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How to fold an origami triceratops

Fold a square in half, reverse-fold both ends back and cut out four thick legs. Swing the head down and the tail out, then glue on a round frill and three cream horns.

You need: A 15 cm green square, a 9 cm orange square, 4 cm and 2 cm cream squares; scissors, a ruler and glue. Hard, 20 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Fold in half. White side up, fold the top edge down to the bottom edge. The fold at the top is the triceratops's back.
  2. Crease the legs. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 4.4 cm from the left edge, and the right end behind on one 7.7 cm from the right edge.
  3. Open them. Unfold both ends again. The two creases mark the inside edges of the legs.
  4. Ends back. Outside-reverse-fold the right end back over the body 5.5 cm from the right edge, and the left end 2.2 cm from the left edge.
  5. Cut the strips. Cut up both end folds, leaving 3 cm at the right and 1.3 cm at the left. Trim the right flap to a 3 cm strip and the left one to a point.
  6. Shape the beak. Snip the top corner off the head strip's tip, from the top fold 2.4 cm in down to the bottom corner, so the tip ends in a sharp beak.
  7. Cut the legs. Cut up both leg creases to 5 cm below the top fold. Cut the belly between them in a shallow curve, 5.5 cm below the top in the middle.
  8. Slim the legs. Slant the rump and chest edges in 5 mm at the foot, starting from the strips, and the inside edge of each leg 3 mm. Keep the legs thick.
  9. Tail out. Outside-reverse-fold the tail strip out on a crease from its top corner, so the short tail points back and a little down.
  10. Head down. Outside-reverse-fold the head strip out on a crease from its top corner, so the head sticks out low in front, beak down.
  11. Horns: new sheet. Set the body aside. Take the 4 cm cream square, white side up.
  12. Horns: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge, so you cut both big horns at once.
  13. Horns: cut a point. Keep the fold as the back of the horn. Cut a straight slant from 1.3 cm along the bottom up to the top of the fold.
  14. Nose horn: new sheet. Set the big horns aside. Take the 2 cm cream square, white side up.
  15. Nose horn: fold. Fold it in half, left edge onto the right edge.
  16. Nose horn: cut. Cut a slant from 1 cm along the bottom up to the top of the fold: a short, stubby horn.
  17. Frill: new sheet. Set the nose horn aside. Take the 9 cm orange square, white side up.
  18. Frill: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the bottom of the frill.
  19. Frill: cut a half circle. Round it into a half circle: cut off the two top corners and then the four small corners left, keeping the whole fold.
  20. Glue it together. Glue the body over the frill so the half circle stands up behind the head. Glue a big horn above each eye, pointing forward, and the nose horn on the snout.

Stomp!

Draw an eye on each side and a few spots round the frill. Spread the legs a little so it stands firmly.

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