How to make an origami hummingbird
Origami Hummingbird: try all 28 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor hummingbird with a slender level bill, a short neck, a tapered hanging tail and two raised wings. Folded from one square without cuts.
- You need
- One square of thin origami paper. No scissors or glue.
- Start
- Start colored side up, with one corner pointing up. Green or blue paper suits a hummingbird.
- Tips
- Narrow the beak point evenly on both sides so the beak stays straight.
- Keep the two horizontal wing folds at the same height.
Your model is ready
Lift both wings above the body. Keep the long beak thin and straight, with the short tail hanging below the hovering body.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–6
- 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.
Steps 7–12
- 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.
- 8
Crease the left kite
Fold the lower left edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 9
Crease the right kite
Fold the lower right edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 10
Crease across the top
Fold the top down along the line joining the tops of the two kite creases, press, and open.
- 11
Petal fold
Lift the bottom corner of the top layer up along the crease across the top. The sides fold in along the kite creases and meet in the middle. Press flat.
- 12
Turn over
Turn the model over, keeping the open end at the bottom.
Steps 13–18
- 13
Crease the left kite
Fold the lower left edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 14
Crease the right kite
Fold the lower right edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 15
Crease across the top
Fold the top down along the line joining the tops of the two kite creases, press, and open.
- 16
Petal fold
Lift the bottom corner of the top layer up along the crease across the top. The sides fold in along the kite creases and meet in the middle. Press flat.
- 17
Narrow the beak point
Fold the left lower edge to the middle line, taking the two front layers together. This point will become the beak.
- 18
Narrow the tail point
Fold the other lower edge to the middle, keeping the long upper wing free.
Steps 19–24
- 19
Turn over the base
Turn the base over with the split points still at the bottom.
- 20
Narrow the back of the beak point
Fold the matching lower edge to the middle line on this side, so the beak point is slim all the way through.
- 21
Narrow the back of the tail
Fold the remaining lower edge to the middle so the tail is thin on both faces.
- 22
Raise the short neck
Open the narrow left point slightly. Push it up and out between the layers so it slopes about 40 degrees above level. Close the layers and press flat.
- 23
Set the slender bill level
Open the raised point near its base. Turn its long end forward between the layers, leaving a short neck below the straight bill.
- 24
Shorten the tail
Fold the tip of the broad lower point up along a level line, so this point becomes short and blunt.
Steps 25–28
- 25
Lower the front wing
Fold the front upper point down across the horizontal line, a little above the lower points’ roots.
- 26
Turn over
Turn the bird over to reach its other wing.
- 27
Lower the back wing
Fold the second upper point down across the matching horizontal line.
- 28
Turn back
Turn the bird back so its beak points left.
- ✓
Finish
Lift both wings above the body. Keep the long beak thin and straight, with the short tail hanging below the hovering body.
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.