How to make an origami wild goose
Origami Wild Goose: try all 29 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor wild goose in flight, with a long level neck, a short tail and two broad wings flung wide. 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. Gray or brown paper suits a goose.
- Tips
- Line the lower edges up carefully with the middle crease.
- Keep the neck long and slim: only the head end bends down.
Your model is ready
Ease one wing up and the other down, with the body nearly level and the long neck stretched forward.
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 left lower edge
Fold this lower edge to the middle line, taking the two front layers together.
- 18
Narrow the right lower edge
Fold this lower edge to the middle line, taking the two front layers together.
Steps 19–24
- 19
Turn over the base
Turn the base over with the split points still at the bottom.
- 20
Narrow the back left edge
Fold this lower edge to the middle line to match the folds on the other side.
- 21
Narrow the back right edge
Fold this lower edge to the middle line to match the folds on the other side.
- 22
Stretch the neck forward
Open the left lower point slightly. Push it up and out to the left between its layers along the shallow slanted line, so it leaves the body nearly level. Close the layers and press flat.
- 23
Turn the head down
Open the tip of the neck slightly. Push the very end down between its layers along the level line to make the head and bill. Close the layers.
- 24
Shorten the tail
Fold the tip of the right lower point up along a level line, so this point becomes short and blunt.
Steps 25–29
- 25
Set the tail back
Open the right lower point slightly. Push it out to the right between its layers along the slanted line, so the tail sits behind the body. Close and press flat.
- 26
Lower the front wing
Fold the broad front point down across the line at the top of the body.
- 27
Turn over
Turn the goose over to reach its other wing.
- 28
Lower the back wing
Fold the second broad point down the same way.
- 29
Turn back
Turn the goose back so its head faces left.
- ✓
Finish
Ease one wing up and the other down, with the body nearly level and the long neck stretched forward.
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.