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PlayOwl
A gray origami cat face with two pointy ears, a flat chin, two eyes, a small nose and long whiskers.
The finished project.

Origami · folding only

Cat Face

  • Starter (level 1 of 5)
  • 5 min
  • 5 steps
  • Ages 4–8 (a guide, not a rule)
  • No scissors
  • No glue
  • No adult help needed
Start Making Print

A cat face is a great first origami model. You fold a triangle, fold two corners up so they poke out as pointy ears, and tuck the chin behind. Then you draw the eyes, nose and whiskers. Use paper that is colored on one side and white on the other so you can see each fold.

Before you start

You need

Decorating (optional): Draw the eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers with a marker. You can add stripes on the head or color the inside of the ears.

No square of origami paper? No origami paper? Fold the corner of a printer sheet over to the opposite edge, then tear off the extra strip along a sharp crease to make a square.

How to place the paper before the first step
Your paper: Put the square down like a diamond, with one corner pointing up and the white side facing up.
  • Valley fold: blue dashes. Fold toward you, like a valley.
  • Mountain fold: pink dash-dot. Fold away from you, like a mountain.

Step by step

Each step shows what to do (left) and how it should look after (right).

  1. Step 1: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 1 result Result
    Step 1 of 5 Valley fold Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner. Press the fold flat.
  2. Step 2: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 2 result Result
    Step 2 of 5 Valley fold Fold the left corner up on the dashed line. The tip pokes out above the top edge to make an ear.
  3. Step 3: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 3 result Result
    Step 3 of 5 Valley fold Fold the right corner up the same way to make the other ear.
  4. Step 4: mountain fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 4 result Result
    Step 4 of 5 Mountain fold Fold the bottom point behind the face to make a flat chin.
  5. Step 5: draw, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 5 result Result
    Step 5 of 5 Draw Draw two eyes, a nose and whiskers. Your cat is ready!
A gray origami cat face with two pointy ears, a flat chin, two eyes, a small nose and long whiskers.

You made it!

Yours may look a little different. That is part of making things by hand.

Print the steps

If something goes wrong

The ears do not poke up above the head.

Start the fold right at the bottom point and make the fold line steeper, closer to the middle. The more upright the line, the higher the ear.

One ear is bigger than the other.

Unfold the second ear and fold it again so its tip is as high as the first one. The old crease helps you line it up.

The chin pops back out.

Press the chin fold hard with your fingernail, or fold a little more of the point behind.

Helpful hints

  • Line up the corners exactly before you press the first fold flat.
  • Run your fingernail along every fold to make it sharp.
  • Hold the ears in place with one finger while you fold the chin.

The traditional cat face, a widely taught beginner model with ears folded up from a triangle. Diagrams drawn for PlayOwl.

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