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How to fold an origami platypus

Fold a long, low kite body on short splayed legs. Free a thin strip at the front for the flat duck bill, fold the chin away, crimp the bill down and blunt the paddle tail.

You need: 1 brown square (15 cm or bigger), scissors and a black pen. Hard, 24 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Diamond. Start white side up and turn the square so a corner points up, like a diamond.
  2. Crease the middle. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
  3. Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 5.6 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the platypus's bill.
  4. Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 6.8 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
  5. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 3.5 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
  6. Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half along the middle crease. The long fold on top is the back, the flat bottom is the tummy.
  7. Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 0.8 cm and the top edge down 0.8 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the bill.
  8. Open it. Unfold both strips again.
  9. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 1.3 cm, and from the back end in 1.2 cm.
  10. Free the bill. Cut the top crease 2.1 cm in from the front end.
  11. Tuck the strip. Fold the slit strip up along its crease, the front layers up in front and the back layers up behind.
  12. Front legs. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers one way and the back ones behind, a little apart.
  13. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
  14. Webbed feet. Fold the end of each leg forward on a slanted crease, so the four feet point ahead.
  15. Chin away. Fold the head end below the bill strip behind on an upright crease at the end of its cut, all layers except the bill.
  16. Round the chin. Fold the bottom front corner of the head behind, 0.6 cm along each edge, so the head is round.
  17. Blunt the bill. Fold the tip of the bill behind, 0.9 cm from the point, both layers together, so it ends flat like a duck's.
  18. Bill: crease. Fold the bill over on an upright crease at its base, both layers together.
  19. Bill: crimp down. Fold it back on a crease slanting a little from the same top point, so the bill dips down.
  20. Pleat: fold over. Fold the back part over to the front on an upright crease through the body, all layers together.
  21. Pleat: fold back. Fold it back again on an upright crease 1.1 cm further forward. The body gets shorter and plumper.
  22. Tail: crease. Fold the back end over on an upright crease where the tail starts to narrow, all layers except the legs.
  23. Tail: crimp down. Fold it back on a crease slanting a little from the same top point, so the tail droops low.
  24. Paddle tail. Fold the tip of the tail behind, 1.5 cm from the point, all layers together, so the tail ends wide and flat.

Splish!

Colour the flat bill dark and draw a small eye on the head, just behind the bill.

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