How to Make 3D Origami Winged Birds

Origami cranes are also known as peace cranes, because they are used to symbolize peace.

There are many different origami designs available, and they can produce hundreds of different animals, including various types of birds. Although some birds are designed to lie flat, other origami birds are 3D. One of the most traditional origami designs is the origami crane, which is a simple and elegant 3D design. With a few small adjustments, the origami crane base can also be used to create the origami flapping bird.

Things You'll Need

• One square piece of paper

Instructions

1. Lay the paper flat, with a corner facing you, so it looks like a diamond. If you are using paper with one colored and one white side, the colored side should face up.

2. Fold the paper in half. Bring the top corner to meet the bottom corner. Crease and unfold. Bring the left corner to meet the right corner. Crease and unfold.

3. Flip the paper over and rotate it so that an edge faces you. Bring the bottom edge to meet the top edge, folding the paper in half. Crease and unfold. Bring the right edge to meet the left edge. Crease and unfold.

4. Rotate the paper so it looks like a diamond.

5. Collapse the paper by bringing the right and left corners to meet the bottom corner. Allow the paper to collapse along the diagonal creases which you created. The top corner should also come down to meet the bottom corner. The paper should now look like a smaller diamond.

6. Fold the bottom left edge of the top layer of paper in, so that it lies along the center line. Fold the bottom right edge to lie along the center line as well. Fold the top corner down, so that it folds over the top of the two folds you just made. Crease and unfold all of these folds.

7. Grasp the top layer of paper at the bottom corner and pull it upward, toward the top corner. Push the sides of this flap in, along the creases you just made, as you flatten the flap. You should have created a long diamond shape.

8. Flip the paper over and repeat steps six and seven on the other side.

9. Fold the bottom right edge of the top layer of paper in, so that it rests along the center line. Fold the bottom left edge in as well. This further slims the diamond shape. If you want to make the flapping bird, skip this step, and step ten.

10. Flip the model over and repeat the step nine on the other side.

11. Fold the bottom left half of the diamond up and to the left, at an angle. Fold the bottom right section up and to the right. Crease and unfold both folds.

12. Open the bottom left flap slightly. Following the crease you previously made, push the flap up and inside itself, then flatten, so that the flap appears folded in half and tucked into itself. It sticks up and to the left. This is an inside reverse fold. Repeat this with the right flap.

13. Inside reverse fold one of these flaps at the tip, creating the head.

14. Fold the wings, the large upright triangles, down at an angle. Exactly how they look is your choice.

15. Pull the wings of the crane slightly out to the sides to puff the body. If you have made the flapping bird, pull the head and neck gently to make the bird's wings flap.

References

• Origami Fun: Origami Flapping Bird Instructions
• Origami Fun: Origami Crane Instructions