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How to fold an origami monarch butterfly

Fold a rectangle in half and take its corners behind for a closed pair of wings, with a slanted pleat between fore and hind wing. Narrow black strips into the body, clubbed antennae and legs.

You need: A 10 × 15 cm orange piece; black strips: 7.5 × 2.4 cm, 8 × 0.8 cm and 6 × 1.5 cm; glue, a black pen and a white gel pen. Hard, 22 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Wings: fold in half. Hold the orange piece white side up, standing tall. Fold the bottom half up. The fold runs along the body, and the head will be on the left.
  2. Wings: front edge. Fold the bottom left corner behind both layers, from 2.9 cm along the bottom fold to 1.4 cm below the top left corner.
  3. Wings: outer edge. Fold the top right corner behind, from 2.7 cm along the top to 2.2 cm up the right edge. Fold the small top left corner behind too.
  4. Wings: pleat. Fold the right part over on a slant, from the bottom fold 5.1 cm from the left, up to the middle of the slanted edge.
  5. Wings: and back. Fold it back out on a crease 4 mm further over. The step splits the big front wing from the rounder hind wing.
  6. Wings: round the hind wing. Fold the hind wing's bottom right corner behind on a slant, so it's round.
  7. Body: a strip. Set the wings aside. Take the 7.5 × 2.4 cm black strip, white side up, lying across.
  8. Body: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  9. Body: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  10. Body: taper the tail. At the right end, fold the bottom corner behind on a long slant from 2.6 cm in, so the tail tapers.
  11. Antennae: a strip. Set the body aside. Take the 8 × 0.8 cm black strip, white side up.
  12. Antennae: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  13. Antennae: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  14. Antennae: clubs. Fold 4 mm at each end back over itself, so both tips are thick little clubs.
  15. Antennae: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slight slant through the middle into a slim V.
  16. Legs: a strip. Set the antennae aside. Take the 6 × 1.5 cm black strip, white side up.
  17. Legs: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  18. Legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  19. Legs: knees. 8 mm from each end, outside-reverse-fold the end towards the folded edge, so the feet can grip.
  20. Legs: fold a V. Fold the left half over on a slant through the middle into a V.
  21. Legs: point up. Turn the V so its point is at the top and the legs reach down.
  22. Glue it together. Glue the wings' bottom fold along the body, head end at the front. Glue the legs' V under the front of the body and the antennae behind the head.

Resting in the sun!

With a black pen, draw a dark band along the front wing's outer edge and a few veins. Dot white spots along the band.

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