Watch Math Unfold!
Origami Dragon
Instructions
1. Start with a square piece of paper. (All sides should be
equal, and all angles should be 90 degrees.) A good size
to use is 15 centimeters by 15 centimeters. Make sure the
colored side of the paper is up.
2. Carefully fold the paper in half diagonally. Then unfold.
Carefully fold the paper in half diagonally from an
adjacent corner. Then unfold.
3. Turn the paper over from left to right. Carefully fold the
paper in half from top to bottom. Then unfold. Carefully
fold the paper in half from side to side. Then unfold.
4. Turn the shape 45 degrees counterclockwise to position
the square as shown.
Let the paper collapse on the fold lines to get a square.
Make sure all the folds are sharp. This square is the
beginning of the Dragon.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
5. Lift the top double layer and fold the sides in so the edges
meet in the middle. You now have two triangles that are
reflections of each other, with a smaller isosceles triangle
on top. The folded part looks like an ice cream cone. Turn
the shape over from left to right.
6. Lift the top double layer and fold the sides in so the edges
meet in the middle. You again have two triangles that are
reflections of each other, with a smaller isosceles triangle
on top. The shape looks even more like an ice cream cone.
7. Fold the top triangle down (the ice cream fell off ). Fold
it back up and turn the ice cream cone over from left to
right. Fold the top triangle down (the ice cream fell off
again).
8. Open all the folds so you have the square from Step 4
again. The creases will help you do the next few steps.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
9. Lift the top layer at the bottom and pull it up toward the
top. The shape looks something like a canoe.
10. Put two fingers inside the canoe to hold it in place.
Carefully lay down the right side of the canoe and flatten
it. Now carefully lay down the left side of the canoe and
flatten it. (If you do one side at a time, it is usually easier.)
11. Turn the flattened canoe over. Follow Steps 9 and 10 on
this side. Now the shape looks like a diamond made up of
four congruent right triangles. Make sure the open end is
at the bottom of the diamond.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
12. On the top layer only, fold in the upper sides of the
diamond to make a narrow kite. Make sure the folded
sides meet in the middle.
13. Fold the right point of the top layer over the left point.
Make sure you only fold the top layer.
The narrow triangle at the top will be the dragon’s tail.
14. Turn the dragon over left to right. On the top layer only,
fold the top point down to meet the bottom point.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
15. Fold the right point over to meet the left point.
16. Fold the bottom point of the top layer up over the
dragon’s tail. The bottom point should now line up with
the end of the dragon’s tail.
17. Fold the upper left side down to meet the horizontal
center line.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
18. Fold the top layer in to the middle so that the long edge
lines up with the center slit.
You have made one of the dragon’s wings.
19. To make the wing look more dragon-like, fold the
horizontal edge of the wing up and to the left to meet the
left side of the tail. Make a good crease.
Now fold the vertical edge of the wing down and right to
meet the crease you just made.
20. Turn the dragon over left to right. Fold the bottom point
up over the dragon’s tail.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
21. Fold the upper right side down to meet the horizontal
center line.
Fold the right point in so the lower right edge meets the
center edge.
22. To finish this second wing, fold the horizontal edge of the
wing up and to the right to meet the right side of the tail.
Make a good crease.
Now fold the vertical edge down and left to meet the
crease you just made.
23. Turn the dragon 180 degrees clockwise so the tail is
pointing down and the head is pointing up.
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
24. Now it’s time to make the dragon’s head. Fold the top
part of the triangle down and to the right and make a
crease. Then unfold. Now fold down and back along the
same crease. Unfold again.
Use your finger to separate the folds on the left side of
the neck. Gently press the center crease on the right side
of the neck, letting the top of the triangle move right and
down to finish on the fold lines you just made.
25. Fold the right part of the triangle to the left and up to
finish in a vertical position. Unfold. Then fold back and up
along the same crease. Unfold again.
Use your thumb to separate the layers at the bottom.
Gently push on the top center crease so the right end
of the triangle moves to the vertical position along the
creases you just made.
26. Rotate the dragon 90 degrees counterclockwise so the
head is pointing left.
With your thumb and index finger, flatten the pointed
end of the head. Then fold the tip up and right so that it
finishes resting on the head. Now fold this double layer
down and in to finish between the sides of the head.
1
2
1
2
(Continued)
Origami Dragon (cont.)
27. Your dragon is almost finished. Pull the dragon’s body
apart at the bottom so it will sit on the table. Pull the
wings out so they look ready to fly.
28. Success! You have made a dragon!
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