How to fold an origami thunderbird
Fold a triangle, free a neck and a tail from its point with two snips and slim them like kites. Crimp both wings up into a V, then turn the head sideways with a hooked beak.
You need: A 15 cm square, dark blue on one side, small scissors and a white gel pen. Hard, 12 steps, about 25 minutes.
Steps
- Fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the front edge of the wings.
- Point up. Fold the bottom point up through both layers, on a crease 2.5 cm below the top fold, so it sticks up above the top.
- One layer down. Fold the top layer of the point back down. The layer standing up will be the neck, the one hanging down the tail.
- Snip the crease. Cut along that crease from each side corner in to 1.6 cm from the middle, through all the layers. This frees the neck and tail from the wings.
- Slim the neck. Fold the sides of the neck in to meet on the middle line, like a kite.
- Slimmer. Fold the new sides in to the middle line again, so the neck is long and thin.
- Wings over. Fold the right wing over to the left in front, on an upright crease 2.25 cm from the middle. Fold the left wing behind the same way.
- Wings up. Fold each wing back out on a crease from the bottom of the first one, leaning 0.75 cm in at the top. The crimp lifts the wings into a V.
- Slim the tail. Fold the sides of the tail in to meet on the middle line, like a kite. Their tops tuck up over the body.
- Turn the head. Fold the top of the neck over to the right on a slanting crease 2.5 cm above the wings, so the head points sideways.
- Hook the beak. Fold the last 0.75 cm of the head down on a slanting crease, so the beak hooks.
- Fan the tail. Snip the tail point off straight across, 6 cm below the top fold, so the tail ends in a broad fan.
Thunder rolls!
Draw a white eye and a white lightning bolt down each wing. Hang your thunderbird high, wings spread over the room.