This is a small deer that may live in either grasslands or forests. It has two cute ears. Its overall shape is smart and elegant, resembling a noble little princess. This model is created using the basic Petal Fold technique, and the entire production process is straightforward.
Compared to our origami reindeer, this deer appears more adorable and easier to create, while the reindeer is more strong and cool. You can make it using paper with white polka dots to get a Sika Deer.
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: 15×15 cm / 2
- Total Steps: 25
- Difficulty: Easy
Material
Get two pieces of 15×15 cm square paper to create a 12.7×8.7 cm origami deer.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the paper with the colored side facing up. Fold it in half horizontally, then unfold it.
Step 2
Fold it in half vertically and unfold it.
Step 3
Flip the paper from left to right.
Step 4
Fold the bottom right edge to align with the top left edge, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 5
Fold the bottom left edge to align with the top right edge, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 6
Lift the left, right, and top points and push them to meet the bottom point based on the existing creases.
Step 7
Fold the bottom left and right edges of the top layer to align with the middle vertical crease, crease them well, and unfold them.
Step 8
Fold the top point down, then unfold.
Step 9
Open the pocket based on the crease created by the previous step. Then, lift the top layer and use your hands to flatten the pocket.
Step 10
Flip the paper from left to right.
Step 11
Fold the bottom left and right edges to align with the middle vertical crease, and unfold them.
Step 12
Repeat step 9.
Step 13
Fold up the two flaps on the bottom side along the black dotted lines separately, making the top edges of these two folded layers align with the horizontal crease of this paper. Crease them well, and unfold them.
Step 14
Fold up the two flaps on the bottom side along the middle horizontal crease, then unfold them 90 degrees, making them parallel to the ground. Next, open these flaps, and squash them along the crease you made in the previous step.
Step 15
Fold the top and bottom right edges of the right part to align with its middle horizontal line.
Fold the top and bottom left edges of the left part to align with its middle horizontal line.
Step 16
Fold the other piece of paper in the same way as above.
Step 17
Take one of the modules, turn it over, fold the top point along the black dotted line to the left and right once, and unfold it.
Step 18
Valley fold the creases indicated by the black dotted lines, and mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line, then press the left and right parts backward, getting a flat module. Rotate it 90 degrees from left to right.
Step 19
Rotate the paper 90 degrees from left to right, and pull the two bottom flaps to the sides.
Step 20
Fold down the top tip of the top layer, then fold down the tip a little. Valley fold the creases indicated by the black dotted lines, as you can see in the third picture, and flatten the module, rotate it 90 degrees from left to right.
Step 21
Cut two notches at the top of the paper as shown below.
Step 22
Rotate it 90 degrees from left to right, then cut the top part along its middle vertical line, then press down the resulting two flaps, these are the two ears of the deer.
Then, flatten this paper and rotate it 90 degrees from right to left.
Step 23
Take out another module, fold down the top point of the top layer, then fold down the next layer. Make sure that the two folded layers are not overlapping but staggered and placed side by side.
Step 24
Fold the paper in half vertically from left to right, then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise.
Step 25
Assemble these two modules to complete the origami deer.
What’s Next
This is the final shape of an origami deer. You can now explore our other interesting origami ideas. Happy folding!
Take a look at our origami reindeer; they both belong to the same species, but reindeer have two antlers and appear more majestic. You can also make an origami giraffe, it is very adorable, featured with a long neck and super-tall legs.
Origami Reindeer
Origami Giraffe
Other Origami Ideas
This diagram is absolutely amazing! I don’t normally comment on your posts, yet this is definitely worth a comment of gratitude! Thanks you guys, it is both stupidly easy to make and amazingly good looking! Thanks you!
Thank you Arda for your kind feedback
Cool but this is not origami. Scissors are a no-no. Also the front and back of the deer do not connect together, unless you use glue…
Hi Endo, thanks for your feedback! You are absolutely right—traditionally, origami does not involve cuts or glue.
However, highly realistic origami models can be very difficult for beginners to master. My goal with this tutorial was to offer the simplest way for people to create a beautiful decoration for their room. Sometimes, using a little glue makes the process much more accessible and enjoyable for those just starting out.
That said, the vast majority of tutorials on this site strictly follow traditional rules (no scissors or glue). I just selected this one as a fun, easy alternative! Thanks for understanding.
I need some assistance with step 14. I don’t get the 90 degrees part of it, my model does not seem to have the folds.
I finally realized what you meant! I was not sure how to reply until today when I figured it out. You are right that the image was a little unclear, so I have updated the picture for Step 14. In this step, you need to valley fold the bottom part up to the top and then simply lift it upright 90 degrees. The diagram made it look like there was an extra hidden layer to pull up, but it is actually just the part you just folded.