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How to fold an origami vet clinic

A caring build. Fold a clinic with a white door, framed windows, a sloping roof and a cross sign, the vet in her coat, an exam table, a beagle puppy, a carrier, a kitten and a bunny, then stand it up.

You need: 26 pieces: light-blue A4; green, mint, blue, teal, white, red, brown, purple, skin, grey, orange, pink paper (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 97 steps, about 90 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sky: crease the middle. Start with the sky: a light-blue A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Grass: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For the grass, take a 29.7 × 10 cm green strip, white side up, long side across.
  3. Grass: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the front edge of the scene.
  4. Grass: gentle slopes. Fold the top left and right corners behind on long slants, 1.2 cm down the ends, so the ground rises in the middle.
  5. Clinic: new sheet. Set the grass aside. For the clinic, take a 23.4 × 13.7 cm piece of mint-green paper, white side up, long side across.
  6. Clinic: top band. Fold the top edge down 3.6 cm. The green band is the top of the clinic wall.
  7. Clinic: sides in. Fold the left and right edges in 5.1 cm, through all layers. The white gap left under the band is the clinic door.
  8. Window 1: new sheet. Set the clinic aside. For a window, take a 3.2 cm square of blue paper, blue side up.
  9. Window 1: top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges in 4.5 mm. White strips appear.
  10. Window 1: sides. Fold the sides in 4.5 mm too. A white frame round blue glass: a window.
  11. Window 2: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a second window the same way.
  12. Window 2: top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges in 4.5 mm.
  13. Window 2: sides. Fold the sides in 4.5 mm too.
  14. Roof: new sheet. Set the window aside. For the roof, take a 14.4 × 6.8 cm piece of dark-teal paper, teal side up.
  15. Roof: white trim. Fold the bottom edge up 7 mm. The white strip is the edge of the roof.
  16. Roof: sloping sides. Fold both top corners behind on slants, 3.6 cm along the top edge and 4 cm down each side. A sloping clinic roof.
  17. Sign: new sheet. Set the roof aside. For the sign, take a 4.2 cm white square.
  18. Sign: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 9 mm along each edge: a round-cornered sign.
  19. Cross: new sheet. Set the sign aside. For the red cross, take a 1.8 × 3 cm red strip, standing tall.
  20. Cross: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back.
  21. Cross bar: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a second red strip the same way, lying across.
  22. Cross bar: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle. Glued across the first strip, it makes a red cross.
  23. Vet's hair: new sheet. Set the cross aside. Now the vet, starting with her hair: a 3.8 × 3.6 cm brown piece, brown side up.
  24. Vet's hair: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 9 mm along each edge.
  25. Vet's arms: new sheet. Set the hair aside. For her arms, take a 15.6 × 1.8 cm white strip, long side across.
  26. Vet's arms: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  27. Vet's arms: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they hang straight down: sleeves.
  28. Vet's coat: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For her coat, take a 10 × 8 cm purple piece, purple side up, standing tall.
  29. Vet's coat: sides in. Fold the left and right edges in to meet in the middle. The white sides are her white coat.
  30. Vet's coat: collar. Fold the top middle corners out on slants, 1.4 cm down. The purple collar shows her purple top underneath.
  31. Vet's coat: shoulders. Fold the top outer corners behind, 1 cm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  32. Vet's head: new sheet. Set the coat aside. For her head, take a 3 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  33. Vet's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 7 mm along each edge: a round face.
  34. Exam table: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the exam table, take a 22.2 × 2.2 cm grey strip, long side across.
  35. Exam table: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  36. Exam table: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners, so they stand straight down: table legs.
  37. Puppy body: new sheet. Set the table aside. For the puppy, take a 10.5 cm square of brown paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  38. Puppy body: fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner. The long fold at the top is the dog's back; it faces right.
  39. Puppy body: crease the front legs. Fold the right point over on an upright crease 1.5 cm right of the middle, and crease it hard.
  40. Puppy body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the back of the front legs.
  41. Puppy body: crease the hind legs. Fold the left point over on an upright crease 1.3 cm left of the middle.
  42. Puppy body: open it. Unfold it. This crease marks the front of the hind legs.
  43. Puppy body: crease the rump. Fold the left point over again on an upright crease 2.7 cm left of the middle.
  44. Puppy body: open it. Unfold it. The strip along the top left of this crease will be the tail.
  45. Puppy body: cut the legs. Cut the bottom point off level, 3.8 cm below the top. Cut up the front leg crease to 2.1 cm below the top and the hind one to 1.8 cm, then across between them.
  46. Puppy body: cut the tail. Cut up the rump crease to 6 mm below the top, then out to the left, and cut the tail off 3.6 cm long. Round the chest and thighs, and taper the legs.
  47. Puppy body: snip the chest. Snip 7 mm along the top fold from the front edge, so the two chest layers come apart.
  48. Puppy body: white bib. Fold the chest edge of each layer inside, on a crease from 2.9 cm down the front leg to 6 mm in at the top, so a white bib shows.
  49. Puppy body: tail up. Fold the tail up and back, both layers together, on a crease from the bottom corner of its root, so it sticks up high.
  50. Puppy body: white tail tip. Fold the last 8 mm of the tail down over itself, the front layer to the front and the back layer behind, so the tip turns white.
  51. Puppy head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 3.8 cm square of brown paper, turned like a diamond.
  52. Puppy head: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  53. Puppy head: floppy ears. Fold the left and right corners down on a slant, so they hang beside the face like floppy ears.
  54. Puppy head: nose. Fold the front layer's bottom tip up a little to make a white muzzle, and fold the back tip behind so the chin is flat.
  55. Carrier handle: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the cat carrier's handle, take a 5.4 × 1 cm blue strip.
  56. Carrier handle: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  57. Carrier handle: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: a handle.
  58. Cat carrier: new sheet. Set the handle aside. For the carrier, take a 5.2 × 4.3 cm piece of blue paper, white side up, long side across.
  59. Cat carrier: top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom edges in 9 mm.
  60. Cat carrier: sides. Fold the sides in 9 mm too. The white middle is the carrier's barred door.
  61. Cat carrier: round the top. Fold the two top corners behind, 6 mm along each edge.
  62. Kitten tail: new sheet. Set the carrier aside. For the kitten's tail, take a 0.9 × 4.8 cm piece of orange paper, white side up.
  63. Kitten tail: fold it in half. Fold the strip in half the long way, so it is thin and coloured on both sides.
  64. Kitten tail: bend it over. Fold the top end over on a slant so it points to the right.
  65. Kitten tail: curl the tip. Fold the end down on a slant again, so the tail curls over like a hook.
  66. Kitten tail: tilt it. Turn the tail a little, so it curls up beside the kitten.
  67. Kitten body: new sheet. Set the tail aside. For its body, take a 3.8 cm square of orange paper, white side up.
  68. Kitten body: corners to the middle. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  69. Kitten body: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth coloured side faces you.
  70. Kitten body: round it off. Fold all four points behind, so the tummy is round.
  71. Kitten head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 4.8 cm square of orange paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  72. Kitten head: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner.
  73. Kitten head: ears up. Fold the left and right corners up at a slant so they poke above the top edge as pointy ears.
  74. Kitten head: turn it over. Flip the head so the smooth side faces you.
  75. Kitten head: short chin. Fold the bottom point behind, about halfway up, so the kitten has a short wide face. The head is done.
  76. Yarn ball: new sheet. Set the head aside. For a ball of yarn to play with, take a 2.3 cm square of blue paper, white side up.
  77. Yarn ball: corners to the middle. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  78. Yarn ball: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth coloured side faces you.
  79. Yarn ball: round it off. Fold all four points behind, so it looks like a round ball.
  80. Bunny tail: new sheet. Set the yarn aside. For the bunny's tail, take a 3 cm square of pink paper.
  81. Bunny tail: corners to the middle. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle, so the tail turns white.
  82. Bunny tail: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth white side faces you.
  83. Bunny tail: round it off. Fold the four points behind, just a little, so the tail looks round and fluffy.
  84. Bunny body: new sheet. Set the tail aside. For its body, take a 6 cm square of pink paper, white side up.
  85. Bunny body: corners to the middle. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  86. Bunny body: turn it over. Flip it over so the smooth coloured side faces you.
  87. Bunny body: round it off. Fold all four points behind, about a quarter of the way to the middle, so the tummy looks round.
  88. Bunny head: new sheet. Set the body aside. For its head, take a 6 cm square of pink paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  89. Bunny head: make a triangle. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  90. Bunny head: corners down. Fold the left and right corners down to meet the bottom point.
  91. Bunny head: snip the ears free. Cut along both slanted folds, from the outer corners about two-thirds of the way to the top centre.
  92. Bunny head: ears up. Fold both flaps up so their points stick out above the top edge.
  93. Bunny head: turn it over. Flip the head over. The head is done.
  94. Bandage: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the bunny's bandage, take a 2.8 × 1.8 cm white strip.
  95. Bandage: fold it narrow. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle: a neat bandage to wrap round the poorly bunny's head.
  96. Build the scene. Glue the grass, clinic, windows, roof and sign on the sky. Build the vet, glue the table in front with the puppy on top, then the carrier, kitten and bunny.
  97. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole vet clinic up on the table.

All better now!

Draw the vet's face and stethoscope, the door, window bars and carrier grille, stitches on the bandage, grass tufts and the animals' faces.

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