How to make an origami horse
Origami Horse: try all 31 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor version of the traditional cut horse: four folded legs, a raised neck, a long lowered muzzle and a hanging tail. Two short slits separate the legs in one square.
- You need
- One square of thin origami paper and scissors. A pen is optional for an eye. No glue.
- Start
- Start colored side up with one corner pointing up. Use thin paper for the layered base.
- Tips
- Cut only the exposed flap on each side, stopping at the guide crease.
- Match the four narrowing folds so the legs have the same length.
Your model is ready
Ease the four legs apart. Keep the short neck raised, the long head slanting down and the tail hanging behind the body. Your horse is finished.
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
Shorten the body point
Fold the small closed top corner behind along the short horizontal line. Keep the open lower points together.
- 9
Crease the left kite
Fold the lower left edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 10
Crease the right kite
Fold the lower right edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 11
Crease across the top
Fold the top down along the line joining the tops of the two kite creases, press, and open.
- 12
Separate the front legs
Make one slit up the middle of the exposed front flap, from its lower tip to the horizontal guide. Leave every layer underneath uncut.
- 13
Raise the front left leg
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
- 14
Raise the front right leg
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
Steps 15–21
- 15
Narrow the front left leg
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 16
Narrow the front right leg
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 17
Turn over
Turn the square over to make the other two legs.
- 18
Crease the left kite
Fold the lower left edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 19
Crease the right kite
Fold the lower right edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 20
Crease across the top
Fold the top down along the line joining the tops of the two kite creases, press, and open.
- 21
Separate the back legs
Make one slit up the middle of the exposed front flap, from its lower tip to the horizontal guide. Leave every layer underneath uncut.
Steps 22–28
- 22
Raise the back left leg
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
- 23
Raise the back right leg
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
- 24
Narrow the back left leg
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 25
Narrow the back right leg
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 26
Turn the legs down
Rotate the model half a turn. The four narrow points point down; the two uncut points point up.
- 27
Turn the long head down
Fold the closed neck point forward and slightly down along the slanted line, keeping the body still.
- 28
Extend the tail
Open the right upper point slightly. Reverse it out to the right along the diagonal line, then close the body.
Steps 29–31
- 29
Blunt the muzzle
Fold the sharp end back along the short marked line, leaving a flat muzzle.
- 30
Lower the tail
Fold the end of the tail down behind on the diagonal line. Keep its short root level with the body.
- 31
Blunt the four feet
Fold the very ends of all four legs behind on the level line. Match the feet so their small flat edges reach the same height.
- ✓
Finish
Ease the four legs apart. Keep the short neck raised, the long head slanting down and the tail hanging behind the body. Your horse is finished.
Fold next
Crane ↗
The crane begins with a square base. Two petal folds turn it into a bird base with separate points for the neck and tail; the broad flaps become the wings. Work through one side of the body before repeating the narrowing folds on the back.
Swan ↗
The traditional kite-base swan, with a pointed tail, a long neck and a small head.
Pig ↗
The traditional kindergarten pig, recorded in 1863. It stands on four pointed feet, with a raised tail and a short snout.
Japanese rabbit ↗
The cupboard-base Japanese rabbit recorded in 1935, with long ears and a small turned-up tail. Fold its broad head, narrow ears, body and reversed tail.