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How to fold an origami pirate

Cut a striped shirt, breeches with one short leg, a peg and a boot, bend strip arms with white cuffs, then cut and pleat a tricorne hat and a curved cutlass.

You need: Red 5.4 × 6 and 13 × 0.9 cm, navy 4.5 × 6 cm, black 7.2 × 3.45 and 2.1 × 3 cm, brown, skin and silver scraps, scissors, glue, pens. Hard, 31 steps, about 45 minutes.

Steps

  1. Shirt: fold in half. Start with the 5.4 × 6 cm red piece, red side up. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  2. Shirt: cut the shoulders. Cut a slope off the top corner for the shoulder, then a long, thin slice down the side so the shirt is a little narrower at the waist.
  3. Shirt: open it. Open the shirt out flat.
  4. Peg: new sheet. Set the shirt aside. Take a 1.2 × 4 cm brown strip, standing tall.
  5. Peg: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge to make it strong.
  6. Peg: taper it. Cut a long slant down the open side so the peg gets thinner toward the bottom.
  7. Arms: new sheet. Set the peg aside. Take the long red strip, white side up, lying flat.
  8. Arms: bend them down. 2 cm from the middle on each side, fold the strip down on a long slanted crease so both arms slope down and out, red side showing.
  9. Arms: white cuffs. Fold the last 8 mm of each arm straight back over itself. The white side shows as a frilly cuff.
  10. Boot: new sheet. Set the arms aside. Take the 2.1 × 3 cm black piece, black side up.
  11. Boot: fold the cuff. Fold the top edge down 6 mm. The white side makes the boot's turned-down cuff.
  12. Boot: round the toe. Snip off both bottom corners, a little more on the outside, to round the boot.
  13. Head: new sheet. Set the boot aside. Take the 3.9 cm skin-tone square.
  14. Head: round it. Fold the four corners behind, 7 mm along each edge, for a round face.
  15. Beard: new sheet. Set the head aside. Take a 3.6 × 2.1 cm dark brown piece.
  16. Beard: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  17. Beard: cut the chin. Cut a curve from 6 mm below the top on the open side round to the bottom of the fold.
  18. Beard: open it. Open it out: a round, bushy beard.
  19. Hat: new sheet. Set the beard aside. Take the 7.2 × 3.45 cm black piece, black side up.
  20. Hat: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  21. Hat: cut the shape. Cut from the bottom of the fold up to the open side 1.5 cm below the top. Round the top from there to the top of the fold.
  22. Hat: open it. Open it out: a wide hat with points at both sides and one at the front.
  23. Hat: pleat the brim. Fold the front point up on a level line 9 mm above its tip.
  24. Hat: fold it back. Fold it back down 2 mm higher up. The little step across the front is the hat's turned-up brim.
  25. Cutlass: new sheet. Set the hat aside. Take a 1 × 7.5 cm silver strip, standing tall.
  26. Cutlass: cut the blade. Keep the left edge straight. Cut the right edge in a long curve that bulges out near the top and sweeps to a sharp point.
  27. Breeches: new sheet. Set the cutlass aside. Take the 4.5 × 6 cm navy piece.
  28. Breeches: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  29. Breeches: cut the legs. Cut a thin slant up the fold for the gap between the legs and trim the open side. Then cut the bottom layer only straight across, 1.6 cm higher.
  30. Breeches: open them. Open them out: one long leg and one short one for the peg.
  31. Put him together. Glue the arms and peg behind the breeches, the shirt over them and the boot on the long leg. Add the head, beard and hat, then the cutlass in his hand.

Arrr, shipmate!

Draw white stripes on the shirt and sleeves, a belt, an eye and a black eye patch, a white grin in the beard, a skull on the hat and a black grip.

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