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How to fold an origami wizard tower

A magical night scene that stands up. Cut and pleat a crooked, tapering stone tower with two glowing windows, top it with a floppy purple roof, and add a door, a bearded wizard on his balcony, a crescent moon with an owl, two sparkly stars and a bubbling cauldron on the hill.

You need: 16 pieces: 8 × 16 cm grey, then yellow, purple, brown, blue, white, black, green and navy pieces (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue, pens.. Challenge, 66 steps, about 75 minutes.

Steps

  1. Tower: fold in half. Start with the hard part, the tower: an 8 × 16 cm grey rectangle, grey side up, standing tall. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  2. Tower: taper it. Cut a long slant through both layers off the open side, from the bottom corner to 1 cm in at the top. The tower gets narrower as it rises.
  3. Tower: fold the top down. Fold the top down over the front, creasing 3 cm below the top edge.
  4. Tower: snip a window. Snip off the corner where the two folds meet: from 9 mm down the side fold to 6 mm along the top fold.
  5. Tower: open the top. Fold the top back up again.
  6. Tower: fold the bottom up. Fold the bottom up over the front, creasing 8.4 cm above the bottom edge.
  7. Tower: snip a window. Snip off the corner where the folds meet, the same size as before.
  8. Tower: open the bottom. Fold the bottom back down.
  9. Tower: open it. Open the centre fold too. A tapering tower with two diamond windows.
  10. Tower: crooked pleat. Fold the top down over the front on a level crease 5.2 cm below the top edge. The white side shows for now.
  11. Tower: fold it back up. Fold it back up on a slanted crease: 1 cm lower on the left, 3 mm lower on the right. The top leans over, crooked!
  12. Window light: new sheet. Set the tower aside. For the light inside, take a 2.8 × 8 cm yellow strip, yellow side up.
  13. Light the windows. Glue the tower on top of the yellow strip, so light shines out of both windows.
  14. Roof: new sheet. Set the tower aside. For the pointed roof, take an 8 × 14 cm purple rectangle, purple side up, standing tall.
  15. Roof: fold in half. Fold the top half down behind, onto the bottom half. It is purple on both sides now.
  16. Roof: fold in half again. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  17. Roof: cut the point. Cut a slant through all the layers, from the bottom corner of the open side up to the top of the fold.
  18. Roof: open it. Open the side fold: a tall, pointed roof.
  19. Roof: flop the tip. Fold the tip down to the right on a slant, 2 cm below it. A floppy wizard-hat tip.
  20. Door: new sheet. Set the roof aside. For the door, take a 2 × 3.2 cm brown piece, brown side up, standing tall.
  21. Door: arch the top. Fold both top corners behind, 9 mm along each edge. An arched door.
  22. Wizard: new sheet. Set the door aside. For the wizard, take a 5 × 7 cm blue rectangle, blue side up, standing tall.
  23. Wizard: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  24. Wizard: cut the cone. Cut a slant through both layers, from the bottom corner of the open side up to the top of the fold.
  25. Wizard: open it. Open it: a tall blue cone, his pointed hat and long robe in one.
  26. Beard: new sheet. Set the wizard aside. For his beard, take a 3.2 cm white square, turned like a diamond.
  27. Beard: fold a triangle. Fold the top corner down onto the bottom corner: a triangle pointing down.
  28. Beard: narrow it. Fold the two side corners behind, 1 cm each. A long, pointed beard.
  29. Balcony: new sheet. Set the beard aside. For the balcony, take a 4.8 × 1.6 cm brown piece, brown side up, lying long.
  30. Balcony: the rail. Fold the top edge down over the front by 4 mm: a light rail along the top.
  31. Balcony: the bracket. Fold both bottom corners behind, 6 mm along each edge.
  32. Moon: new sheet. Set the balcony aside. For the moon, take a 6 cm pale yellow square, yellow side up.
  33. Moon: fold in half. Fold the top edge down onto the bottom edge.
  34. Moon: cut the crescent. Cut round the bottom left corner in three short cuts. Then cut a slant from 2 cm along the fold down to the bottom right of that curve.
  35. Moon: open it. Open it out: a crescent moon.
  36. Owl: new sheet. Set the moon aside. For the owl, take a 2.8 × 3.6 cm brown piece, brown side up, standing tall.
  37. Owl: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  38. Owl: cut the ear tufts. Cut a small V off the top of the fold, 5 mm each way. Snip the top corner of the open side, and round its bottom corner with a bigger snip.
  39. Owl: open it. Open it: a round owl with two pointy ear tufts.
  40. Big star: new sheet. Set the owl aside. For the big star, take a 4 cm yellow square, yellow side up.
  41. Big star: fold in half. Fold the left edge over onto the right edge.
  42. Big star: in half again. Fold the top edge down onto the bottom edge.
  43. Big star: fold a triangle. Fold it in half on the diagonal, from the closed corner at the top left, so the folded edges lie together.
  44. Big star: one snip. Cut one straight line from near the bottom of the left fold up to a third of the way along the slanted fold. Keep the piece with the closed corner.
  45. Big star: open it. Unfold the triangle.
  46. Big star: open again. Unfold the next fold.
  47. Big star: open flat. Open the last fold too: a sparkly star with four sharp points.
  48. Small star: new sheet. Set the big star aside. For the small star, take a 3 cm yellow square, yellow side up.
  49. Small star: fold in half. Fold it in half, left onto right, just like the first star.
  50. Small star: in half again. Fold the top edge down onto the bottom edge.
  51. Small star: fold a triangle. Fold it in half on the diagonal from the closed corner.
  52. Small star: one snip. Cut the same straight line as before, from near the bottom of the left fold to the slanted fold.
  53. Small star: open it. Unfold the triangle.
  54. Small star: open again. Unfold the next fold.
  55. Small star: open flat. Open it flat: a second, smaller star.
  56. Hill: new sheet. Set the last star aside. For the hill, take a 26 × 3.5 cm green strip, green side up, lying long.
  57. Hill: round the ends. Fold both top corners behind, 3 cm along each edge.
  58. Potion: new sheet. Set the hill aside. For the bubbling potion, take a 4 × 2 cm green piece, green side up.
  59. Potion: round the top. Fold both top corners behind, 8 mm along each edge.
  60. Cauldron: new sheet. Set the potion aside. For the cauldron, take a 4.8 × 3.6 cm black piece, black side up.
  61. Cauldron: the rim. Fold the top edge down over the front by 5 mm: a pale rim.
  62. Cauldron: round the pot. Fold both bottom corners behind, 1.3 cm along each edge. A round-bellied pot.
  63. Night sky: new sheet. Set the cauldron aside. Last, the night sky: a 26 × 24 cm navy piece, navy side up.
  64. Night sky: round the top. Fold the two top corners behind, 3 cm along each edge.
  65. Build the scene. Glue the tower in the middle, its roof, door, wizard, beard and balcony, the moon and owl, the stars, the hill, and the cauldron on the hill.
  66. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently back left of the tower and towards you right of the balcony, in a zigzag. Stand the whole scene up on the table.

Abracadabra!

Draw window bars and stones, a wand with a spark, the wizard's eyes and moustache, owl eyes and a beak, stars on the roof and sky, and potion bubbles.

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