How to fold an origami perched pelican
A kite narrowed behind its wide tip. Outside-reverse-fold the neck up and the head forward so the tip becomes a huge pouched bill, then perch it on a folded post.
You need: 1 square sheet (15 cm), grey-brown on one side and white on the other, a 6 x 9 cm dark brown sheet, glue and a black pen. Hard, 10 steps, about 25 minutes.
Steps
- Crease the middle. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease, and unfold.
- Make a kite. Fold the two left-hand edges in to the middle crease, so the left point is long and narrow.
- Narrow it. Fold the new edges in again, starting 6 cm from the left tip and slanting gently, so the tip stays wide for the bill and the rest gets slimmer.
- Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half, flaps inside. The long fold on top is the back.
- Neck up. Outside-reverse-fold the long point up on a crease from the back, 10 cm from the tip, so it stands up as the neck.
- Head and bill. Outside-reverse-fold the top of the neck forward and down, 4 cm up the neck, so the wide tip hangs forward as the bill and its pouch.
- Tip it back. Turn the bird a little so its back slopes down to the tail.
- The post. Set the bird aside. Take the 6 x 9 cm brown sheet, white side up, standing tall.
- Post: fold in the sides. Fold the left and right edges in to meet in the middle, so you have a thick brown post.
- Perch it. Glue the bird's belly on top of the post, so it sits on it.
Perched!
Draw an eye on the head and a line along the bill to mark the top of the pouch.