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How to fold an origami tasmanian devil

Fold a stocky kite body on short legs. Free a strip at the front and swing it up as the upper jaw so the head gapes wide, pleat the body short and drop a thick tail.

You need: 1 black square (15 cm or bigger), scissors and a white pen. Hard, 24 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Diamond. Start white side up and turn the square so a corner points up, like a diamond.
  2. Crease the middle. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
  3. Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 9.8 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the devil's head.
  4. Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 6.4 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
  5. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 5.4 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
  6. 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.
  7. Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 1.5 cm and the top edge down 1.5 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the jaw and tail.
  8. Open it. Unfold both strips again.
  9. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 1.7 cm, and from the back end in 1.9 cm.
  10. Free the jaw and tail. Cut the top crease 1.8 cm in from the front end. Cut the top crease 4.4 cm in from the back end, for the tail.
  11. Tuck the strip. Fold the slit strip up along its crease, the front layers up in front and the back layers up behind.
  12. 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.
  13. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
  14. Blunt the jaw. Fold the tip of the freed strip behind, 0.8 cm from the point, both layers together.
  15. Round the chin. Fold the front corner below the freed strip behind, 1.1 cm along each edge, all layers except the strip.
  16. Jaw: crease. Fold the freed front strip over to the back on an upright crease at the end of its cut, both layers together.
  17. Jaw: open wide. Fold it forward again on a crease leaning back from the same bottom point, so the upper jaw tips up and the mouth gapes.
  18. Rump. Fold the back end behind on an upright crease 1.5 cm behind the back legs, all layers except the tail strip.
  19. Round the rump. Fold the bottom back corner behind, 1.3 cm along each edge, so the rump is round.
  20. Pleat: fold over. Fold the back part over to the front on an upright crease through the body, all layers together.
  21. Pleat: fold back. Fold it back again on an upright crease 1.3 cm further forward. The body gets short and stocky.
  22. Short tail. Fold the end of the tail strip behind on an upright crease 3.4 cm from the end of its cut, both layers together.
  23. Tail: crease. Fold the tail over on an upright crease at the end of its cut, both layers together.
  24. Tail: crimp down. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same top point, so the thick tail points down and back.

Grrr!

Draw a white band across the chest, a small white-ringed eye and a few white teeth along both jaws.

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