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How to fold an origami stoat

Fold a long slim kite body, slit short legs and swing them down, crimp the neck up so the head stands tall, and free a thin strip at the rump as a perky tail.

You need: 1 chestnut-brown square (15 cm), scissors and a black pen. Hard, 21 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Crease the middle. White side up, turned like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
  2. Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 5.3 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the stoat's head.
  3. Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 5.3 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
  4. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 3.5 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
  5. Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half along the middle crease. The long fold on top is the back, the flat bottom is the tummy.
  6. Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 1 cm and the top edge down 0.8 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the tail.
  7. Open it. Unfold both strips again.
  8. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 1.9 cm, and from the back end in 1.9 cm.
  9. Free the tail. Cut along the top crease from the back end in 4.4 cm.
  10. Front legs. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers one way and the back ones behind, a little apart.
  11. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
  12. Neck: crease. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 6 cm from its tip, all layers but the legs.
  13. Neck: crimp up. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same bottom point, so the neck stretches up.
  14. Head: crease. Fold the end of the neck over on a crease straight across it, 2.9 cm up the back of the neck.
  15. Head: crimp forward. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same back point, so the head points forward, high and alert.
  16. Round snout. Fold the sharp tip of the head behind, 0.8 cm, all layers together, so the stoat has a short round snout.
  17. Tail up. Fold the free tail strip up behind on a slanted crease from the end of its cut, both layers together, so the tail flicks up.
  18. Rump. Fold the pointed back end of the body behind on an upright crease under the root of the tail. Leave the tail and legs out.
  19. Arch: crease. Fold the back half over on an upright crease through the middle of the body, all layers together.
  20. Arch: crimp. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same top point, so the back half bends down and the back arches.
  21. Stand it. Tip the stoat so all four feet stand level under its arched back.

On alert!

Draw a shiny eye and a dark nose, and colour the last third of the tail black.

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