How to make an origami frog (traditional base)
Origami Frog (Traditional Base): try all 56 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
The traditional frog-base frog, with four slender legs, bent knees and small feet.
- You need
- One square of thin origami paper. No glue or scissors.
- Start
- Start colored side up, with a corner pointing up. Keep the creases crisp as the layers grow thicker.
- Tips
- Use thin paper: the long points become several layers thick.
- For each petal, lift the short squash tip and leave the longer points below it.
- Open each long point a little from below before reverse folding it.
- Like the old Japanese blow-up frog, you can blow gently into the small opening between the hind legs to round the body a little.
Your model is ready
The frog is folded. Press it flat, then set it down on its belly with the front legs forward. The finished frog, sitting with its front legs raised and its hind legs bent.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–7
- 1
Crease a diagonal
Bring the top corner down to the bottom corner, press, and open.
- 2
Crease the other diagonal
Bring the left corner to the right corner, press, and open.
- 3
Turn over
Turn the paper over, keeping a corner pointing up.
- 4
Crease edge to edge
Fold the bottom-left edge up to the top-right edge, press, and open.
- 5
Crease the other way
Fold the bottom-right edge up to the top-left edge, press, and open.
- 6
Turn back
Turn the paper back over, keeping a corner pointing up.
- 7
Collapse into a square
Hold the bottom corner. Push the left and right corners in and down so the paper collapses along the creases into a small square, open end at the bottom.
Steps 8–14
- 8
Squash the first pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 9
Turn over
Turn the base over, keeping its open end at the bottom.
- 10
Squash the second pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 11
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
- 12
Squash the third pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 13
Turn over
Turn the base over, keeping its open end at the bottom.
- 14
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
Steps 15–21
- 15
Squash the fourth pocket
Open the pocket and press its side corner onto the center crease. Flatten both sides evenly.
- 16
Crease the left side (first)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 17
Crease the right side (first)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
- 18
Lift the short tip (first)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 19
Turn over
Turn the base over to the next squash face.
- 20
Crease the left side (second)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 21
Crease the right side (second)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
Steps 22–28
- 22
Lift the short tip (second)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 23
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
- 24
Crease the left side (third)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 25
Crease the right side (third)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
- 26
Lift the short tip (third)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 27
Turn over
Turn the base over to its last squash face.
- 28
Expose the next face
Turn the two right leaves to the left along the center crease.
Steps 29–35
- 29
Crease the left side (fourth)
Fold the short left edge of the squash face to its center crease, press, and open.
- 30
Crease the right side (fourth)
Fold the short right edge to the center crease, press, and open.
- 31
Lift the short tip (fourth)
Lift the short tip of the squash face. Let its sides fold inward along the creases, then press it flat above the long points.
- 32
Narrow the left edge (front)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
- 33
Narrow the right edge (front)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
- 34
Turn over
Turn the base over to narrow the opposite long point.
- 35
Narrow the left edge (back)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
Steps 36–42
- 36
Narrow the right edge (back)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
- 37
Turn a page
Fold the top right four layers across the vertical middle crease to the left, like turning a page, to show a plain face.
- 38
Turn a page behind
Fold the back left four layers behind, across the vertical middle crease to the right, like turning a page at the back.
- 39
Narrow the left edge (third face)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
- 40
Narrow the right edge (third face)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
- 41
Turn over
Turn the base over to narrow the last long point.
- 42
Narrow the left edge (fourth face)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
Steps 43–49
- 43
Narrow the right edge (fourth face)
Fold the lower sloping edge to the vertical middle crease, keeping the long bottom point sharp.
- 44
Raise the front leg (front left)
Inside reverse fold the front long point up and outward, just below the body, so it rises beside the body.
- 45
Raise the front leg (front right)
Inside reverse fold the front long point up and outward, just below the body, so it rises beside the body.
- 46
Spread the hind leg (hind left)
Inside reverse fold the back long point outward and down, just below the body.
- 47
Spread the hind leg (hind right)
Inside reverse fold the back long point outward and down, just below the body.
- 48
Turn the front foot (front left)
Inside reverse fold the last quarter of the raised leg outward to make a small foot.
- 49
Turn the front foot (front right)
Inside reverse fold the last quarter of the raised leg outward to make a small foot.
Steps 50–56
- 50
Turn the hind foot (hind left)
Inside reverse fold the last fifth of the hind leg to make a foot.
- 51
Turn the hind foot (hind right)
Inside reverse fold the last fifth of the hind leg to make a foot.
- 52
Bend the front elbow (front left)
Inside reverse fold the raised leg halfway along, so its outer half and foot point out to the side.
- 53
Bend the front elbow (front right)
Inside reverse fold the raised leg halfway along, so its outer half and foot point out to the side.
- 54
Bend the hind knee (hind left)
Inside reverse fold the hind leg halfway to its foot, so the lower leg and foot point back down.
- 55
Bend the hind knee (hind right)
Inside reverse fold the hind leg halfway to its foot, so the lower leg and foot point back down.
- 56
Fold the head
Fold the top point of the body behind, a short way down, to round off the head.
Finish
- ✓
Finish
The frog is folded. Press it flat, then set it down on its belly with the front legs forward. The finished frog, sitting with its front legs raised and its hind legs bent.
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