How to make a paper T-Rex
Paper T-Rex: try all 36 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor T-rex with a large blunt head, tiny arms, two hind legs and a long tail. Fold the body and head from two squares, then join them with a little glue.
- You need
- One 8 × 8 in square and one 4 × 4 in square of thin paper, scissors, a little glue and a pen for the face.
- Start
- Start the larger square colored side up with one corner pointing up. Set the smaller square beside it white side up, with an edge at the top. Use matching colors.
- Tips
- Cut only the exposed flap on each side, stopping at the guide crease.
- Keep the arms much shorter than the hind legs.
- Use a smaller square of the same color for the head.
Your model is ready
Let the glue dry, then draw an eye and a short mouth on the head. Ease the two hind legs apart. The tiny doubled flaps are the arms; the long tail balances the body.
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 limb points
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 limb point
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
- 14
Raise the front right limb point
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 limb point
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 16
Narrow the front right limb point
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 prepare the other pair of limb points.
- 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 limb points
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 limb point
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
- 23
Raise the back right limb point
Fold this half of the split flap upward along the slanted line. The other half stays still.
- 24
Narrow the back left limb point
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 25
Narrow the back right limb point
Fold the outside edge of this pointed flap to its long inner edge. Keep the other points still.
- 26
Turn the limb points down
Rotate the model half a turn. The four narrow points point down; the two uncut points point up.
- 27
Fold the neck tip down
Fold the top point down across a level line. The separate head will cover this short folded tip.
- 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 29–35
- 29
Lift the two arm flaps
Fold both narrow flaps at the left up together. Keep the two long hind legs at the right still.
- 30
Shorten the arms
Fold the two raised tips down again, leaving a short doubled arm below each shoulder.
- 31
Shorten the little arms
Fold the outer half of both doubled arms inward. Leave the two long hind legs still.
- 32
Blunt the hind feet
Fold the ends of the long legs behind along the sloping line, leaving a short foot at each bent ankle.
- 33
Fold the head square in half
Fold the smaller square's bottom edge to its top edge, making a wide doubled rectangle.
- 34
Bevel the upper muzzle
Fold the little upper left corner behind to soften the nose.
- 35
Set the head on the neck
Lay the head across the top of the neck, with its blunt muzzle pointing left and its straight back edge against the neck's back edge.
Step 36
- 36
Glue the head overlap
Apply a small dab of glue between the back of the head and the front of the neck, then press the overlap flat.
- ✓
Finish
Let the glue dry, then draw an eye and a short mouth on the head. Ease the two hind legs apart. The tiny doubled flaps are the arms; the long tail balances the 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.