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How to Make Oragami Elephants for Kids

Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. The word originates from the Japanese word "oru," meaning "to fold," and "kami," meaning "paper," notes Art of Origami. The art dates back to the 16th century in traditional Japanese culture. Over time, other cultures began to independently evolve their own paper-folding traditions, including China and Spain. Animals are a popular choice for origami paper folding, and although some animals are more difficult to create than others, easier origami options exist for small children and beginner origami enthusiasts. Almost any type of paper works for origami sculptures, but designated origami paper is easiest to fold.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 piece of origami paper 6 by 6 inches
  • 1 black marker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the piece of origami paper on a flat surface with the colored side down.

    • 2

      Fold the paper in half and open it.

    • 3

      Fold the paper in half again the opposite way so when you open it, two crease lines go top to bottom and right to left, dividing the piece of paper into four quadrants.

    • 4

      Pull the top lefthand corner of the paper toward the center, where it meets the crease that stretches from top to bottom. Make a crease in the paper when the top left corner meets this mark.

    • 5

      Fold the paper in half, bringing the top edge down to meet the bottom edge.

    • 6

      Fold over the left side of the paper to meet the center crease. Open the fold you just created.

    • 7

      Make a squash fold by pressing down on the crease you just opened. The paper creases should be flat.

    • 8

      Draw eyes on each side of the upper section of the longest triangular section, as well as details on the elephant's trunk such as skin folds or a mouth at the bottom.

    • 9

      Draw a dotted line on the top right corner to define a small 90-degree triangle. Fold it over to the other side.

Sculpture

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