Are you afraid of snakes? Don’t worry, this origami cobra is much friendlier! It looks cool with its wide hood and tiny fangs. It’s the perfect project to decorate your desk.
This model is super easy to make. You only need one square of paper, cut into two halves. We use one half for the detailed head and the other half for the long, coiled body.
I love how the body curves realistically. If you want something even simpler, try my Origami Ophiophagus Hannah. It has a wide head and a cool pleated body that looks very geometric.
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: 30 minutes
- Paper: 15×15 cm
- Total steps: 22
- Difficulty: Easy
Material
We used a 15 cm × 15 cm square to make an origami cobra that was about 7.5 cm tall and 10.5 cm long.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the paper with the display side down. Fold and unfold it in half vertically. Cut it along this vertical crease. You will now have two identical rectangular strips of paper to work with.
Step 2
Take one of the rectangles and fold it in half vertically (Pic 1), then unfold it to find the center line (Pic 2). Finally, fold both the left and right edges inward to meet that center crease (Pic 3) to create a narrow strip (Pic 4).
Step 3
Fold the top two corners down diagonally (Pic 1), crease them well, and then unfold them back to their original position (Pic 2).
Expand the entire strip of paper completely (Pics 3-4).
Step 4
Collapse the top section by pushing the left and right edges back to the center, while following the diagonal creases to flatten the top into a point (Pics 1-3). Next, fold the two small top flaps downward (Pic 4). Finally, rotate the model 180 degrees (Pic 5).
Step 5
Fold the upper right corner downward along the dashed line, making the bottom edge of the resulting flap perfectly horizontal (Pic 1). Crease it well and unfold (Pic 2).
Repeat this exact process on the left side by folding the corner down and unfolding it (Pics 3-4), this reveal a new X-shaped pre-crease on top side. Finally, flip the model over (Pic 5).
Step 6
First, fold down the top corner along the horizontal line extending horizontally from the previous creases’ intersection, and unfold (Pics 1-2), then turn the model over (Pic 3).
Using all the pre-creases as a guide, collapse the upper section by gently pushing the left and right edges toward the center while the top section flattens into a square shape (Pics 4-5).
Step 7
Focus on the small square at the top. Fold the left half over to the right (Pic 1).
On this new triangular flap, fold the bottom-right edge to meet the left vertical edge (Pic 2) and unfold (Pic 3).
Repeat by folding the top-right edge to meet the same vertical edge (Pic 4) and unfold to create a set of X-shaped creases (Pics 5-6).
Step 8
Using the previous X-shaped creases, lift and pinch the top and bottom right edges together to sharpen the right corner of the tiny flap (Pics 1-2). Press this sharp point down to flatten it (Pic 3), then fold the entire flap back to the left along the vertical center line (Pic 4).
Step 9
Fold the right triangular flap over to the left. Just like before, fold both the upper-left and lower-left edges of this flap to align with the right vertical line, then unfold to create an X-shaped crease pattern.
Step 10
Following the same method as Step 8, lift and pinch the top and bottom left edges along the X-creases to sharpen the left corner. Flatten the point, then fold the entire flap back to the right to reveal a symmetrical diamond shape.
Finally, fold the bottom corner of this diamond all the way to the top tip.
Step 11
On the top diamond section, fold the left and right corners toward the center (Pic 1). Holding them in place, fold the top point downward (Pic 2). Finally, pleat the bottom tip upward slightly at a 90-degree angle to create the cobra’s jaw (Pics 3-4).
Step 12
Gently pull out the two tiny flaps hidden on both sides of the top corner, then fold them downward at a 90-degree angle to create the fangs. Finally, flip the model over.
Step 13
Fold the top-left edge down along the white dashed line (Pic 1), making the bottom edge of the new flap horizontal, then crease and unfold (Pic 2). Next, fold that same top-left edge down again to align with the crease you just made (Pic 3), and unfold it once more (Pics 4-5).
Step 14
Mirror the same process for the top right edge.
Step 15
Fold the left and right edges toward the center vertical line (Pic 1), but only create partial creases from the bottom up to the intersection point marked by the red dots. This keeps the upper section of the model in an open and expanded state. Finally, unfold both sides (Pic 2).
Step 16
Mountain fold along the center vertical line and the wavy horizontal lines marked in red (Pic 1). Based on these creases, pinch the lower body together (Pic 2) to make it narrow and 3D.
Flip the model over (Pic 3) to see the cobra’s basic shape, then rotate it 90 degrees to the side (Pic 4) for the next step.
Step 17
Simply fold the bottom section upward along the white dashed line, then unfold it to leave a clear crease.
The more you fold it up, the longer the cobra’s tail becomes.
Step 18
Rotate the model 90 degrees so the back faces you (Pic 1), then slightly open the bottom section from Cobra’s front (Pic 2) to perform an outside reverse fold using the previous crease (Pic 3).
This will make the tail point backward, perpendicular to the body (Pic 4). Finally, rotate it 90 degrees back to the side profile (Pics 5-6), and this is the head part.
Step 19
Using the other half of the paper, let’s start on the cobra’s long body and tail.
Place the paper with the display side down and fold it in half vertically (Pic 1), then unfold it to reveal the center crease (Pic 2). Finally, fold both the left and right edges inward to meet that center vertical crease (Pics 3-4).
Step 20
Fold the top two corners down diagonally to create a sharp point (Pic 1). Next, fold the left and right edges inward to align with the center vertical line to narrow the strip (Pic 2). Finally, fold the entire model in half vertically (Pic 3), crease very firmly, and unfold it back (Pic 4).
Step 21
Now, let’s assemble the two parts: slide the flat end of the body strip into the open pocket at the back of the head part (Pics 1-2).
Once they are joined securely, fold the entire model in half along the center line (Pic 3) and press firmly to lock the two pieces together.
Step 22
Rotate the model 90 degrees to the side profile. For the final step, coil the long body to give the cobra its lifelike pose. If you are not sure how to shape it, just follow my final model as a guide.
What’s Next
Great job finishing your cobra, and it’s truly easy, right? If you want to add more creatures to your paper zoo, check out the following origami animal. There are plenty of fun designs waiting for your next challenge!
Other Origami Animals Ideas
I love this!