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How to fold an origami phoenix

Fold a red strip small and snip it so it opens into a row of flames, then pleat the wings up. A gold head gets a snipped crest, and orange and yellow strips are cut into long plumes.

You need: A 20 × 5 cm red strip, a 4 cm gold square, a 6 × 12 cm orange strip, a 4 × 9 cm yellow strip, scissors, glue and a pen. Hard, 32 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Wings: in half. Lay the red strip red side up, long side across. Fold the right half over onto the left half.
  2. Wings: and again. Fold the right half over onto the left again.
  3. Wings: once more. Fold it in half once more the same way, to a stack 2.5 cm wide. Crease all the layers hard.
  4. Wings: cut a flame. Cut the top of the stack into one tall flame: start 2.5 cm down each side and curve up to a point in the middle of the top edge.
  5. Wings: open it. Unfold the last fold.
  6. Wings: open again. Unfold the next fold.
  7. Wings: open flat. Unfold it flat. Eight flames flicker along the top edge.
  8. Wings: right wing behind. Fold the right wing behind on an upright crease 1.5 cm right of the middle.
  9. Wings: right wing up. Fold it back out on a crease from the same bottom point to 2.5 cm nearer the middle at the top. The wing swings up.
  10. Wings: left wing behind. Fold the left wing behind the same way, 1.5 cm left of the middle.
  11. Wings: left wing up. Fold it back out on a crease leaning 2.5 cm in at the top, so both flaming wings rise in a V.
  12. Head: new sheet. Set the wings aside. Lay the gold square gold side up.
  13. Head: in half. Fold the right half over onto the left half.
  14. Head: and again. Fold the right half over onto the left again, to a strip 1 cm wide.
  15. Head: snip the crest. Cut one slanted snip across the top: from the top left corner down to 1.5 cm below the top on the right edge.
  16. Head: open it. Unfold the last fold.
  17. Head: open flat. Unfold it flat. Three crest spikes stand along the top.
  18. Head: lower the sides. Snip the tip off each outer spike, 8 mm down, so the middle spike stands tallest like a crest.
  19. Head: pointed chin. Fold both bottom corners behind, on creases from halfway up each side to the middle of the bottom edge.
  20. Tail: orange sheet. Set the head aside. Lay the orange strip orange side up, long side upright.
  21. Tail: in half. Fold the right half over onto the left half.
  22. Tail: and again. Fold the right half over onto the left again, to a long strip.
  23. Tail: cut a plume. Cut a long thin slice off each side: from 2.2 cm below the top down to the middle of the bottom end. Leave a 3 mm tip.
  24. Tail: open it. Unfold the last fold.
  25. Tail: open flat. Unfold it flat: four long orange plumes hang from a band.
  26. Tail: yellow sheet. Set it aside. Lay the yellow strip yellow side up, long side upright.
  27. Tail: in half. Fold the right half over onto the left half.
  28. Tail: and again. Fold the right half over onto the left again.
  29. Tail: cut a plume. Cut the same long slices off each side, from 2 cm below the top to a 3 mm tip at the bottom.
  30. Tail: open it. Unfold the last fold.
  31. Tail: open flat. Unfold it flat: four shorter yellow plumes.
  32. Glue it together. Glue the yellow plumes on the orange ones, and their band behind the body. Glue the head on top, its crest above the wings.

Rise, phoenix!

Draw two eyes and a little hooked beak. Fan the plumes apart a little and hang your phoenix in a sunny window.

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