How to fold an origami mermaid tail
Fold a long, slim kite and kick its end sideways with a pleat. Cut a wide two-lobed fin from a folded square and glue the tail on top, then draw rows of scales.
You need: A 15 cm teal square for the tail, a 9 cm aqua square for the fin, scissors, a glue stick and a black pen. Medium, 11 steps, about 15 minutes.
Steps
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Tail: fold up. Fold the bottom of the tail up on a level crease 9 cm above the bottom point.
- Tail: swish. Fold it back down on a crease 1 cm higher, tilting the crease a little so the end of the tail swings out to the side.
- Fin: new sheet. Set the tail aside. Take the small aqua square, aqua side up.
- Fin: fold in half. Fold the right edge over onto the left edge.
- Fin: cut a lobe. Cut from the top, 5 mm left of the fold, down and out to a rounded tip at the bottom-left corner, then back up to the fold 2.5 cm from the bottom.
- Fin: open it. Open it out: a wide fin with two lobes.
- Fin: tilt it. Tilt the fin a little to match the end of the tail.
- Glue the tail on. Glue the end of the tail over the top of the fin, so the fin fans out below it.
Splash!
Draw rows of little curved scales down the tail and lines fanning out across the fin. Tape it to a doll, or to your own legs for a pretend swim!