How to Make Origami Animals Without a Book

Learn to fold paper into simple animals using basic shapes and your imagination.

1. Start with a basic bird base. Take a square piece of paper. Fold it in half diagonally to make a triangle. Unfold it, then fold it the other diagonal way. Unfold again. Now you have an X crease. Fold the paper in half like a book, then unfold. You should see lines that help you make a bird shape.
2. Make your first animal - a simple crane. Push the sides of your square toward the center while lifting the top and bottom points. This makes a smaller square that opens like a mouth. Flatten it down. Flip it over and do the same on the other side. You now have a diamond shape with flaps.
3. Create the head and tail. Take the top point of your diamond and fold it down about halfway. This will be the head. Take the bottom point and fold it up slightly - this is the tail. Pull the sides gently apart and you have a bird!
4. Try a simple cat face. Start fresh with a new square. Fold it in half diagonally to make a triangle. Take the two bottom corners of the triangle and fold them up to make ears. Fold the top point down to make the head rounder. Draw on eyes, nose, and whiskers.
5. Make a jumping frog. Start with a rectangle (cut your square in half). Fold the top part like you're making a paper airplane - bring both top corners down to meet in the middle. Fold the bottom part up in small accordion pleats. When you press the back, your frog will hop!
6. Experiment and create your own. Look at the shapes you've made and see what animals they remind you of. Add folds for legs, spots, or stripes. Try folding different parts to make ears, tails, or beaks. There's no wrong way - if it looks like an animal to you, it's perfect!