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How to fold an origami rainbow bridge

A dreamy build. Fold a distant castle, a meadow, a stream with little falls, a six-band rainbow bridge, two fluffy clouds, a unicorn and her foal, and tulips, then stand it up.

You need: 29 pieces: light blue A4, green, blue, pink, purple, white, gold, lilac and rainbow-coloured paper (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 140 steps, about 120 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sky: crease the middle. Start with the sky: a light blue A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Keep: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For the castle keep in the distance, take a 2.6 × 4 cm purple piece, white side up.
  3. Keep: roof. Fold both top corners down to meet on the middle line: a pointed purple roof on a white keep.
  4. Castle: new strip. Set the keep aside. For the castle wall, take a 10.2 × 2.4 cm pink strip, white side up.
  5. Castle: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge: a pink wall.
  6. Castle: towers up. Fold each end straight up on a 45° slant, 2 cm from the middle. The ends stand up as two towers.
  7. Castle: pointed towers. Fold the two top corners of each tower behind to meet in the middle: pointed tower tops.
  8. Meadow: new sheet. Set the castle aside. For the meadow, take a 29.7 × 7.9 cm green piece, green side up.
  9. Meadow: hills. Fold both top corners behind, 4 cm along each edge, so the meadow rolls down at the ends.
  10. Stream: new sheet. Set the meadow aside. For the stream, take a 9 cm blue square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  11. Stream: kite. Fold the two upper edges in to meet on the middle line: a blue kite with a long point up.
  12. Stream: flat front. Fold the white bottom point behind between the side corners. The stream is wide in front and narrow far away.
  13. Stream: fall 1 down. Fold the top down on a level crease 5.5 cm above the bottom.
  14. Stream: fall 1 up. Fold it back up on a crease 4 mm lower. The little step is a splashy fall.
  15. Stream: fall 2 down. Fold the top down on a level crease 2.9 cm above the bottom.
  16. Stream: fall 2 up. Fold it back up on a crease 4 mm lower. The little step is a splashy fall.
  17. Red band: new strip. Set the stream aside. For the rainbow, take a 29.6 × 1.5 cm red strip (the long side of A4), white side up.
  18. Red band: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge, so the strip is red on both sides.
  19. Red band: shoulders. Fold both ends down on shallow slants starting 3.6 cm either side of the middle, so they head down and out at 45°.
  20. Red band: legs. Fold each end down again on another slant, so the legs hang straight down. The band now arches like half an octagon.
  21. Orange band: new strip. Set it aside. Take a 27.1 × 1.5 cm orange strip, white side up.
  22. Orange band: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length.
  23. Orange band: shoulders. Fold both ends down on slants, 3.3 cm out from the middle.
  24. Orange band: legs. Fold the ends down again so they hang straight.
  25. Yellow band: new strip. Set it aside. Take a 24.6 × 1.5 cm yellow strip, white side up.
  26. Yellow band: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length.
  27. Yellow band: shoulders. Fold both ends down on slants, 3.0 cm out from the middle.
  28. Yellow band: legs. Fold the ends down again so they hang straight.
  29. Green band: new strip. Set it aside. Take a 22.1 × 1.5 cm green strip, white side up.
  30. Green band: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length.
  31. Green band: shoulders. Fold both ends down on slants, 2.6 cm out from the middle.
  32. Green band: legs. Fold the ends down again so they hang straight.
  33. Blue band: new strip. Set it aside. Take a 19.6 × 1.5 cm blue strip, white side up.
  34. Blue band: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length.
  35. Blue band: shoulders. Fold both ends down on slants, 2.3 cm out from the middle.
  36. Blue band: legs. Fold the ends down again so they hang straight.
  37. Purple band: new strip. Set it aside. Take a 17.2 × 1.5 cm purple strip, white side up.
  38. Purple band: fold in half. Fold it in half along its length.
  39. Purple band: shoulders. Fold both ends down on slants, 2.0 cm out from the middle.
  40. Purple band: legs. Fold the ends down again so they hang straight.
  41. Cloud: new sheet. Set the purple band aside. For a cloud's big puff, take a 7.5 cm white square, white side up.
  42. Cloud: big puff: corners in. Fold all four corners in so their tips meet in the middle.
  43. Cloud: big puff: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth side faces you.
  44. Cloud: big puff: round it. Fold each of the four corners behind, a third of the way to the middle.
  45. Cloud: big puff: round it more. Fold just the tips of the four top corners behind. This top half will peek over the cloud, nice and round.
  46. Cloud: small puff: new sheet. Set the big puff aside. Take a second white square of the same size.
  47. Cloud: small puff: corners in. Fold all four corners in so their tips meet in the middle.
  48. Cloud: small puff: corners in again. Fold the four new corners in to the middle too. Now it is a small square.
  49. Cloud: small puff: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth side faces you.
  50. Cloud: small puff: round it. Fold each of the four corners behind, a third of the way to the middle.
  51. Cloud: small puff: round it more. Fold just the tips of the four top corners behind, like you did on the big puff.
  52. Cloud: body: new sheet. Set the small puff aside. Take a third white square.
  53. Cloud: body: fold in half. Fold the top half down behind, so the top edge meets the bottom edge at the back.
  54. Cloud: body: round the corners. Fold all four corners behind: small ones at the top, bigger ones at the bottom.
  55. Cloud: new sheet. Set the cloud aside. Fold a second cloud the same way from three 7.5 cm white squares.
  56. Cloud: big puff: corners in. Fold all four corners in so their tips meet in the middle.
  57. Cloud: big puff: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth side faces you.
  58. Cloud: big puff: round it. Fold each of the four corners behind, a third of the way to the middle.
  59. Cloud: big puff: round it more. Fold just the tips of the four top corners behind. This top half will peek over the cloud, nice and round.
  60. Cloud: small puff: new sheet. Set the big puff aside. Take a second white square of the same size.
  61. Cloud: small puff: corners in. Fold all four corners in so their tips meet in the middle.
  62. Cloud: small puff: corners in again. Fold the four new corners in to the middle too. Now it is a small square.
  63. Cloud: small puff: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth side faces you.
  64. Cloud: small puff: round it. Fold each of the four corners behind, a third of the way to the middle.
  65. Cloud: small puff: round it more. Fold just the tips of the four top corners behind, like you did on the big puff.
  66. Cloud: body: new sheet. Set the small puff aside. Take a third white square.
  67. Cloud: body: fold in half. Fold the top half down behind, so the top edge meets the bottom edge at the back.
  68. Cloud: body: round the corners. Fold all four corners behind: small ones at the top, bigger ones at the bottom.
  69. Unicorn: new sheet. Set the cloud aside. For the unicorn, take a 6 cm pink square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  70. Unicorn: fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the unicorn's back.
  71. Unicorn: crease the middle. Fold the triangle in half, right point onto the left point, and crease it hard. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  72. Unicorn: open it. Unfold it back into the triangle.
  73. Unicorn: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 1 cm left of the middle crease. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  74. Unicorn: open it. Unfold it again.
  75. Unicorn: neck back. Outside-reverse-fold the right end back over the body, on an upright crease 6 mm right of the middle crease. Each layer wraps round the outside.
  76. Unicorn: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 2.5 cm below the top fold. Cut up both leg creases to 1 cm below the top, and straight across between them.
  77. Unicorn: cut the neck. Cut up the neck fold to 9 mm below the top. From there cut the neck flaps to 6 mm deep at their tip, and snip the tip off square 4 mm in.
  78. Unicorn: lift the neck. Outside-reverse-fold the neck up on a crease from its bottom corner, so it stands up and leans forward over the front legs.
  79. Unicorn: snip the folds. Cut along the neck's back fold to the nose, and 4 mm down the crease at its base. Cut 2 cm along the top fold from the left point.
  80. Unicorn: mane out. Fold the back edge of each neck layer out, 4 mm wide at the base and tapering to nothing 1 cm from the nose, so a white mane shows.
  81. Unicorn: head back. Fold the top 1 cm of each neck layer back over the mane, on a crease from the top of the mane slanting down to the front edge.
  82. Unicorn: head out. Fold the head back up on a crease from the same corner, so it points forward and down. Glue the two head layers together.
  83. Unicorn: tail down. Fold each layer of the left point down and back on a crease from the end of the cut, so it hangs as a white tail.
  84. Unicorn: shape the rump. Cut up the tail crease from below, leaving its top 6 mm. Cut the rump from there, curving in to the back of the hind hooves. Trim the tail slimmer.
  85. Unicorn: horn: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take a 1.2 cm gold square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  86. Unicorn: horn: fold a kite. Fold the lower left and lower right edges in to meet on the middle line.
  87. Unicorn: horn: slimmer. Fold the new side edges in to the middle again, from the bottom point, making a slim spike.
  88. Unicorn: horn: flat end. Fold the short top point behind between the side corners. Glue the layers flat.
  89. Unicorn: horn: turn it. Turn the horn round so its point aims up and to the right.
  90. Foal: new sheet. Set the unicorn aside. Fold a little foal the same way from a 4.5 cm lilac square.
  91. Foal: fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the unicorn's back.
  92. Foal: crease the middle. Fold the triangle in half, right point onto the left point, and crease it hard. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  93. Foal: open it. Unfold it back into the triangle.
  94. Foal: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 9 mm left of the middle crease. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  95. Foal: open it. Unfold it again.
  96. Foal: neck back. Outside-reverse-fold the right end back over the body, on an upright crease 5 mm right of the middle crease. Each layer wraps round the outside.
  97. Foal: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 2 cm below the top fold. Cut up both leg creases to 8 mm below the top, and straight across between them.
  98. Foal: cut the neck. Cut up the neck fold to 7 mm below the top. From there cut the neck flaps to 5 mm deep at their tip, and snip the tip off square 3 mm in.
  99. Foal: lift the neck. Outside-reverse-fold the neck up on a crease from its bottom corner, so it stands up and leans forward over the front legs.
  100. Foal: snip the folds. Cut along the neck's back fold to the nose, and 3 mm down the crease at its base. Cut 1.5 cm along the top fold from the left point.
  101. Foal: mane out. Fold the back edge of each neck layer out, 3 mm wide at the base and tapering to nothing 8 mm from the nose, so a white mane shows.
  102. Foal: head back. Fold the top 8 mm of each neck layer back over the mane, on a crease from the top of the mane slanting down to the front edge.
  103. Foal: head out. Fold the head back up on a crease from the same corner, so it points forward and down. Glue the two head layers together.
  104. Foal: tail down. Fold each layer of the left point down and back on a crease from the end of the cut, so it hangs as a white tail.
  105. Foal: shape the rump. Cut up the tail crease from below, leaving its top 5 mm. Cut the rump from there, curving in to the back of the hind hooves. Trim the tail slimmer.
  106. Foal: horn: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take a 9 mm gold square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  107. Foal: horn: fold a kite. Fold the lower left and lower right edges in to meet on the middle line.
  108. Foal: horn: slimmer. Fold the new side edges in to the middle again, from the bottom point, making a slim spike.
  109. Foal: horn: flat end. Fold the short top point behind between the side corners. Glue the layers flat.
  110. Foal: horn: turn it. Turn the horn round so its point aims up and to the right.
  111. Tulip: stem: new sheet. Set the foal aside. For a tulip's stem, take a 3 cm green square, white side up, turned like a diamond; crease it top to bottom.
  112. Tulip: stem: kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the middle crease.
  113. Tulip: stem: turn over. Flip it over, long point down.
  114. Tulip: stem: narrow. Fold the lower edges to the middle again, making a long thin point. That's the stem.
  115. Tulip: new sheet. Set the stem aside. For its bloom, take a 3 cm square in a bright colour, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  116. Tulip: bloom: triangle. Start with the bloom. White side up, like a diamond, fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  117. Tulip: bloom: petals. Fold the left and right corners up so their points stick out a little past the top point, one on each side. The bottom ends in a narrow base.
  118. Tulip: stem: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold another stem the same way from a 3 cm green square.
  119. Tulip: stem: kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the middle crease.
  120. Tulip: stem: turn over. Flip it over, long point down.
  121. Tulip: stem: narrow. Fold the lower edges to the middle again, making a long thin point. That's the stem.
  122. Tulip: new sheet. Set the stem aside. For its bloom, take a 3 cm square in a bright colour, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  123. Tulip: bloom: triangle. Start with the bloom. White side up, like a diamond, fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  124. Tulip: bloom: petals. Fold the left and right corners up so their points stick out a little past the top point, one on each side. The bottom ends in a narrow base.
  125. Tulip: stem: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold another stem the same way from a 3 cm green square.
  126. Tulip: stem: kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the middle crease.
  127. Tulip: stem: turn over. Flip it over, long point down.
  128. Tulip: stem: narrow. Fold the lower edges to the middle again, making a long thin point. That's the stem.
  129. Tulip: new sheet. Set the stem aside. For its bloom, take a 3 cm square in a bright colour, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  130. Tulip: bloom: triangle. Start with the bloom. White side up, like a diamond, fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  131. Tulip: bloom: petals. Fold the left and right corners up so their points stick out a little past the top point, one on each side. The bottom ends in a narrow base.
  132. Tulip: stem: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold another stem the same way from a 3 cm green square.
  133. Tulip: stem: kite. Fold the two lower edges in to lie along the middle crease.
  134. Tulip: stem: turn over. Flip it over, long point down.
  135. Tulip: stem: narrow. Fold the lower edges to the middle again, making a long thin point. That's the stem.
  136. Tulip: new sheet. Set the stem aside. For its bloom, take a 3 cm square in a bright colour, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  137. Tulip: bloom: triangle. Start with the bloom. White side up, like a diamond, fold the bottom corner up to the top corner.
  138. Tulip: bloom: petals. Fold the left and right corners up so their points stick out a little past the top point, one on each side. The bottom ends in a narrow base.
  139. Build the bridge. Glue the castle and meadow on the sky, then the stream and the rainbow bands. Add the clouds over its feet, the unicorns on top and the tulips.
  140. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the rainbow bridge up on the table.

Over the rainbow!

Draw the unicorns' eyes and manes, the clouds' smiles, the castle gate and windows. Add white ripples on the stream and sparkles in the sky.

What to fold next