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How to fold an origami tiger

Crease and cut a triangle into a long low body with four legs, fold up a white belly and swing down a curling tail. Fold a little cat face with ears, then add the stripes.

You need: 1 orange square (15 cm), a small orange square (9 cm), scissors, a ruler, glue and a black pen. Hard, 18 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Body: fold in half. White side up, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the tiger's back; it faces right.
  2. Body: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 2.6 cm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  3. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  4. Body: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 2.6 cm left of the middle.
  5. Body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  6. Body: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 4.6 cm left of the middle.
  7. Body: open it. Unfold it. Left of this crease will be the tail.
  8. Body: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 4.9 cm below the top fold. Cut up both leg creases to 2.3 cm below the top, and cut straight across 2.9 cm below it.
  9. Body: free the tail. Cut up the rump crease to 9 mm below the top, then along to the left point for a thin tail. Taper the hind legs and cut the chest on a slant.
  10. Body: white belly. Fold the bottom 6 mm of the belly up on the front layer, and behind on the back layer, so a white belly shows on both sides.
  11. Tail: swing it down. Fold the thin tail down and back on a slanted crease from the top of the rump, so it hangs low behind the hind legs.
  12. Tail: curl the tip. Fold the last 1.5 cm of the tail up and back, so the end curls up like a tiger's tail.
  13. Head: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the small orange square, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  14. Head: fold in half. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner. The fold at the bottom is the tiger's chin.
  15. Head: ears up. Fold the left and right corners up on creases from the middle of the chin fold, so each tip sticks out past the side edge near the top.
  16. Head: turn over. Turn the head over. The ears stick up behind the top point.
  17. Head: flat top and chin. Fold the top point behind, level with the bottom of the ears. Fold the tip of the chin behind too, so the face is flat on top and bottom.
  18. Glue it together. Glue the head over the front of the body, chin just above the front legs, looking at you.

Grrr!

Draw black stripes on the back, legs and tail, and on the forehead and cheeks. Colour two white muzzle puffs, then add eyes, a nose and a mouth.

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