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How to fold an origami stick insect

Narrow four strips into thin sticks: a pleated body, a slim V of front legs, and two leg pairs with outside-reverse-folded knees. Cross them under the body.

You need: Green paper: a 16.5 × 2.4 cm strip, two 11 × 1.2 cm strips and a 9 × 1.2 cm strip; glue. Hard, 20 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Front legs: fold in half. Lay an 11 × 1.2 cm strip white side up, lying across. Fold it in half the long way, green side out.
  2. Front legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  3. Front legs: slim V. Fold the left half over on a slight slant through the middle, so the two legs make a slim V.
  4. Middle legs: a strip. Set the V aside. Take the 9 × 1.2 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
  5. Middle legs: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  6. Middle legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  7. Middle legs: knees. 2.5 cm from each end, outside-reverse-fold the end so it bends towards the folded edge. Both knees bend the same way.
  8. Back legs: a strip. Set them aside. Take the other 11 × 1.2 cm strip, white side up.
  9. Back legs: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  10. Back legs: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  11. Back legs: knees. 3.2 cm from each end, outside-reverse-fold the end towards the folded edge, a little further round than the middle legs.
  12. Body: a strip. Set them aside. Take the 16.5 × 2.4 cm strip, white side up, lying across.
  13. Body: fold in half. Fold it in half the long way, coloured side out.
  14. Body: thinner. Fold it in half again the long way. Crease it hard, so it's a thin stick.
  15. Body: pleat 1. Fold the right end over on a crease 3.6 cm from it.
  16. Body: pleat 1 back. Fold it back out on a crease 2 mm further left, leaving a small step: the neck.
  17. Body: pleat 2. Fold the right end over again on a crease 3.5 cm left of the step.
  18. Body: pleat 2 back. Fold it back out 2 mm further left. The body now has three long segments.
  19. Body: taper the ends. Fold the top corner of the right end behind on a short slant for the head, and the bottom corner of the left end behind on a long slant for the tail.
  20. Glue it together. Glue the front V's point under the neck, reaching forward past the head. Cross the middle and back legs under the body, knees bent towards the tail.

Hide it on a twig!

Lay it along a twig or a pencil: can your friends spot it?

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