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How to fold an origami steam road roller

Fold one long green strip, reverse-fold its front up into a slim chimney and its back up into a post that bends forward as a long canopy. Add a big grey roller and a wheel.

You need: Dark green paper 40 × 8.5 cm, an 11.5 cm grey square, a 9.5 cm black square, glue. Hard, 15 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Edges to the middle. Start white side up. Fold the top and bottom edges in to meet along the middle.
  2. Fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the middle, so the top half goes behind. Now it is a long thick strip, green on both sides.
  3. Chimney. Outside-reverse-fold the short front end straight up, on a 45° crease from the bottom edge, wrapping it round the strip.
  4. Slim the chimney. Fold the front half of the chimney behind on an upright line, all layers together, taking the strip's front corner with it.
  5. Canopy post. Outside-reverse-fold the long back end straight up, on a 45° crease from the bottom edge. It stands as the canopy post.
  6. Canopy roof. Above the chimney's top, fold the post forward on a slant, all layers together. The rest runs flat to the front as a long roof.
  7. Roller: new sheet. Set the roller body aside. Take the grey square, white side up.
  8. Roller: corners in. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  9. Roller: hub. Fold each point back out a little, so a small white square shows in the middle.
  10. Roller: round it. Fold the four points of the square a little way behind, so it looks round.
  11. Back wheel: new sheet. Set the roller drum aside and take the black square, white side up.
  12. Back wheel: corners in. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  13. Back wheel: hub. Fold each point back out a little, so a small white square shows in the middle.
  14. Back wheel: round it. Fold the four points of the square a little way behind, so it looks round.
  15. Build the roller. Glue the back wheel on the body, right under the post, and the big roller on the front, under the chimney.

Squash it flat!

Roll it slowly along a paper road and press it nice and smooth!

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