. 4.9 cm out, fold it straight back again.
  28. Legs: third legs. Where it turned, fold it out once more, nearly straight down: the third legs.
  29. Glue it together. Glue the body on top of the legs. Glue the claws behind the head, pincers up and out, and the antennae's V behind the very tip.

Snap snap!

Draw two black eyes near the tip and lines across the fan. Lay it on blue card for a seabed scene.

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