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How to fold an origami woodpecker

A long kite folded in half is the body. Reverse-fold the head and chisel beak, crimp the stiff tail in, add a folded red crest and stand it on a folded trunk.

You need: A 15 cm square, black on one side; a red 5 cm square; a brown 10 × 24 cm strip; a little glue. Hard, 12 steps, about 30 minutes.

Steps

  1. Flat tail end. White side up, a corner at the top. Fold the bottom corner up 1.5 cm. This will be the square end of the tail.
  2. Long kite. Fold the two upper edges in to lie along the middle line, making a long kite with a sharp top point.
  3. Fold in half. Fold the right half over onto the left. The fold on the right is the woodpecker's front, which will press on the trunk.
  4. Head and beak. Outside-reverse-fold the top point out to the right, on a crease from the front fold 3.5 cm below the tip. It is the head and long chisel beak.
  5. Tail up. Fold the bottom up through all the layers, on a level crease 3.5 cm above the flat end.
  6. Tail down. Fold it back down on a crease from the same point on the back edge to 4 mm higher on the front fold. The stiff tail now braces on the trunk.
  7. Crest: new sheet. Set the bird aside. Take the red square, white side up.
  8. Crest: fold in half. Fold it in half corner to corner, the top left corner onto the bottom right corner.
  9. Crest: and again. Fold the bottom edge up onto the long slanted edge, creasing from the left corner: a long, sharp red spike.
  10. Trunk: new sheet. Set the crest aside. Take the brown strip, brown side up, long sides upright.
  11. Trunk: narrow it. Fold both long sides behind, 2.4 cm each, so the trunk is a sturdy brown strip.
  12. Glue it together. Glue the bird's front fold against the trunk's left edge, beak tip and tail end on the bark. Glue the crest behind the head, pointing up and back.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

With a white pen, draw an eye, a stripe from the beak back under it and a few bars across the wing. Add some bark lines on the trunk.

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