How to make an origami butterfly
Origami Butterfly: try all 12 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor butterfly with broad forewings, pointed hind wings and a short folded body, opened along the middle into a shallow V. Folded from one square without cuts or glue.
- You need
- One square of thin origami paper, colored on one side. No scissors or glue.
- Start
- Start colored side up, with an edge at the top. The finished butterfly shows the colored side on top and white underneath.
- Tips
- Crease the waterbomb base sharply; every later fold lines up with its edges.
- Fold only the two front layers for the hind wings, and leave the back layers as the forewings.
- Patterned or two-tone paper makes the butterfly's wings stand out.
Your model is ready
Your butterfly is ready, with four spread wings and a short folded body.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–7
- 1
Crease a diagonal
Fold the bottom left corner behind to the top right corner, press, and open.
- 2
Crease the other diagonal
Fold the bottom right corner behind to the top left corner, press, and open.
- 3
Crease across the middle
Bring the top edge down to the bottom edge, press, and open.
- 4
Make the waterbomb base
Push the side middles inward. Bring the top edge down to the bottom edge and press into a triangle.
- 5
Turn the triangle point down
Turn the triangle round so its long edge is at the top and its point is at the bottom. The long edge becomes the front of the wings and the point becomes the tail of the body.
- 6
Fold the left hind wing
Fold just the two front layers of the left half down. The fold starts at the middle of the top edge and runs down to the slanted left edge, about a third of the way along it. The corner swings down until its point sticks out past the slanted edge.
- 7
Fold the right hind wing
Fold the two front layers of the right half down the same way, so both hind wing points stick out below the forewings.
Steps 8–12
- 8
Blunt the left wing tip
Fold the sharp outer corner of the left forewing behind, just a little, so the wing ends in a short straight edge.
- 9
Blunt the right wing tip
Fold the outer corner of the right forewing behind to match.
- 10
Shorten the body point
Fold the long middle point behind along the level line. Keep both smaller hind wings still.
- 11
Fold the body in half
Fold the left pair of wings over the right pair along the middle line. Keep the small body tip folded behind.
- 12
Open the four wings
Open the butterfly part way along its middle crease, leaving both pairs of wings in a shallow V.
- ✓
Finish
Your butterfly is ready, with four spread wings and a short folded body.
Fold next
Dog face ↗
Fold floppy ears and a little muzzle, then give your paper dog a face.
Cat face ↗
A traditional triangle cat head with two pointed ears and a straight forehead.
Fox face ↗
The traditional pointed fox face, recorded in Japan in 1878, with two tall ears.
Turtle ↗
The common cut turtle with four pointed feet, a small head and tail, and a colored shell. One slit divides the rear feet while leaving the shell underneath whole.