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Origami: Penguin

A charming standing penguin with a white belly and dark coat, from one square sheet. Follow the pictures: dashed lines show where to fold, and blue arrows show which way. No scissors or glue needed.

LevelEasyTime5 minutesPaper1 square sheet (black or dark paper with a white back)Steps7
  • Valley fold (fold toward you)
  • Mountain fold (fold behind)
  • Fold in front
  • Fold behind
  • Fold to this spot

What do these symbols mean?

  1. Step 1: Crease the square in halfwhite side up
    Step 1.

    Crease the square in half

    Start with a square sheet of dark paper (or paper with a dark side and white side), turned like a diamond with the white side facing up. Fold the left corner over to the right corner, press flat, and unfold to make a center vertical crease.

  2. Step 2: Fold the tail upfold tail up
    Step 2.

    Fold the tail up

    Fold the bottom corner up along the dashed line. This makes the little tail and forms a flat base so the penguin can stand.

  3. Step 3: Fold the left wing instop short of center
    Step 3.

    Fold the left wing in

    Fold the left corner inward toward the center line, stopping about a finger-width short of the crease. The dark side of the paper now shows on the outside of the fold.

  4. Step 4: Fold the right wing inwhite belly shows
    Step 4.

    Fold the right wing in

    Fold the right corner inward toward the center in the same way, stopping just short of the crease. The white strip left down the center is the penguin’s belly.

  5. Step 5: Fold the top point down for the beakfold beak down
    Step 5.

    Fold the top point down for the beak

    Fold the top point down over the chest along the dashed line to form the beak tip.

  6. Step 6: Fold the penguin in half backwardfold in half backward
    Step 6.

    Fold the penguin in half backward

    Mountain-fold the entire model in half backward along the vertical center crease, so the white belly curves outward and the wings wrap around the sides.

  7. Step 7: Reverse-fold the head forwardpull beak forward
    Step 7.

    Reverse-fold the head forward

    Gently open the top fold and push the head inside-out (an outside reverse fold) so the beak points forward and down.

Finished penguin

You made a penguin! 🎉

Place your penguin on a desk or bookshelf — it stands upright on its folded base. You can fold a small chick and a larger parent penguin using two different paper sizes.

Next, try the Fortune Teller (Cootie Catcher) or see all origami guides.

More Origami Guides

Jumping Frog

A printable 9-step guide to folding the classic index-card jumping frog, with pictures for the head, front legs and the zigzag spring that makes it jump.

Masu Box (Traditional Box)

A simple, printable step-by-step guide to folding a traditional origami masu box.

Ninja Star (Shuriken)

A simple, printable step-by-step guide to folding a classic two-piece, four-pointed origami ninja star (shuriken).

See all origami guides →

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