How to Make an Origami Swan

An origami swan can be a great project for novices because of its relatively basic structure. Hone your origami skills with these directions - just don't expect your swan to start swimming.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Origami Paper
• Pencils
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Pencils

1. Begin by placing a square piece of paper facedown and folding the top left point down to meet the bottom right point, forming two equal triangular halves. Crease and unfold.

2. Fold the left edge into the center of the square and crease. Repeat for the right edge. At this time, your piece of paper should resemble an elongated diamond.

3. Turn the piece of paper over. Again fold the left edge over to the center crease, and repeat with the right edge. Crease both sides. Your paper should resemble an even slimmer elongated diamond.

4. Fold the bottom point of the diamond up to meet the top point and crease. This folded-over portion of the paper will comprise the swan's head and neck.

5. Create the swan's head by folding down the top area of the section folded in the previous step. Fold down and crease no more than 1/4 of this section to keep the swan's head small and its neck long.

6. Fold the entire piece of paper in half underneath itself along its original central crease, and flatten the paper.

7. Bring your origami swan to life by gently pulling the swan's neck and head into an upright position.

Tips & Warnings

• Work on a hard surface, and sharpen each crease by running your thumbnail or a pencil over it. Sharp creases will improve your final results.
• Practice on scrap paper first and then move on to specially made origami paper. Origami paper has the appropriate thickness and weight you will need to achieve clean, sharp creases.