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How To Make An Easy Origami Paper Dinosaur

The origami bird base opens up a whole collection of great models to you. The bird base gets its name from the traditional crane, but let’s use it to create a very modern design, a great little paper dinosaur. If you’re a dinosaur fan, this is probably more of an origami velociraptor.

Instructions

Step 1

Step 01 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Start with a square paper, colour-side down. Fold the sheet in half along both a vertical and a horizontal line. Unfold to create these cross creases.

Step 2

Step 02 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Flip it over so the colour-side is facing up, and fold along the two diagonals of the square. Unfold it flat.

Step 3

Step 03 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
With the colour-side on the outside, use the creases you’ve created to collapse the model into this diamond shaped form with four lobes.

Step 4

Step 04 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
With the loose flaps of the shape pointing down towards you, fold one of the bottom edges to the central line.

Step 5

Step 05 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
To keep it symmetrical, fold the second bottom edge towards the centre too, to create this tall triangular shape.

Step 6

Step 06 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Fold down the wide triangular shape at the top along its base edge.

Step 7

Step 07 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Unfold all the three recent folds to see this triangular crease pattern.

Step 8

Step 08 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Lift the top layer of paper and fold it upwards along the horizontal crease you just created in the last few steps.

Step 9

Step 09 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
This will open up the model and the side edges will fold down into this very long diamond shape.

Step 10

Step 10 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Now flip the model over and repeat steps 4-9 on the other side. You’ll end up with this even longer diamond shape, with one half split down the central line.

Step 11

Step 11 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
The other half has flaps that you can fold downwards. This is your Bird Base.

Step 12

Step 12 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Fold both wing shapes flat to create this stubbier diamond.

Step 13

Step 13 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Unfold one of the wing-flaps so you see this shape. The short triangle in the centre should be pointing left.

Step 14

Step 14 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Fold it down in half along the long central line.

Step 15

Step 15 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Fold the bottom-left slanted edge up along the vertical centre line.
Unfold it, and use the crease to outside-reverse fold that top layer like so.

Step 16

Step 16 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
The right side of the model now has 3 flaps. Lift the topmost layer and fold it downwards along the vertical centre line, like this.

Step 17

Step 17 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Flip the model over and repeat on the other side.

Step 18

Step 18 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
The two flaps you just folded will form the legs. To strengthen them, unfold both and do an inside-reverse fold along the creases you created.

Step 19

Step 19 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Now to create the complex joints of the dinosaur’s leg, we’ll inside-reverse fold a few times. Start with folding backwards, inside-reverse, at an angle like this. repeat on the other leg.

Step 20

Step 20 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Now inside-reverse fold the tip forward to form the feet with a flat edge at the bottom for it to stand on. Repeat on the other leg.

Step 21

Step 21 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
The top-pointing flap which you folded first will form the neck. Fold the top half forward in an outside-reverse fold to form the head.

Step 22

Step 22 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Fold the pointed end of the head in, and under the head to give the dinosaur a flat snout.

Step 23

Step 23 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Fold the stubby point at the base of the neck downwards, using an inside-reverse fold to create short claw-like hands.

Step 24

Step 24 - Origami Paper Dinosaur - easy origami dino steps
Tighten up all the folds, spread the legs apart a little to allow the model to stand, and your paper dinosaur is ready to roar.

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