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How to fold an origami pet shop

A cuddly build. Fold a window with a paw sign, shelves of food bags, a tank with two fish, a puppy in a wicker basket, a counter with a bird cage, a kitten and the shopkeeper, then stand it up.

You need: 32 pieces: lavender A4; blue, red, brown, orange, purple, green, tan, yellow, skin, teal, gold paper (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 121 steps, about 100 minutes.

Steps

  1. Backdrop: crease the middle. Start with the wall: a lavender A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Window: new sheet. Set the wall aside. For the shop window, take an 8.4 × 5.4 cm piece of pale-blue paper, blue side up.
  3. Window: top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges in 5 mm. White strips appear.
  4. Window: sides. Fold the sides in 5 mm too. A white frame round the glass: the shop window.
  5. Paw sign: new sheet. Set the window aside. For the sign that hangs in it, take a 3 × 2.2 cm red piece.
  6. Paw sign: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 6 mm along each edge: a round red sign.
  7. Floor: new sheet. Set the sign aside. For the floor, take a 29.7 × 11.2 cm blue-grey strip, white side up, long side across.
  8. Floor: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the front edge of the scene.
  9. Floor: back edge. Fold the top edge down 6 mm, through both layers. The white line is the skirting board.
  10. Top shelf: new sheet. Set the floor aside. For the top shelf, take a 28 × 1.6 cm brown strip, long side across.
  11. Top shelf: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  12. Top shelf: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they reach the floor: a shelf on two tall legs.
  13. Lower shelf: new sheet. Set it aside. For the lower shelf, fold an 18.8 × 1.6 cm brown strip the same way.
  14. Lower shelf: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  15. Lower shelf: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants. Its legs sit on the top shelf's legs.
  16. Food bag 1: new sheet. Set the shelf aside. For a bag of pet food, take a 2.8 × 4.1 cm red piece, red side up, standing tall.
  17. Food bag 1: seal. Fold the top edge down 7 mm. The white band is the bag's sealed top.
  18. Food bag 1: plump it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge. A plump bag of food.
  19. Food bag 2: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a blue bag the same way.
  20. Food bag 2: seal. Fold the top edge down 7 mm for the white seal.
  21. Food bag 2: plump it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge.
  22. Food bag 3: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold an orange bag the same way.
  23. Food bag 3: seal. Fold the top edge down 7 mm for the white seal.
  24. Food bag 3: plump it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge.
  25. Food bag 4: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a purple bag the same way.
  26. Food bag 4: seal. Fold the top edge down 7 mm for the white seal.
  27. Food bag 4: plump it. Fold all four corners behind, 4 mm along each edge.
  28. Tank stand: new sheet. Set the bag aside. For the tank's stand, take a 15.8 × 1.4 cm dark-brown strip, long side across.
  29. Tank stand: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  30. Tank stand: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they stand straight down: a little table.
  31. Fish tank: new sheet. Set the stand aside. For the tank, take a 8.2 × 8 cm piece of blue paper, blue side up.
  32. Fish tank: air and sand. Fold the top edge down 8 mm (the air above the water) and the bottom edge up 6 mm (the sand). Both show white.
  33. Fish tank: glass sides. Fold the left and right edges in 3 mm: the thin glass sides. A tank full of blue water.
  34. Water weed: new sheet. Set the tank aside. For a water weed, take a 2.5 cm square of green paper, green side up, turned like a diamond.
  35. Water weed: top edges. Fold the two top edges behind so they meet on the middle line.
  36. Water weed: bottom edges. Fold the two bottom edges behind onto the middle line too. A slim pointed leaf.
  37. Water weed: tilt it. Lean the weed a little, as if the water sways it.
  38. Goldfish: new sheet. Set the weed aside. For a goldfish, take a 2.6 cm square of orange paper, white side up.
  39. Goldfish: edges to the middle. Fold the top and bottom edges to the middle line.
  40. Goldfish: turn it over. Flip the band over from left to right.
  41. Goldfish: fan out the tail. At the right end, fold each hidden flap behind on a slant from the corner, so one fin pokes up and one pokes down.
  42. Goldfish: point the head. Fold the two left corners behind to make a rounded point.
  43. Clownfish: new sheet. Set the goldfish aside. For a clownfish, take a 3.9 cm square of orange paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  44. Clownfish: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  45. Clownfish: corners up. Fold the left and right corners up to the top point. Now it's a square.
  46. Clownfish: round the body. Fold the left and right corners behind, 4 mm in, and the bottom corner behind 3 mm. That's the back, belly and nose.
  47. Clownfish: flick the tail. Fold the top tip of each flap out to the side, so the two tips fan apart into a tail.
  48. Clownfish: swim sideways. Turn it so the nose points left and the tail points right.
  49. Puppy body: new sheet. Set the clownfish aside. For the puppy, take a 5.7 cm square of brown paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  50. Puppy body: make a triangle. Fold the bottom corner up to meet the top corner.
  51. Puppy body: fold up the tail. Fold the right corner up at a slant, creasing from just right of the middle of the bottom edge, so it sticks out past the side like a wagging tail.
  52. Puppy body: fold the chest behind. Fold the left corner behind on a straight up-and-down line, a quarter of the way in, so the dog's chest stands up straight.
  53. Puppy head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 5.7 cm square of brown paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  54. Puppy head: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner.
  55. Puppy head: left ear down. Fold the left corner down at a slant so it hangs like a floppy ear.
  56. Puppy head: right ear down. Do the same with the right corner.
  57. Puppy head: fold the nose up. Fold just the front layer's bottom tip up a little to make the nose.
  58. Puppy head: tuck the back tip. Fold the back tip behind on the same line so the chin is flat. The head is done.
  59. Dog basket: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the puppy's basket, take a 7.2 × 4.5 cm piece of tan paper, tan side up.
  60. Dog basket: rim down. Fold the top edge down 1 cm, so a white band shows.
  61. Dog basket: roll the rim. Fold the band's lower half back up. A thick rolled rim with a thin white line under it.
  62. Dog basket: make a bowl. Fold the bottom corners behind on slants, 1.5 cm along the bottom and 1.7 cm up the sides. A round wicker basket.
  63. Shopkeeper's hair: new sheet. Set the basket aside. Now the shopkeeper. For his hair, take a 3.8 × 3.6 cm piece of dark-brown paper.
  64. Shopkeeper's hair: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 9 mm along each edge.
  65. Shopkeeper's arms: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For his arms, take a 16.2 × 1.8 cm yellow strip, long side across.
  66. Shopkeeper's arms: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  67. Shopkeeper's arms: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they hang straight down: arms.
  68. Shopkeeper's top: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For his body, take a 5 × 6.8 cm piece of the same paper, coloured side up, standing tall.
  69. Shopkeeper's top: shoulders. Fold the two top corners behind, 8 mm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  70. Shopkeeper's apron: new sheet. Set the body aside. For his apron, take a 3.8 × 5.8 cm piece of green paper, green side up, standing tall.
  71. Shopkeeper's apron: hem. Fold the top edge down 3.5 mm: a neat white hem.
  72. Shopkeeper's apron: bib. Fold the top corners behind on long slants, 0.9 cm along the top. The narrow top is the apron's bib.
  73. Shopkeeper's head: new sheet. Set the apron aside. For his head, take a 3 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  74. Shopkeeper's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 7 mm along each edge: a round face.
  75. Counter: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the counter, take a 10.6 × 8.9 cm piece of teal paper, teal side up, long side across.
  76. Counter: worktop and kick strip. Fold the top edge down 1 cm and the bottom edge up 7 mm. A white worktop and a white strip along the floor.
  77. Cage dome: new sheet. Set the counter aside. For the bird cage's dome, take a 3.4 × 2.7 cm piece of gold paper, gold side up.
  78. Cage dome: round the top. Fold both top corners behind, 1.3 cm along each edge.
  79. Cage dome: rounder. Fold the four new corners behind, 4 mm along each edge. A round dome.
  80. Back bars: new sheet. Set the dome aside. For the cage's back bars, take a 9.6 × 0.8 cm gold strip, long side across.
  81. Back bars: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  82. Back bars: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: two thin bars.
  83. Budgie: new sheet. Set the bars aside. For the budgie, take a 3.6 cm square of green paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  84. Budgie: crease the diagonal. White side up, turned like a diamond. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease and unfold.
  85. Budgie: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the centre crease.
  86. Budgie: turn it over. Flip the kite over, so it is all green.
  87. Budgie: fold in half. Fold the left half behind the right half along the centre crease. The long fold on the left is the budgie's front.
  88. Budgie: face down. Outside-reverse-fold the top 10 mm forward and down, wrapping it round the body on a crease slanting up to the back. The pale inside is the face.
  89. Budgie: round it off. Snip the corner on the back off, so the shoulders are round. Snip the forehead and the chin corners off a little, through all the layers.
  90. Budgie: tip it forward. Tip the budgie forward a little, head up and tail pointing down.
  91. Perch: new sheet. Set the budgie aside. For its perch, take a 3.6 × 0.4 cm piece of brown paper.
  92. Perch: in half. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, top edge down to the bottom edge.
  93. Perch: snip the ends. Snip both ends off on a slant, like a broken twig.
  94. Front bars: new sheet. Set the perch aside. For the front bars, fold an 11.2 × 0.8 cm gold strip the same way.
  95. Front bars: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  96. Front bars: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants. These bars stand in front of the budgie.
  97. Cage tray: new sheet. Set the bars aside. For the cage's tray, take a 3.6 × 1.4 cm dark-brown strip, long side across.
  98. Cage tray: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  99. Kitten body: new sheet. Set the tray aside. For the kitten, take a 5.4 cm square of orange paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  100. Kitten body: fold in half. White side up, like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top will be the kitten's back.
  101. Kitten body: crease the back strip. Fold the top edge down 4 mm through both layers and crease it hard. The end of this strip becomes the tail.
  102. Kitten body: open it. Unfold the strip again.
  103. Kitten body: crease the paw strip. Fold the right edge in 5 mm through both layers and crease it hard. This strip gives the front legs.
  104. Kitten body: open it. Unfold the paw strip again.
  105. Kitten body: sit it up. Turn it so the right point is straight above the bottom point. The long fold is the back, the top point the shoulders, the left one the rump.
  106. Kitten body: free tail and paw. Cut 2.7 cm up the back crease from the bottom edge, and 1.7 cm up the front crease from the bottom edge.
  107. Kitten body: tail up. Fold the loose back strip up behind on a crease from the end of its cut, both layers together, so the tail stands up behind the back.
  108. Kitten body: hook the tail. Fold the tip of the tail over forward on a crease across it near the top, so it hooks like a question mark.
  109. Kitten body: batting paw. Fold the front layer of the loose chest strip up and forward on a slanted crease from the end of its cut, so one white paw reaches out to bat.
  110. Kitten body: round paw. Fold the two corners at the end of the raised paw behind a little, so it is round.
  111. Kitten body: round the rump. Fold the bottom left corner behind, 1.4 cm along each edge, all layers but the tail.
  112. Kitten body: rounder still. Fold the two new corners behind too, 4 mm each, so the kitten sits on a big round bottom.
  113. Kitten body: shoulders. Fold the top corner behind, 1.2 cm along each edge, all layers. The head will sit here.
  114. Kitten head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 3 cm square of orange paper, white side up.
  115. Kitten head: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the top of the head.
  116. Kitten head: corners down. Fold the left and right corners down to the bottom point, so the head is a small square standing on its point.
  117. Kitten head: ears. Fold the tip of each flap back up and out, so it sticks up past the top edge as a pointed ear.
  118. Kitten head: muzzle. Fold the front layer of the bottom point up on a crease 5 mm above it, so a pale muzzle shows.
  119. Kitten head: round chin. Fold the bottom point behind, 3 mm along each edge, so the chin is round.
  120. Build the scene. Glue the window, sign, floor and shelves on the wall, bags on the shelves. Add the tank and fish, the puppy's basket, the shopkeeper, counter, cage and kitten.
  121. Stand it up. Bend the backdrop gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole pet shop up on the table.

Who's coming home?

Draw white paws on the sign, bags, apron and counter, crimps on the bags, bubbles in the tank, basket weave, the cage ring and all the faces.

What to fold next