Don’t rush to spend that dollar; let it transform into a romantic butterfly first! Its beautiful wings and long abdomen make it look lifelike, while the two tentacles, more than anything else, breathe life into it. Simply follow our steps to create this unique gift, and you’ll be able to “park” the bill on your friend’s gift, hide it in a birthday card, or slip it into your classmate’s textbook – it’s definitely more memorable than just a note.
If you are new to origami, start here from our beginner guide to know the basics and how to read the step-by-step instructions.
- Folding time: 20 minutes
- Paper: A Dollar Bill
- Difficulty: Easy
Material
Prepare a one-dollar bill to fold a fabulous origami butterfly. A slightly new bill would be better.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Fold the dollar bill in half vertically, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 2
Fold the left and right edges to align with the top edge.
Step 3
Fold the right triangle to the left side, leaving a vertical crease, and unfold it.
Step 4
Fold the left triangle to the right side, leaving a vertical crease, and unfold it.
Step 5
Unfold the dollar completely and turn it over from left to right.
Step 6
Mountain fold the two vertical creases you made in the previous steps indicated by the red dotted lines, and fold them to align with the center vertical crease.
Step 7
Fold the dollar in half vertically from left to right, then fold the left edge to the right side along the crease shown by the dotted line.
Step 8
Fold the paper in half horizontally, leaving a crease, and unfold it. Then, rotate the paper 90 degrees counterclockwise.
Step 9
Fold the bottom right corner diagonally along the dotted line, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 10
Lift the right edge along the center vertical crease, open the pocket and press down the bottom corner along the creases you made in the previous step. Flatten the fold to create a triangle.
Step 12
Fold the bottom right corner diagonally along the dotted line, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 13
The same to step 10.
Lift the right edge along the center vertical crease, open the pocket and press down the bottom corner along the creases you made in the previous step. Flatten the fold to create a triangle.
Step 14
Mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line, then fold it down along the black dotted line. Flatten the fold to get the beginnings of one of the wings.
Step 15
Repeat this for the left side.
Mountain fold the crease on the left side indicated by the red dotted line, then fold it down along the black dotted line. Flatten the fold to get the beginnings of another wing.
Step 16
Mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line. Then make a valley crease above and below the mountain crease, as shown by the black dotted lines. Finally, fold the mountain crease down along the valley crease line below.
Step 17
Repeat the previous step for the left wing.
Mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line. Then make a valley crease above and below the mountain crease, as shown by the black dotted lines. Finally, fold the mountain crease down along the valley crease line below.
Step 18
Fold the lower right corner of the upper part of the right wing up a little bit, then unfold it.
Step 19
Pull the top and bottom portions of the right wing in their respective directions to slightly expand the center fold. Then, valley fold the crease indicated by the black dotted line and mountain fold the creases indicated by the red dotted lines, as you can see in the second picture.
Flatten the fold to form a gap on the bottom right side of the upper part of the wing.
Step 20
Repeat step 18 for the left wing.
Fold the bottom left corner of the upper part of the left wing up a little bit, then unfold it.
Step 21
Repeat step 19 for the left wing.
Pull the top and bottom portions of the left wing in their respective directions to slightly expand the center fold. Then, valley fold the crease indicated by the black dotted line and mountain fold the creases indicated by the red dotted lines, as you can see in the second picture.
Flatten the fold to form a gap on the bottom left side of the upper part of this wing.
Step 22
Fold the left and right corners a little backward, then turn the butterfly over from left to right.
Step 23
Lift the right part of the top layer, and fold the right edge underneath along the white dotted line.
Step 24
As shown in picture 1, fold the left edge of this small fold to the left, and then flatten the small corner.
Step 25
Repeat step 23 for the left wing.
Lift the left part of the top layer, and fold the left edge underneath along the white dotted line.
Step 26
As shown in picture 1, fold the right edge of this small fold to the right side, and then flatten the small corner.
Step 27
Fold the model in half vertically, crease it very well, and unfold it. Then, flip it over from left to right, and the wings are naturally pointed downward, giving the model a more vivid appearance.
Step 28
Make two valley creases as indicated by the black dotted lines to form the butterfly’s abdomen.
Step 29
Shape the bottom part of the wings to be pointy.
Step 30
Make two antennae and glue them to the butterfly’s head.
What’s Next
If you haven’t had enough fun making this “dollar butterfly”, check the Origami Butterfly tutorial. The beautiful wings are slightly raised, and the lines are very natural and smooth, so lifelike that it seems to be shaking off scales in the next second.
Or check out Easy Origami Butterfly. The 2D shape makes it easier to make and is friendly to beginners. It would be a great idea to fold a dozen and stick them on a gift box.
Origami Butterfly
Easy Origami Butterfly