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How to fold an origami little xylophone

Slanted folds narrow one end of a strip, then three pleats split it into four bars that step down from long to short.

You need: 1 strip of paper twice as long as it is wide, red or orange on one side. Easy, 8 steps, about 8 minutes.

Steps

  1. Slant the top. Lay the strip long side across, coloured side up. Fold the top edge behind on a slanted line, from the left corner to well down the right end.
  2. Slant the bottom. Fold the bottom edge behind the same way, so the strip narrows towards the right.
  3. Fold over. Fold the short end over to the left along a line about a quarter of the way in.
  4. And back. Fold it back out a little further left. The paper on the right now sits on a step, a bit shorter than the paper next to it.
  5. Again. Do the same a little further left, folding all the layers on the right over together.
  6. And back again. Fold it back out a little further left. The paper on the right now sits on a step, a bit shorter than the paper next to it.
  7. Again. Do the same a little further left, folding all the layers on the right over together.
  8. And back again. Fold it back out a little further left. The paper on the right now sits on a step, a bit shorter than the paper next to it.

Ding, dong, ding!

Dot two nails on each bar with a white pen. Tap the bars from long to short with a pencil and sing the notes.

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