How to Make an Origami Cicada

Making common insects out of colorful paper is a good way to introduce origami to children. Using the idea of the shapes created by the folding process rather than complicated wording and arrows often seen in origami instructions, the article makes the whole process just a little easier. The finished cicada insects look great in a classroom mural or other wall displays.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Paper

Getting Started

1. Fold a square shaped piece of paper in half on the diagonal making a triangle shape.
2. Take up the 2 corners on the longest side of the triangle and draw them up to meet at the top point of the triangle. Do not reopen. You should have a diamond shape composed of 2 opposing triangles.
3. Make the insect wings by folding down from the top diamond point the 2 triangles made in Step 2 along the diagonal. Crease the fold well and leave folded.
4. Pull down the both layers of the top triangle and fold along center of the diamond.
5. Make another fold about half an inch from the center diamond fold in the opposite direction of step 4, folding back the 2 layers of paper towards the very top point of the diamond shape. There should be a triangular flap of excess paper hanging over the very centerfold of the diamond shape.
6. Fold front (top layer) triangular flap from Step 5 so that the fold is in line with the centerfold of the diamond shape.
7. Pull up the bottom layer of triangular flap, folding back out to create the larger diamond shape.

Finishing Up

8. Fold under the sides of the diamond shape (opposite from sides used in previous steps) making the fold in line with the long edge corners of the small center triangle created in Step 6. Angle the fold slightly so that the eventual folds result in a small triangle at the top of the original diamond shape and the folded pieces meet together at the tips on the reverse side.
9. Take the top point of the small triangle created in Step 8 and fold underneath to create the cicada's head. The fold should be in line with the top of the side flaps.
10. Create the cicada's eyes by folding over the tips of the corners of the head created in Step 9. You have made a closed winged origami cicada.