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How to fold an origami lynx

Crease and cut a triangle into a short body on thick legs, and swing a stubby tail up. Fold a face with tall tufted ears and leave the chin pointed for the ruff.

You need: 1 tawny square (15 cm), a small tawny square (6.3 cm), scissors, a ruler, glue and a black pen. Hard, 16 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the lynx's back; it faces right.
  2. Body: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 1.6 cm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  3. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  4. Body: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 1.4 cm left of the middle.
  5. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  6. Body: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 3 cm left of the middle.
  7. Body: open it. Unfold it. Left of this crease will be the short tail.
  8. Body: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 6.4 cm below the top fold. Cut up both leg creases and across between them: 3.3 cm deep at the front, 2.8 cm at the back.
  9. Body: a short tail. Cut up the rump crease to 9 mm below the top, then along for 3.4 cm and up to the top fold: a short stub. Round the rump and cut the chest on a slant.
  10. Tail: flick it up. Fold the stubby tail up on a slanted crease from the bottom of its root, so it sticks up short and perky behind.
  11. Head: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the small tawny square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  12. Head: fold in half. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. The fold at the bottom is the lynx's chin.
  13. Head: flat forehead. Fold the top point down on a level crease 2.5 cm above the chin fold.
  14. Head: ears up. Fold the left and right corners up on creases from the middle of the chin fold, so each tip stands up tall past the side edge. The pointed chin will be the ruff.
  15. Head: turn over. Turn the head over. The ears stick up behind the flat forehead.
  16. Glue it together. Glue the head over the front of the body, the tip of the ruff just above the front legs, looking at you.

Tufty!

Colour the ear tips black for tufts and the tail tip too. Draw a white ruff with dark bars, eyes, a nose and a mouth, toes on the big paws and a few spots.

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