Easy Dollar Bill Origami Turtle Instruction

This dollar bill origami turtle features the presidential portrait perfectly positioned at the center of its shell, creating a unique fusion of currency artistry and traditional craftsmanship. For optimal results, it’s recommended to use a relatively crisp one-dollar bill to ensure clean, precise folds.

The story behind this captivating creation is both inspiring and frustrating. When I first set out to create a money turtle, I spent countless hours researching origami techniques and searching for tutorials that could guide me through the process.

My search eventually led me to a YouTube video that seemed to promise exactly what I was looking for. However, I quickly discovered that the creator had used a misleading thumbnail to attract viewers. The actual tutorial featured a completely different design—a poorly crafted, unattractive money turtle that bore no resemblance to the elegant specimen shown in the preview image.

Determined to find the source of that beautiful turtle from the thumbnail, I embarked on an extensive online investigation. After much searching, I finally discovered that the stunning dollar bill turtle was actually created by Glenn Sapaden, the renowned origami artist. Unfortunately, no instructional guide or tutorial was available for this particular design.

Despite the lack of guidance, I was so captivated by the turtle’s elegant design that I decided to take on the challenge myself. Through countless hours of experimentation and careful analysis, I successfully reverse-engineered the folding pattern and developed my own unique approach to recreating this masterpiece.

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: 15 minutes
• Paper: A dollar bill
• Total Steps: 23
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Design: Glenn Sapaden

Material

Get a 1 dollar bill to create an origami turtle. A slightly new and crisp bill would create a better effect.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Fold the bill in half vertically, leaving a crease, and unfold it.

Step 2

Fold the left and right sections of the top edge to align with the vertical crease, and unfold them.

Step 3

Fold the left and right sections of the bottom edge to align with the vertical crease, and unfold them.

Step 4

Flip the dollar over from left to right.

Step 5

Fold the right edge along the dotted line extending vertically from the intersection point indicated by the red spot, leaving a crease, and unfold it.

Step 6

Fold the left edge along the dotted line extending vertically from the intersection point indicated by the red spot, leaving a crease, and unfold it.

Step 7

Flip the bill from left to right.

Step 8

Mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line, and valley fold the crease indicated by the blue dotted lines. Then, lift the right section of the top and bottom edges and the right edge, fold the right edge to the left side, and finally, flatten the fold.

Step 9

Fold the left edge of the right part to the right side along the dotted line.

Step 10

Repeat step 8 for the left side.

Mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line, and valley fold the crease indicated by the blue dotted lines. Then, lift the top, bottom, and left edges, fold the left edge to the right side, and finally, flatten the fold.

Step 11

Fold the right edge to the left side along the dotted line, then fold the top layer in half horizontally from top to bottom, and finally, turn the dollar over from left to right.

Step 12

Fold down the top corner backward along the red dotted line (mountain fold). Then, fold the top left and right corners backward along the red dotted lines on each side.Finally, flip the dollar from left to right.

Note: Pay attention to the position of the fold line in relation to the portrait. Normally, we would flip to the back side first and make a valley fold. However, since the fold line needs to align with the edge of the portrait, you have two options: (1) make a mountain fold from the front side as shown, or (2) flip the bill over first and make a valley fold from the back. Either way works – just ensure the fold line is positioned correctly along the portrait’s edge.

Step 13

Unfold the small flaps at the top left and right, then create a mountain crease on the right side, as indicated by the red dotted line. Finally, flatten the top right corner and make the resulting pleat beneath the mountain crease.

Step 14

Repeat this for the left side.

Create a mountain crease on the left side, as indicated by the red dotted line. Finally, flatten the top left corner and make the resulting pleat beneath the mountain crease.

Step 15

Fold the bottom corner of the top pentagon upwards, and fold the bottom edges of the left and right layers upwards as well. Finally, flatten the fold.

Step 16

Fold up the bottom corners of the two upper layers along the horizontal crease, then turn the dollar over from left to right.

Step 17

Fold the left and right corners backward along the red dotted lines, note that do not fold the human image part.

Step 18

Flip the bill from left to right.

Step 19

Fold down the two flaps on the top side to the sides, then fold the triangle on each flap’s end along their hypotenuse. Finally, flip the turtle from right to left.

Step 20

Fold up the right edge of the left flap, and the left edge of the right flap, then fold them back to form a zigzag. Finally, fold the two corners up a little, as you can see in the third picture. These are the turtle’s two hind legs.

Step 21

Raise the turtle’s hind legs.

Step 22

Fold up the bottom corner, then fold it back to the bottom side to form a zigzag, and next, press down the two hind legs.

Step 23

Flip the turtle over to finish.

What’s Next

That’s your adorable origami turtle made with a dollar bill. Next, you can check out our other origami fish ideas. Happy folding!

In addition to this dollar bill origami turtle, we also offer Origami Turtle and Origami Sea Turtle. The Origami Turtle has a slightly arched shell, and a tiny tail makes it look even more adorable. While the Origami Sea Turtle featured a wide and flattened shell and a bread-like turtle head. These two are made with ordinary folding papers.

Origami Turtle

Origami Sea Turtle

Other Origami Fish Ideas

Origami Shell

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Origami Hammerhead Shark

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Origami Whale Shark

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Origami Narwhal

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