Origami · folding only · Confident · about 15 minutes

Butterfly with Shaped Wings

No scissors · No glue · No adult help needed

  • Square of origami paper, 150 x 150 mm (6 x 6 in)
Finished

Blue dashes: valley fold (toward you). Pink dash-dot: mountain fold (away from you). Thick line with scissors: cut. Yellow: glue.

  1. Start. Put the square down flat, colored side up, with straight edges at the top and bottom.

  2. 1. Fold and unfold: Fold the square in half edge to edge and unfold. Then fold it in half the other way and unfold.

  3. turn over

    2. Turn over: Turn the paper over so the white side is up.

  4. 3. Fold and unfold: Fold in half corner to corner and unfold. Then fold corner to corner the other way and unfold.

  5. 4. Push: Push the middles of the left and right edges in toward the center. The top half swings down toward you over them.

  6. 5. Squash fold: Press everything flat into a triangle with two flaps on each side. This is a waterbomb base.

  7. 6. Valley fold: Fold the bottom left corner of the top layer up along a slanted line, so its point sticks out past the slanted edge.

  8. 7. Valley fold: Fold the bottom right corner of the top layer up the same way, so the two points match.

  9. 180°rotate
    upper wingupper winglower winglower wing

    8. Rotate: Turn the paper half a turn so the long straight edge is at the top. The big corners are the upper wings; the small points are the lower wings.

  10. upper wingupper winglower winglower wing

    9. Mountain fold: Fold the bottom point behind, just a little, to make a neat end for the body.

  11. 10. Valley fold: Fold the butterfly in half along the center line, left wings onto right wings. Crease the middle firmly: this is the body.

  12. 11. Open: Open the wings partway so they make a shallow V. Pinch the body to shape it. Your butterfly is ready!

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