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How to fold an origami vintage car

Fold one green sheet into a long strip, then reverse-fold its back end three times so it climbs up, runs along as a roof and comes down round an open window. Add two folded wheels.

You need: Dark green paper 28 × 9 cm, two 6.5 cm black squares, glue and a white pen. Hard, 17 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Edges to the middle. Start white side up. Fold the top and bottom edges in to meet along the middle.
  2. Fold in half. Mountain-fold it in half along the middle, so the top half goes behind. Now it is a long thick strip, green on both sides.
  3. Radiator: fold over. Fold the short front end over to the left, front and back layers together, a thumb's width from the end.
  4. Radiator: fold back. Fold it straight back out a little further left, leaving a small pleat. The tip is now the radiator.
  5. Mudguard. Fold the bottom corner of the radiator end behind on a slant, so the front sweeps up over the front wheel.
  6. Back post. Outside-reverse-fold the long back end straight up, on a 45° crease from the bottom edge. It stands up as the back of the cabin.
  7. Roof. Near the top, fold the whole post forward on a slant, so the rest of the strip runs flat towards the front. That's the roof.
  8. Front post. Fold the roof's end straight down on a slant, so it just reaches the bonnet and leaves a tall window under the roof. Glue it there.
  9. Back wheel: new sheet. Set the car aside. Take a black square, white side up.
  10. Back wheel: corners in. Fold all four corners in to meet in the middle.
  11. Back wheel: hubcap. Fold each point back out a little, so a small white square shows in the middle. That's the hub.
  12. Back wheel: round it. Fold the four points of the square a little way behind, so the wheel looks round.
  13. Front wheel: new sheet. Set the back wheel aside and take the other black square, white side up.
  14. Front wheel: corners in. Fold all four corners in to the middle.
  15. Front wheel: hubcap. Fold each point back out a little for the hub.
  16. Front wheel: round it. Fold the four points behind to round it off.
  17. Build the car. Glue the car over the two wheels, half showing below: one under the cabin, one under the bonnet.

Honk honk!

Draw a white headlamp on the radiator. Off for a Sunday drive!

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