All models

How to fold an origami pirate cove

A real project. Fold a pirate galleon with reverse-folded bow and stern, a cliff with a pleated ledge, a cave, a palm, a parrot, a rowing boat and an open chest of gold. Stand it up.

You need: 27 pieces: pale orange A4, turquoise, grey, very dark brown, sand, browns, greens, red, yellow, black, white (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 105 steps, about 120 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sea: the horizon. Start with the sea: a 29.7 × 10.6 cm turquoise sheet, coloured side up, lying long. Fold the top edge behind 6 mm for a straight horizon.
  2. Cliff: new sheet. Set the sea aside. For the cliff, take a 12.8 × 17 cm grey piece, grey side up, standing tall.
  3. Cliff: slope the face. Fold the top right corner behind on a long slant, from 6.5 cm along the top edge to 10 cm down the right edge.
  4. Cliff: craggy corners. Fold the three top corners behind: the left one 1.5 cm each way, the top of the slope 1.2 cm and its foot 1 cm. Now it looks like rough rock.
  5. Cliff: ledge, fold up. Fold the bottom part up on a level crease 5.3 cm below the top left corner.
  6. Cliff: ledge, fold down. Fold it back down 3 mm higher. The pleat leaves a rocky ledge across the cliff.
  7. Cave: new sheet. Set the cliff aside. For the cave, take a 6.2 × 7.8 cm very dark brown piece, coloured side up, standing tall.
  8. Cave: corners behind. Fold the two top corners behind, 2.2 cm along each edge.
  9. Cave: round the arch. Fold the four new corners behind, 7 mm each, for a round arch: the dark mouth of the cave.
  10. Trunk: new sheet. Set the cave aside. For the trunk, take a 1.4 × 11.3 cm brown strip, white side up, standing tall.
  11. Trunk: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge, so it is a narrow brown strip.
  12. Trunk: bend 1. Fold the top end down, creasing 8.1 cm above the bottom at the right edge and a little higher at the left.
  13. Trunk: bend 1 back up. Fold it back up, creasing straight across from the same point on the right edge. The trunk bends and gets a ring across it.
  14. Trunk: bend 2. Fold the top end down, creasing 5.6 cm above the bottom at the right edge and a little higher at the left.
  15. Trunk: bend 2 back up. Fold it back up, creasing straight across from the same point on the right edge. The trunk bends and gets a ring across it.
  16. Trunk: bend 3. Fold the top end down, creasing 3.1 cm above the bottom at the right edge and a little higher at the left.
  17. Trunk: bend 3 back up. Fold it back up, creasing straight across from the same point on the right edge. The trunk bends and gets a ring across it.
  18. Top fronds: new sheet. Set the trunk aside. For the palm tree's top fronds, take a 7.6 × 3.7 cm green piece, green side up.
  19. Top fronds: fold in half. Start with a 17 × 3.6 cm green strip, green side up. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  20. Top fronds: cut a leaf. Cut a long arched leaf through both layers: its 6 mm base on the fold, its back curving out and down to a sharp point.
  21. Top fronds: open them. Unfold it: two long fronds joined at the middle, both curving out and down.
  22. Side fronds: new sheet. Set the top fronds aside. For the side fronds, take a 12 × 1.6 cm green piece, green side up.
  23. Side fronds: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  24. Side fronds: cut a leaf. Cut a long arched leaf through both layers: its 6 mm base on the fold, its back curving out and down to a sharp point.
  25. Side fronds: open them. Unfold it: two long fronds joined at the middle, both curving out and down.
  26. Low fronds: new sheet. Set the side fronds aside. For the low fronds, take a 7.6 × 4.4 cm green piece, green side up.
  27. Low fronds: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  28. Low fronds: cut a leaf. Cut a long arched leaf through both layers: its 6 mm base on the fold, its back curving out and down to a sharp point.
  29. Low fronds: open them. Unfold it: two long fronds joined at the middle, both curving out and down.
  30. Coconut: new sheet. Set the low fronds aside. For a coconut, take a 1.4 × 1.4 cm dark brown square, coloured side up.
  31. Coconut: round it. Fold all four corners a little way behind to make it round.
  32. Coconut: new sheet. Set the coconut aside. For the second coconut, take another 1.4 × 1.4 cm dark brown square.
  33. Coconut: round it. Fold all four corners a little way behind, just like the first one.
  34. Beach: new sheet. Set the coconut aside. For the beach, take a 14.3 × 3.3 cm sand-coloured piece, coloured side up, lying long.
  35. Beach: slope into the sea. Fold the top right corner behind on a slant, from 5 cm along the top edge to 1.4 cm down the right edge.
  36. Beach: soften the end. Fold the new corner at the top of the slant behind 8 mm each way, so the sand slopes gently.
  37. Cannon: new sheet. Set the beach aside. Now the pirate ship, the hard part. Start with its cannon: a 2.6 × 1.9 cm black piece, white side up.
  38. Cannon: edges to the middle. Fold the top and bottom edges in to meet in the middle, making a thick black barrel.
  39. Cannon: taper the muzzle. Fold the two right corners behind on a long slant, so the barrel narrows towards the right end: the muzzle.
  40. Mainmast: new sheet. Set the cannon aside. For the tall mast, take a 0.8 × 16.8 cm dark brown strip, white side up, standing tall.
  41. Mainmast: fold in half. Fold the right edge over to the left edge, so the mast is brown on both sides and twice as stiff.
  42. Foremast: new sheet. Set the mainmast aside. For the short mast, take a 0.8 × 12.6 cm dark brown strip, white side up.
  43. Foremast: fold in half. Fold it in half lengthwise, like the mainmast.
  44. Hull: new sheet. Set the foremast aside. For the ship's hull, take a 19.2 × 11.6 cm brown piece, white side up, lying long.
  45. Hull: the rail. Start with the hull: brown paper 29.7 × 11.5 cm (cut 1.9 cm off an A4 sheet), white side up, long sides across. Fold the top edge down 6 mm. This strip is the rail.
  46. Hull: crease the port strip. Fold the bottom edge up 10 mm and crease it hard. The gun ports will be cut into this strip.
  47. Hull: open the strip. Fold the strip back down, so the sheet lies flat with a crease along the bottom.
  48. Hull: fold in half. Fold the right edge over to the left edge.
  49. Hull: fold the ends over. Fold the left edges over to the right on a crease 3.8 cm from the middle fold. Their ends stick out 1.9 cm past the middle fold.
  50. Hull: cut the gun ports. Through all layers, cut away the strip below the crease in two places: 6 mm next to the left fold, and all of it from 6 mm before the middle fold out to the ends.
  51. Hull: open the ends. Unfold the ends.
  52. Hull: open it out. Unfold the sheet. The strip has three square notches, and its ends are cut short.
  53. Hull: bottom up to the rail. Fold the bottom edge up until it meets the rail. White shows through the notches: these are the gun ports.
  54. Hull: fold in half. Fold the bottom half behind along the middle. This fold is the keel.
  55. Hull: snip the keel. Snip along the keel 5.1 cm in from each end, so the sides come apart there. Then cut the bottom corner off the right end, from 1.9 cm along the keel to the top corner.
  56. Hull: raise the stern. Outside-reverse-fold the left end straight up: crease from the end of the snip up and back at 45°, front layer towards you, back layer behind.
  57. Hull: raise the bow. Outside-reverse-fold the right end straight up the same way, at 45° from the end of the snip. Its cut top slopes up towards the front: the bow.
  58. Jib: new sheet. Set the hull aside. For the jib, take a 5.8 × 5.5 cm white piece, lying long.
  59. Jib: fold in half. Fold the left edge over to the right edge.
  60. Jib: cut a triangle. Cut from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. The fold on the left glues behind the foresail; the low front corner reaches the bow.
  61. Mainsail: new sheet. Set the jib aside. For the mainsail, take a 5.5 × 8.4 cm white piece, standing tall.
  62. Mainsail: fold up. Fold the bottom part up on a crease a little below the middle.
  63. Mainsail: fold back down. Fold it back down on a crease 5 mm higher. This pleat across the sail makes it look full of wind.
  64. Mainsail: slope the sides. Fold the top corners behind on a long slant, from 6 mm in along the top to 3.5 cm down each side. The sail is now wider at the bottom.
  65. Foresail: new sheet. Set the mainsail aside. For the foresail, take a 3.7 × 5.5 cm white piece, standing tall.
  66. Foresail: hem the top. Fold the top edge behind 4 mm. This hem is where it is glued across the foremast.
  67. Foresail: round the bottom. Round off both bottom corners with two small cuts each, so the sail's bottom looks soft and rounded.
  68. Flag: new sheet. Set the foresail aside. For the flag, take a 3 × 4 cm black piece, coloured side up, standing tall.
  69. Flag: fold in half. Fold the top half behind, so the flag is black on both sides.
  70. Crow's nest: new sheet. Set the flag aside. For the crow's nest, take a 2.3 × 2.3 cm light brown square, coloured side up.
  71. Crow's nest: fold in half. Fold the top half behind, so it is brown on both sides.
  72. Crow's nest: shape the tub. Fold the bottom corners behind on a slant, so it is narrower at the bottom like a little barrel.
  73. Rowing boat: new sheet. Set the crow's nest aside. For the rowing boat, take a 8.3 × 4.1 cm orange-brown piece, coloured side up, lying long.
  74. Hull: fold the bottom behind. Start with the brown half square, brown side up, long edge at the bottom. Fold the bottom strip behind, a bit less than half.
  75. Hull: white rim. Fold the top edge down in front, just a thin strip. It shows white: the rim of the boat.
  76. Hull: bow and stern. Fold the bottom-right corner behind on a long slant for the pointed bow, and the bottom-left corner behind on a short slant for the stern.
  77. Oar: new sheet. Set the rowing boat aside. For the second oar, take another 0.4 × 5.4 cm light brown strip.
  78. Oar 2: thin handle. Make the second oar just like the first: fold both long sides behind on a slant to narrow the handle.
  79. Oar 2: tilt it. Turn the oar so it slopes, its blade pointing down to the right.
  80. Oar: new sheet. Set the oar aside. For an oar, take a 0.4 × 5.4 cm light brown strip, standing tall.
  81. Oar 1: thin handle. Fold both long sides behind on a slant, from a third of the way up down to the top, so the top is a thin handle and the bottom a wide blade.
  82. Lid: new sheet. Set the oar aside. For the chest's lid, take a 5.2 × 2.6 cm brown piece, brown side up, lying long.
  83. Lid: white rim. Fold the bottom edge up 4 mm. The white back shows as a metal rim.
  84. Lid: dome it. Fold the two top corners behind, 1.1 cm along each edge.
  85. Lid: round it. Fold the four new corners behind, 3 mm each, for a round domed lid.
  86. Gold: new sheet. Set the lid aside. For the gold, take a 4.8 × 2.4 cm yellow piece, yellow side up, lying long.
  87. Gold: heap it. Fold the two top corners behind, 1.2 cm along each edge.
  88. Gold: round the heap. Fold the four new corners behind, 4 mm each, for a round heap of gold coins.
  89. Chest: new sheet. Set the gold aside. For the chest, take a 7 × 3.4 cm brown piece, brown side up, lying long.
  90. Chest: corner straps. Fold the left and right edges in 9 mm. The white back shows as two metal straps.
  91. Chest: the rim. Fold the top edge down 4 mm, over the straps, for a white rim where the lid closes.
  92. Parrot: new sheet. Set the chest aside. For the parrot, take a 5 cm red square, white side up, as a diamond.
  93. Parrot: crease the diagonal. Fold the left corner to the right corner, crease, and unfold.
  94. Parrot: make a kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the centre crease.
  95. Parrot: narrow the tail. Fold the two upper edges in to lie along the centre crease too, making a long diamond.
  96. Parrot: turn it over. Flip the diamond over.
  97. Parrot: head up. Fold the bottom point up so its tip lands 1.5 cm above the side corners. This becomes the head.
  98. Parrot: fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the centre crease, head on the outside.
  99. Parrot: lay it down. Turn the model so the long fold is at the bottom and the head flap's fold is on the right.
  100. Parrot: pull out the head. Outside-reverse-fold the head out to the right, tilted a little up. Start the crease at the bottom right corner.
  101. Parrot: hook the beak. Outside-reverse-fold the last 10 mm of the head down and back, so the beak curls under.
  102. Parrot: perch it. Stand the parrot up, head at the top and the long tail pointing down.
  103. Sky: new sheet. Set the parrot aside. Last, the sky: a pale orange A4 sheet, coloured side up, lying long.
  104. Build the scene. Glue the sea along the bottom, the cliff, cave, palm and beach on the left, the ship on the right, the rowing boat, and the open chest with the parrot on it.
  105. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you just left of the ship, and stand the cove up on the table.

Yo ho ho!

Draw the skull and crossbones on the flag, the parrot's eye, a keyhole on the chest, coins in the gold and a few waves.

What to fold next