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How to fold an origami snow leopard

Crease and cut a triangle into a stocky body on short legs and fold up a white belly. Bend the very long, thick tail down, back and up, then add a round face.

You need: 1 pale grey square (15 cm), a small grey square (6 cm), scissors, a ruler, glue and a black pen. Hard, 20 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the snow leopard's back; it faces right.
  2. Body: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 2.2 cm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  3. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  4. Body: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 0.4 cm left of the middle.
  5. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  6. Body: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 2 cm left of the middle.
  7. Body: open it. Unfold it. Left of this crease will be the big tail.
  8. Body: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 5.4 cm below the top fold. Cut up both leg creases to 2.8 cm below the top, and straight across 3.4 cm below it.
  9. Body: free the tail. Cut up the rump crease to 1.2 cm below the top, then along to the left point for a long thick tail. Round the rump, taper the legs and slant the chest.
  10. Body: white belly. Fold the bottom 6 mm of the belly up on the front layer, and behind on the back layer, so a white belly shows on both sides.
  11. Tail: drop it. Fold the thick tail straight down on a slanted crease from the top of the rump, so it hangs behind the hind legs.
  12. Tail: sweep it back. About 3 cm down, fold the rest of the tail back on a slant, so it runs out behind just above the ground.
  13. Tail: curl it up. Fold the last 3.4 cm of the tail straight up, so the end curls up high like a snow leopard's tail.
  14. Head: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the small grey square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  15. Head: fold in half. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. The fold at the bottom is the snow leopard's chin.
  16. Head: flat forehead. Fold the top point down on a level crease 2.6 cm above the chin fold.
  17. Head: ears up. Fold the left and right corners up on creases from the middle of the chin fold, so each tip pokes out a little past the side edge.
  18. Head: turn over. Turn the head over. The ears stick up behind the flat forehead.
  19. Head: flat chin. Fold the tip of the chin behind, so the face is flat at the bottom too.
  20. Glue it together. Glue the head over the front of the body, chin just above the front legs, looking at you.

Mountain ghost

Draw broken black rings for rosettes on the back and all along the tail, and spots on the legs. Add a white muzzle, eyes, a nose and a few face spots.

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