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How to fold an origami mermaid palace

An underwater build. Fold three spiral shell spires and a domed palace hall, a shell crest, a gold treasure shell, a branching coral, two seahorses and a mermaid with a tiara, then stand it up.

You need: 21 pieces: blue A4, sandy, pink, lilac, purple, white, gold, coral-red, orange, yellow and skin-tone paper (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 112 steps, about 100 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sea: crease the middle. Start with the sea: a blue A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Sand: new sheet. Set the sea aside. For the sea floor, take a 29.7 × 5.1 cm sandy-yellow strip, long side across.
  3. Sand: dunes. Fold both top corners behind, 4 cm along each edge, so the sand slopes down at the ends.
  4. Middle spire: new sheet. Set the sand aside. For the tallest shell spire, take a 9.5 cm pink square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  5. Middle spire: kite. Fold the two upper edges in to meet on the middle line: a kite with its long point up.
  6. Middle spire: slimmer. Fold the new side edges in to the middle line again, creasing from the top point. Now it's a slim, sharp spike.
  7. Middle spire: bottom behind. Fold the white bottom point behind on a level crease at the spike's widest place.
  8. Middle spire: whorl 1 down. Fold the tip down on a slanted crease 6.6 cm above the bottom, rising a little to the right.
  9. Middle spire: whorl 1 up. Fold it back up on a parallel crease 4.5 mm lower. The slanted ledge looks like the twist of a sea shell.
  10. Middle spire: whorl 2 down. Fold the tip down on a slanted crease 3.2 cm above the bottom.
  11. Middle spire: whorl 2 up. Fold it back up 4.5 mm lower: another twist.
  12. Left spire: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a smaller spire the same way from a 7.5 cm lilac square, white side up.
  13. Left spire: kite. Fold the two upper edges in to the middle line.
  14. Left spire: slimmer. Fold the new edges to the middle again: a slim spike.
  15. Left spire: bottom behind. Fold the bottom point behind at the widest place.
  16. Left spire: whorl 1 down. Fold the tip down on a slanted crease 5.1 cm above the bottom.
  17. Left spire: whorl 1 up. Fold it back up 4.5 mm lower: another twist.
  18. Left spire: whorl 2 down. Fold the tip down on a slanted crease 2.4 cm above the bottom.
  19. Left spire: whorl 2 up. Fold it back up 4.5 mm lower: another twist.
  20. Right spire: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a smaller spire the same way from a 7.5 cm lilac square, white side up.
  21. Right spire: kite. Fold the two upper edges in to the middle line.
  22. Right spire: slimmer. Fold the new edges to the middle again: a slim spike.
  23. Right spire: bottom behind. Fold the bottom point behind at the widest place.
  24. Right spire: whorl 1 down. Fold the tip down on a slanted crease 5.1 cm above the bottom.
  25. Right spire: whorl 1 up. Fold it back up 4.5 mm lower: another twist.
  26. Right spire: whorl 2 down. Fold the tip down on a slanted crease 2.4 cm above the bottom.
  27. Right spire: whorl 2 up. Fold it back up 4.5 mm lower: another twist.
  28. Palace hall: new sheet. Set the spire aside. For the palace hall, take a 21.4 × 12.8 cm pink piece, white side up, long side across.
  29. Palace hall: top band. Fold the top edge down 4 cm. The pink band is the top of the palace wall.
  30. Palace hall: sides in. Fold the left and right edges in 4.7 cm, through all layers. The white gap left under the band is the palace door.
  31. Palace hall: dome. Fold both top corners behind, 3.6 cm along each edge.
  32. Palace hall: round it. Fold the four new corners behind a little way, so the top of the hall turns into a round shell dome.
  33. Shell crest: new sheet. Set the hall aside. For a shell over the door, take a 4.5 cm pearly-white square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  34. Shell crest: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  35. Shell crest: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the middle crease.
  36. Shell crest: turn it over. Flip it over, long point down.
  37. Shell crest: round the top. Fold the top point behind 8 mm down. Fold the two side corners behind too, so the top is a round fan.
  38. Shell crest: tuck the point. Fold the long bottom point up behind, on a crease 2 cm below the top of the fan.
  39. Shell crest: fold the ears. Fold each bottom corner up and in on a short slanted crease. The two little flaps are the ears at the shell's hinge.
  40. Treasure shell: new sheet. Set it aside. For a treasure shell, take a 5.5 cm gold square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  41. Treasure shell: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  42. Treasure shell: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the middle crease.
  43. Treasure shell: turn it over. Flip it over, long point down.
  44. Treasure shell: round the top. Fold the top point behind 9 mm down. Fold the two side corners behind too, so the top is a round fan.
  45. Treasure shell: tuck the point. Fold the long bottom point up behind, on a crease 2.5 cm below the top of the fan.
  46. Treasure shell: fold the ears. Fold each bottom corner up and in on a short slanted crease. The two little flaps are the ears at the shell's hinge.
  47. Coral trunk: new sheet. Set the shell aside. For the coral's trunk, take a 2.4 × 10.4 cm coral-red strip, white side up, standing tall.
  48. Coral trunk: fold in half. Fold the right edge over to the left edge.
  49. Coral trunk: in half again. Fold in half again the same way: a thin stick, red on both sides.
  50. Coral trunk: bend the tip. Fold the top 2 cm over to the right on a slant, so the tip leans out.
  51. Low branches: new sheet. Set it aside. For the low branches, take a 12 × 2.4 cm coral-red strip, white side up, long side across.
  52. Low branches: fold in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
  53. Low branches: in half again. Fold in half again the same way: a thin red stick.
  54. Low branches: branches up. Fold each end up on a slant, starting on the bottom edge 5 mm either side of the middle, so both ends lean up and out.
  55. Low branches: bend the tips. Fold the top of each branch over on a slant, so the tips bend out to the sides.
  56. High branches: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold the high branches the same way from an 8.4 × 2.4 cm strip.
  57. High branches: fold in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
  58. High branches: in half again. Fold in half again the same way: a thin red stick.
  59. High branches: branches up. Fold each end up on a slant, starting on the bottom edge 4 mm either side of the middle, so both ends lean up and out.
  60. High branches: bend the tips. Fold the top of each branch over on a slant, so the tips bend out to the sides.
  61. Seahorse: new sheet. Set the coral aside. For a seahorse, take a 9.3 cm orange square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  62. Seahorse: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  63. Seahorse: make a long kite. Fold the two upper edges in to lie along the middle crease, making a long point at the top.
  64. Seahorse: turn it over. Flip the kite over.
  65. Seahorse: fold in half. Mountain-fold the left half behind along the crease, flaps inside. The fold on the left is the seahorse's front.
  66. Seahorse: shape the body. Trim the right edge into a gently rounded back, then cut both edges in to the bottom point, so the body tapers into a long thin tail.
  67. Seahorse: make the head. Outside-reverse-fold the top point forward and down, wrapping it round the body, on a crease from 2 cm down the front, slanting down toward the back.
  68. Seahorse: snip the snout. Snip off the very tip of the snout, straight across, so it ends in a little mouth.
  69. Seahorse: curl the tail. Fold the bottom of the tail forward on a slanted crease 3 cm above its tip, so it points left under the belly.
  70. Seahorse: curl it up. Fold the tail's end up on a slanted crease 1.5 cm from its tip, so it rises in front of the belly.
  71. Seahorse: curl the tip. Fold the very tip over to the right on a slanted crease 8 mm from its end, so the tail rolls into a spiral.
  72. Seahorse: fin: a small square. Set the seahorse aside. Take a 3 cm pale-yellow square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  73. Seahorse: fin: fold in half. Fold the left corner over to the right corner.
  74. Seahorse: fin: round it. Round off the pointed corner into a fan shape.
  75. Baby seahorse: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a baby seahorse the same way from a 6 cm orange square.
  76. Baby seahorse: crease the middle. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  77. Baby seahorse: make a long kite. Fold the two upper edges in to lie along the middle crease, making a long point at the top.
  78. Baby seahorse: turn it over. Flip the kite over.
  79. Baby seahorse: fold in half. Mountain-fold the left half behind along the crease, flaps inside. The fold on the left is the seahorse's front.
  80. Baby seahorse: shape the body. Trim the right edge into a gently rounded back, then cut both edges in to the bottom point, so the body tapers into a long thin tail.
  81. Baby seahorse: make the head. Outside-reverse-fold the top point forward and down, wrapping it round the body, on a crease from 1.5 cm down the front, slanting down toward the back.
  82. Baby seahorse: snip the snout. Snip off the very tip of the snout, straight across, so it ends in a little mouth.
  83. Baby seahorse: curl the tail. Fold the bottom of the tail forward on a slanted crease 2 cm above its tip, so it points left under the belly.
  84. Baby seahorse: curl it up. Fold the tail's end up on a slanted crease 1 cm from its tip, so it rises in front of the belly.
  85. Baby seahorse: curl the tip. Fold the very tip over to the right on a slanted crease 5 mm from its end, so the tail rolls into a spiral.
  86. Baby seahorse: fin: a small square. Set the seahorse aside. Take a 2 cm pale-yellow square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  87. Baby seahorse: fin: fold in half. Fold the left corner over to the right corner.
  88. Baby seahorse: fin: round it. Round off the pointed corner into a fan shape.
  89. Mermaid: hair: new sheet. Set the fin aside. Now the mermaid, starting with her long hair: a 6.6 cm yellow square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  90. Mermaid: hair: fold a kite. Fold the lower left and lower right edges in to meet on the middle line: a long yellow point hangs down.
  91. Mermaid: hair: flat top. Fold the white top point behind, level with the top of the side flaps.
  92. Mermaid: fin: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For her tail fin, take a 3.8 cm lilac square, lilac side up.
  93. Mermaid: fin: fold in half. Fold the right edge over onto the left edge.
  94. Mermaid: fin: cut a lobe. Cut from the top, 2 mm left of the fold, down and out to a rounded tip at the bottom-left corner, then back up to the fold 1 cm from the bottom.
  95. Mermaid: fin: open it. Open it out: a wide fin with two lobes.
  96. Mermaid: fin: tilt it. Tilt the fin a little to match the end of the tail.
  97. Mermaid: tail: new sheet. Set the fin aside. For her tail, take a 6.3 cm purple square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  98. Mermaid: tail: fold a kite. White side up, turned like a diamond. Fold the lower left and lower right edges in to meet on the middle line.
  99. Mermaid: tail: slimmer. Fold the new side edges in to the middle line again, creasing from the bottom point. Now it is a long, slim kite.
  100. Mermaid: tail: flat top. Fold the top point down on a level crease between the two side corners. This straight top is the mermaid's waist.
  101. Mermaid: tail: fold up. Fold the bottom of the tail up on a level crease 4 cm above the bottom point.
  102. Mermaid: tail: swish. Fold it back down on a crease 4 mm higher, tilting the crease a little so the end of the tail swings out to the side.
  103. Mermaid: bodice: new sheet. Set the tail aside. For her top, take a 4.3 cm lilac square, lilac side up.
  104. Mermaid: bodice: neckline and sash. Fold a thin strip at the top down and a slightly wider strip at the bottom up, so two white bands show: the neckline and the sash.
  105. Mermaid: bodice: slim the waist. Fold each side behind on a slant, a little more at the bottom than at the top: wide at the shoulders, slim at the waist.
  106. Mermaid: head: new sheet. Set her top aside. For her face, take a 2.9 cm skin-tone square, turned like a diamond.
  107. Mermaid: head: round it. Fold all four corners a little way behind to make a round face.
  108. Mermaid: tiara: new sheet. Set her head aside. For her tiara, take a 2.1 cm gold square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  109. Mermaid: tiara: fold in half. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. The middle point stands up.
  110. Mermaid: tiara: side points up. Fold the left and right corners up on slants starting 3 mm either side of the middle, so they stand up as two more points.
  111. Build the palace. Glue the sand on the sea, then the spires, the hall and its shell. Add the treasure, the coral and the seahorses, and build the mermaid in front.
  112. Stand it up. Bend the sea gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole palace up on the table.

Welcome to the palace!

Draw the mermaid's eyes and smile, scales on her tail, ribs on the shells and the palace door. Add a pearl, white windows and lots of bubbles.

What to fold next