All models

How to fold an origami lovebirds

Two kites folded in half, each with a pleated tail and an outside-reverse-folded beak, glued facing each other on a folded twig.

You need: 2 squares, 15 × 15 cm, green and blue on one side, and a 15 × 4 cm brown strip; glue, a black and a white pen. Hard, 26 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Bird 1: turn it. White side up. Turn the square so a corner points up, like a diamond.
  2. Bird 1: crease the diagonal. Fold the left corner over to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  3. Bird 1: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the centre crease.
  4. Bird 1: narrow the top. Fold the two upper edges in to the centre crease too, making a long diamond.
  5. Bird 1: fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the centre crease, so the flaps stay on the outside.
  6. Bird 1: lay it down. Turn it so the fold runs along the bottom and the point that was at the bottom is on the right.
  7. Bird 1: short tail. Fold the left point behind on an upright crease 3.5 cm from its tip.
  8. Bird 1: neck in. Fold the right point over to the left on a crease from the bottom, 4 cm in front of the peak, leaning a little right.
  9. Bird 1: neck out. Fold it back to the right from the same point, on a crease leaning a little left. The neck rises.
  10. Bird 1: head. 2.4 cm below the tip, outside-reverse-fold the tip forward and down: a round head with a little hooked beak.
  11. Bird 2: new sheet. Set the first bird aside. Take the blue square.
  12. Bird 2: turn it. White side up. Turn the square so a corner points up, like a diamond.
  13. Bird 2: crease the diagonal. Fold the left corner over to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  14. Bird 2: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the centre crease.
  15. Bird 2: narrow the top. Fold the two upper edges in to the centre crease too, making a long diamond.
  16. Bird 2: fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the centre crease, so the flaps stay on the outside.
  17. Bird 2: lay it down. Turn it so the fold runs along the bottom and the point that was at the bottom is on the right.
  18. Bird 2: short tail. Fold the left point behind on an upright crease 3.5 cm from its tip.
  19. Bird 2: neck in. Fold the right point over to the left on a crease from the bottom, 4 cm in front of the peak, leaning a little right.
  20. Bird 2: neck out. Fold it back to the right from the same point, on a crease leaning a little left. The neck rises.
  21. Bird 2: head. 2.4 cm below the tip, outside-reverse-fold the tip forward and down: a round head with a little hooked beak.
  22. Bird 2: turn over. Turn the second bird over so it faces the other way.
  23. Perch: new sheet. Set the bird aside. Take the brown strip, brown side down, long side across.
  24. Perch: in half. Fold the strip in half, bottom edge to top edge.
  25. Perch: again. Fold it in half once more, top edge down to the fold, to make a thin twig.
  26. Sit them on the twig. Glue the two birds sitting on the twig, tilted up and leaning in until their beaks touch.

Love is in the air!

Draw a black eye with a white ring on each bird. Give them to someone you love.

What to fold next