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How to fold an origami rainforest

A real project. Fold a big treetop into a stack and cut eight hanging vines in one go, then add a monkey, a toucan, a frog, a waterfall into a pool and giant leaves. It stands up.

You need: 22 pieces: browns, a big green sheet, grey, light blue, blue, black, orange, tan, lime, dark green, pale green A4 (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 57 steps, about 70 minutes.

Steps

  1. Trunk: taper it. Start with the tree trunk: a 3 × 13.9 cm brown strip, brown side up. Fold both long sides behind on slants, 5 mm in at the top.
  2. Treetop: new sheet. Set the trunk aside. For the treetop, take an 18 × 28 cm green sheet, white side up.
  3. Treetop: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge, green side out. The vines will hang from this fold.
  4. Treetop: cut the dome. Round both top corners into a wide dome in small snips, from 8 cm above the fold at the sides up to the top middle.
  5. Treetop: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  6. In half again. Fold the right edges over onto the left fold.
  7. And again. Fold it in half once more the same way, to a narrow stack. Crease hard.
  8. Treetop: cut the vines. Cut a long thin triangle off each side of the stack, from 8 cm above the fold down to it, leaving 3 mm in the middle.
  9. Open it out. Unfold the last fold.
  10. Open again. Unfold the next fold.
  11. Open flat. Unfold the last fold too. Eight vines hang from the green dome.
  12. Treetop: trim the vines. Cut the two middle vines off at the dome, for the trunk. Shorten the third from each side by 4 cm and the outer ones by 2 cm.
  13. Cliff: new sheet. Set the treetop aside. For the cliff, take an 8.3 × 14 cm grey piece, grey side up.
  14. Cliff: craggy top. Fold the top corners behind, 2.2 cm along the edges on the left and 1.2 cm on the right, so the cliff top is craggy.
  15. Waterfall: new sheet. Set the cliff aside. For the waterfall, take a 2.8 × 14.5 cm light blue strip, standing tall.
  16. Waterfall: spread it. Fold both long sides behind on slants, 4 mm in at the top, so the water spreads as it falls.
  17. Waterfall: the lip. Fold the top 6 mm down in front: white foam where the water tips over the cliff.
  18. Ground: new sheet. Set the waterfall aside. For the forest floor, take a 29.7 × 2.3 cm dark brown strip, lying long.
  19. Ground: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 3 mm, for a straight edge.
  20. Pool: new sheet. Set the ground aside. For the pool, take a 5.8 × 1.9 cm blue piece, blue side up, lying long.
  21. Pool: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 6 mm along each edge.
  22. Toucan: new sheet. Set the pool aside. For the toucan, take a 2.2 × 4.6 cm black piece, black side up, standing tall.
  23. Toucan: shape it. Fold the top corners behind 7 mm for a round head. Fold the bottom corners behind on slants, from halfway down, for the tail.
  24. Beak: new sheet. Set the toucan aside. For its big beak, take a 3.4 × 1.2 cm orange strip, orange side up, lying long.
  25. Beak: taper it. Fold the bottom edge behind on a slant, from the bottom-right corner to 5 mm below the top at the left. Fold the tip's top corner behind.
  26. Monkey arm: new sheet. Set the beak aside. For the monkey's long arm, take a 2.2 × 6.4 cm brown strip, standing tall.
  27. Arm: fold in half. Fold the right half behind, the long way.
  28. Arm: and again. Fold the left half behind again, so the arm is thin.
  29. Monkey body: new sheet. Set the arm aside. For the body, take a 2.4 × 2.7 cm brown piece, brown side up.
  30. Body: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 7 mm along each edge, for a plump round body.
  31. Ears: new sheet. Set the body aside. For the ears, take a 3.5 × 1 cm brown strip, lying long.
  32. Ears: round the ends. Round all four corners in small snips, so both ends are round.
  33. Monkey head: new sheet. Set the ears aside. For the monkey head, take a 2.5 cm brown square, coloured side up.
  34. Monkey head: corners behind. Fold each corner behind, 0.7 cm along both edges. You get an octagon.
  35. Monkey head: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 2.8 mm along both edges, so it is round.
  36. Face: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the face, take a 1.7 cm tan square, coloured side up.
  37. Face: corners behind. Fold each corner behind, 0.5 cm along both edges. You get an octagon.
  38. Face: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 1.9 mm along both edges, so it is round.
  39. Frog: new sheet. Set the face aside. For the frog, take a 3.6 × 2.4 cm lime green piece, green side up, lying long.
  40. Frog: round it. Round the top corners a lot and the bottom corners a little, in small snips. A fat, wide frog.
  41. Frog eye: new sheet. Set the frog aside. For the frog eye, take a 1.1 cm lime square, coloured side up.
  42. Frog eye: corners behind. Fold each corner behind, 0.3 cm along both edges. You get an octagon.
  43. Frog eye: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 1.2 mm along both edges, so it is round.
  44. Other eye: new sheet. Set the eye aside. For the other eye, take a 1.1 cm lime square, coloured side up.
  45. Other eye: corners behind. Fold each corner behind, 0.3 cm along both edges. You get an octagon.
  46. Other eye: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 1.2 mm along both edges, so it is round.
  47. Leaf: new sheet. Set the eye aside. For a big jungle leaf, take an 8 × 3.6 cm dark green piece, green side up, lying long.
  48. Leaf: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge.
  49. Leaf: cut the shape. Cut a long curve through both layers, from one end of the fold, up through the middle of the top edge and down to the other end.
  50. Leaf: open it. Open it out. The fold is the leaf's middle vein.
  51. Second leaf: new sheet. Set the leaf aside. For a big jungle leaf, take an 8 × 3.6 cm dark green piece, green side up, lying long.
  52. Leaf: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge.
  53. Leaf: cut the shape. Cut a long curve through both layers, from one end of the fold, up through the middle of the top edge and down to the other end.
  54. Leaf: open it. Open it out. The fold is the leaf's middle vein.
  55. Backdrop: new sheet. Set the leaf aside. Last, the misty jungle: a pale green A4 sheet, green side up, lying long. Everything is glued on it.
  56. Build the jungle. On the backdrop glue the trunk, the treetop over it, cliff, waterfall, ground and pool. Add the toucan on the cliff, the monkey on a vine, the frog and leaves.
  57. Stand it up. Bend the backdrop gently towards you between the tree and the cliff, and stand the rainforest up on the table.

Welcome to the jungle!

Draw leafy curves on the treetop and vines, bark, the toucan's white throat and eye, the monkey's face and tail, the frog's eyes, and white water streaks.

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