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How to fold an origami santa's workshop

A big December build. Cut and pleat a red workshop with lit windows and a snowy roof, fold a tiered Christmas tree, a workbench of toys, two pointy-eared elves and a sack of presents, then stand it all in the snow.

You need: 20 pieces: 12 cm red square, then yellow, green, brick, tan, brown, golden, blue, purple, skin and white pieces (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, black and white pens.. Challenge, 75 steps, about 75 minutes.

Steps

  1. Workshop: fold in half. Start with the workshop: a 12 cm red square, red side up. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  2. Workshop: cut the roof. Cut through both layers in a slant from 4 cm down the open side up to the top of the fold. That is the pointed roof.
  3. Workshop: in half again. Fold the open side over onto the fold, so the stack is 3 cm wide.
  4. Workshop: fold the top down. Fold the top down over the front, creasing 6 cm below the peak. The window goes where this fold meets the side fold.
  5. Workshop: snip the windows. Snip off the corner where the two folds meet, 9 mm along each fold. Every layer gets a notch.
  6. Workshop: open the top. Fold the top back up again.
  7. Workshop: open the side. Unfold the last side fold.
  8. Workshop: open it. Open the first fold too. A house with a pointed roof and two diamond windows.
  9. Workshop: snow on the roof. Fold each roof edge onto the front, from the peak to 1.2 cm below the eave. Two white wedges of snow lie on the roof.
  10. Workshop: pleat the porch. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 8.6 cm below the peak. The white side shows for now.
  11. Workshop: fold it back down. Fold the flap back down 6 mm higher. The pleat makes a ledge over the door, and the workshop gets a bit shorter.
  12. Window light: new sheet. Set the workshop aside. For the light in the windows, take a 8.4 × 2.4 cm yellow strip, yellow side up.
  13. Light the windows. Glue the workshop on top of the yellow strip, so yellow glows through both diamond windows.
  14. Door: new sheet. Set the workshop aside. For the door, take a 2 × 3.2 cm green piece, green side up, standing tall.
  15. Door: round the top. Fold the two top corners of the door behind by 5 mm, so the top of the door is rounded.
  16. Chimney: new sheet. Set the door aside. For the chimney, take a 1.2 × 3 cm dark brick strip, brick side up, standing tall.
  17. Chimney: snow cap. Fold the top edge down onto the front by 4 mm: a cap of snow on the chimney.
  18. Build the workshop. Glue the chimney behind the right slope of the roof, sticking up 1.5 cm. Glue the door on the middle, standing on the bottom edge.
  19. Tree: new sheet. Set the workshop aside. For the Christmas tree, take a 6 × 10 cm green piece, green side up, standing tall.
  20. Tree: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  21. Tree: cut the tree. Cut through both layers in one slant, from the bottom corner on the open side up to the top of the fold.
  22. Tree: open it. Open it out: a tall green triangle.
  23. Tree: first pleat. Fold the bottom edge up, creasing 3.6 cm below the tip.
  24. Tree: back down. Fold it back down 7 mm higher. The wider paper below sticks out: the first tier of branches.
  25. Tree: second pleat. Fold the bottom edge up again, creasing 6.4 cm below the tip.
  26. Tree: back down again. Fold it back down 7 mm higher. Now the tree has three tiers of branches.
  27. Star: first square. Set the tree aside. For the star, take a 1.8 cm yellow square, yellow side up.
  28. Star: second square. Set it aside and take a second 1.8 cm yellow square. Glued on the first one turned like a diamond, the two make an eight-pointed star.
  29. Snow: new sheet. Set the star aside. For the snow, take a 32.4 × 3 cm white strip (tape two strips end to end), lying long.
  30. Snow: fold in half. Fold the left end over onto the right end.
  31. Snow: cut the drifts. Cut a slant off both top corners of the stack, from 8 mm down the side to 3 cm along the top.
  32. Snow: open it. Open it out. Two soft drifts with a dip in the middle, right in front of the door.
  33. Plant the tree. Glue the workshop behind the snow, its bottom 1 cm down, and the tree behind the left end. Glue the star squares on the tip, one turned.
  34. Teddy: body. Set the scene aside. Now the toys. For the teddy's body, take a 1.7 × 1.9 cm golden piece, golden side up.
  35. Teddy: round the body. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm each way, so the tummy is round.
  36. Teddy: head. Set the body aside. For the head, take a 1.8 × 1.6 cm golden piece, golden side up.
  37. Teddy: fold the head in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  38. Teddy: cut the ears. Snip a small slant off the top of the fold, 3 mm each way. Then round the two open corners with small snips.
  39. Teddy: open the head. Open it out. The notch in the top leaves two round ears.
  40. Red block: new sheet. Set the head aside. For a toy block, take a 1.2 cm red square, red side up.
  41. Red block: shine. Fold the top edge onto the front by 2 mm. The white edge makes the block look solid.
  42. Blue block: new sheet. Set the red block aside. Take a 1.2 cm blue square for the second block, blue side up.
  43. Blue block: shine. Fold its top edge onto the front by 2 mm too.
  44. Train: boiler. Set the block aside. For the toy train's engine, take a 2.4 × 1 cm red strip, red side up.
  45. Train: round the nose. Fold the two left corners behind by 3 mm, so the front of the engine is round.
  46. Train: cab. Set the engine aside. For the cab, take a 1.2 × 1.5 cm blue piece, blue side up.
  47. Train: cab roof. Fold the top edge onto the front by 2 mm: a white roof.
  48. Workbench: new sheet. Set the cab aside. For the workbench, take a 7.2 × 3.5 cm brown piece, brown side up, lying long.
  49. Workbench: pale top. Fold the top edge onto the front by 4 mm. The white strip is the worn top of the bench.
  50. Workbench: fold in half. Fold the left end over onto the right end.
  51. Workbench: cut the legs. Cut a slant through all the layers, from 1 cm below the top on the fold down to 8 mm from the open end at the bottom.
  52. Workbench: open it. Open it out: a bench with two sturdy slanted legs.
  53. Set out the toys. Stand the bench on the snow right of the workshop. Glue the teddy on the left of it, the red block with the blue one on top, and the train on the right.
  54. Elf 1: body. Set the scene aside. For the first elf, take a 4.4 × 6.6 cm green piece, green side up, standing tall.
  55. Elf 1: cut the cone. Cut two slants, from each bottom corner up to the middle of the top edge. A tall green cone: hat on top, coat below.
  56. Elf 1: fur and floppy tip. Fold the bottom edge onto the front by 5 mm for white fur. Fold the tip down to the right on a slant, so the hat flops.
  57. Elf 1: face. Set the body aside. For the face, take a 2.6 × 1.6 cm skin-coloured piece, coloured side up, lying long.
  58. Elf 1: pointy ears. Snip a slant off each corner, 6 mm along the top and bottom edges, all meeting halfway down the sides. The sides become pointy ears.
  59. Elf 1: hat brim. Fold the top edge onto the front by 3 mm. The white strip is the fur brim of the hat.
  60. Elf 2: body. Set the first elf aside. For the second elf, take a 4.4 × 6.6 cm light green piece, green side up.
  61. Elf 2: cut the cone. Cut two slants, from each bottom corner up to the middle of the top edge. A tall green cone: hat on top, coat below.
  62. Elf 2: fur and floppy tip. Fold the bottom edge onto the front by 5 mm for white fur. Fold the tip down to the left on a slant, so the hat flops.
  63. Elf 2: face. Set the body aside. For the face, take a 2.6 × 1.6 cm skin-coloured piece, coloured side up, lying long.
  64. Elf 2: pointy ears. Snip a slant off each corner, 6 mm along the top and bottom edges, all meeting halfway down the sides. The sides become pointy ears.
  65. Elf 2: hat brim. Fold the top edge onto the front by 3 mm. The white strip is the fur brim of the hat.
  66. Presents: blue box. Set the elf aside. For a present, take a 1.8 × 1.6 cm blue piece, blue side up.
  67. Presents: blue lid. Fold the top edge onto the front by 3 mm: a white lid band.
  68. Presents: purple box. Set it aside. For the second present, take a 1.5 × 1.8 cm purple piece, purple side up.
  69. Presents: purple lid. Fold its top edge onto the front by 3 mm too.
  70. Sack: new sheet. Set the presents aside. For Santa's sack, take a 4 × 4.4 cm tan piece, tan side up, standing tall.
  71. Sack: round the bottom. Fold the two bottom corners behind, 1.2 cm each way, so the sack sits round and full.
  72. Sack: the cuff. Fold the top edge onto the front by 5 mm: a white cuff where the sack is tied.
  73. Sack: gather the top. Fold the two top corners behind on a slant, from 7 mm in along the top to 1.8 cm down the side. The neck narrows, cuff and all.
  74. Bring in the elves. Glue the elves' faces just below the brims of their hats. Stand one elf by the workshop and one by the bench. Tuck the presents behind the sack's top.
  75. Stand it up. Bend the snow gently back between the tree and the first elf, and towards you between the sack and the bench. Stand the workshop up.

Ho ho ho!

Draw window bars, icicles and a wreath on the workshop, baubles on the tree, faces and belts on the elves, letters on the blocks and wheels on the train.

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