Reindeer, as the most important elements for Christmas, can be folded with a piece of paper.
This paper origami reindeer looks super realistic as you can see from the picture. It has two large antlers and a strong body. To make the folding process smoother and take less time, you can learn in advance what mountain folds and valley folds are, as well as pleat folds.
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: 50 minutes
- Paper: 24ร24 cm
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Designer: ้พไบๆตฉๅนณ
Material
Prepare a piece of 24ร24 cm origami square paper, with different colors on each side, to create an 11ร9 cm origami reindeer. It is recommended that you use square paper that is longer than 20cm, as there are a lot of folding steps. We also suggest you use slightly resilient paper.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the paper with the desired display color side down to begin folding, fold it in half horizontally, and unfold it.
Step 2
Fold the bottom left point indicated by the red spot to meet the other red spot, which is located on the horizontal crease, leaving a short crease shown by the black dotted line, and unfold it.
Step 3
Fold the bottom left point shown by the red spot to meet the other red spot, which is the intersection point formed by the two creases you made in the previous step. Crease it well to leave a short crease, as shown by the black dotted line, then unfold it.
Step 4
Fold the top edge indicated by the red line down along the dotted line to align with the black line, extending horizontally from the intersection marked by the red dot, leaving a crease, and then unfold.
Then, fold the bottom edge to align with this crease, leaving another crease, and unfold it.
Step 5
Fold the bottom left point diagonally, aligning the top edge of the folded layer with the top horizontal crease, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 and 2].
Repeat this for the bottom right point [pictures 3 and 4].
Fold the top left point diagonally, aligning the bottom edge of the folded layer with the bottom horizontal crease, leaving a crease, and unfold it. [pictures 5 and 6].
Repeat this for the top right point [pictures 7 and 8].
Step 6
Turn over the paper from left to right.
Step 7
Fold the top and bottom edges to align with the two horizontal creases separately, leaving two creases, and unfold them [pictures 1 and 2].
Fold the left and right edges to align with the two vertical black lines separately, which connect two intersection points shown by the red spots. Crease them well, leaving two creases, and unfold them [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 8
Turn over the paper from left to right. Mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line and valley fold the creases indicated by the black dotted lines.
Then, lift the mountain fold creases and fold them down toward the center along the valley fold creases. Finally, flatten the fold.
Step 9
Fold the left edge toward the right side along the black dotted line, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 and 2].
Fold the left edge to align with the crease you just made, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 10
Slightly lift the top layer on the left side, then mountain fold the slanted crease indicated by the red dotted line [pictures 1 and 2].
Then, fold this mountain fold crease toward the right side along the crease shown by the black dotted line. Finally, flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 11
Slightly lift the top layer on the left side, then mountain fold the slanted crease indicated by the red dotted line [pictures 1 and 2].
Push the right edge of the left layer to the left side, and finally, flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 12
Like step 9, fold the right edge toward the left side along the black dotted line, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 and 2].
Fold the left edge to align with the crease you just made, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 13
Like steps 10 to 11, slightly lift the top layer on the right side, then mountain fold the slanted crease indicated by the red dotted line [pictures 1 and 2].
Then, fold this mountain fold crease toward the left side along the crease shown by the black dotted line. Finally, flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Slightly lift the top layer on the right side, then mountain fold the slanted crease indicated by the red dotted line [pictures 5 and 6].
Push the left edge of the top layer to the right side, and finally, flatten the fold [pictures 7 and 8].
Step 14
Focus on the top left rectangle, fold it in half horizontally from bottom to top, then flatten the resulting arched layer, and finally, restore this rectangle [pictures 1 to 3].
Repeat this for the top left rectangle [pictures 4 to 6].
Step 15
Focus on the top right rectangle and mountain fold its middle horizontal crease, then fold this crease to align with its left edge, and finally, flatten the fold.
Step 16
Repeat this for the top left rectangle, mountain fold its middle horizontal crease, then fold this crease to align with its right edge, and next, flatten the fold. Finally, rotate the paper 180 degrees clockwise.
Step 17
Open the top opening and make the two red spots meet on both sides, then mountain fold the crease indicated by the red dotted line, and valley fold the creases indicated by the black dotted lines.
As the second picture shows, make the two red dots on the left and right of the back of the stand upright layer meet the red dot at the top of the base layer; make the two red dots on the left and right of the front of the stand upright layer meet the red dot in the middle of the base layer.
Then, you will get a lift flap. Next, open and squash this flap to form a triangle on the top.
Step 18
Fold the top right layer to the left side, then fold the bottom right point of the top rectangle to meet the midpoint of its top edge, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 to 3].
Mountain fold this crease and fold up the top rectangle along the black dotted line. Flatten the fold, making the red spots meet separately as the fifth picture shows [pictures 4 to 6].
Step 19
Fold the top edge down along the black dotted line, then fold down the top edge of the middle square, making the two red spots meet [pictures 1 and 2].
Push the lifted layer to the right side and flatten the fold [pictures 3 to 5].
Step 20
Like step 18, fold the top left layer to the right side, then fold the bottom left point of the top rectangle to meet the midpoint of its top edge, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 to 3].
Mountain fold this crease and fold up the top rectangle along the black dotted line. Flatten the fold [pictures 4 to 6].
Step 21
Like step 19, fold the top edge down along the black dotted line, then fold down the top edge of the middle square, making the two red spots meet [pictures 1 and 2].
Push the lifted layer to the left side and flatten the fold [pictures 3 to 5].
Step 22
Fold up the two top layers along the black dotted line, then turn over the paper from left to right. Next, fold down the top triangle, then turn over the paper from left to right.
Step 23
Fold the right edge of the right trapezoidal to align with its top left edge, then slightly lift this folded layer and the layer under it, and fold the small triangle (the extra extended part) along the black dotted line, as you can see in the third picture. Finally, put down the two layers.
Step 24
The same to the left side.
Fold the left edge of the left trapezoidal to align with its top right edge, then slightly lift this folded layer and the layer under it, and fold the small triangle (the extra extended part) along the black dotted line, as you can see in the third picture. Finally, put down the two layers.
Step 25
Fold down the two triangles, then fold up the hypotenuse of these two triangles to align with their top edge.
Step 26
Flip the paper over from left to right, then fold the bottom left and right edges along the black dotted lines that connect two red spots separately.
Step 27
Focus on the top part, fold its bottom left and right edges to align with its middle vertical line, crease them well, and unfold them.
Step 28
Slightly lift the top inverted triangle, then push the left and right sides of the top part toward the center to form a stand flap. Finally, open and squash this flap.
Step 29
Fold the right edge of the top layer to the left side along the middle black dotted line. Then, here, we used a red spot to divide the middle vertical crease into two equal sections. Fold the top left edge of the top triangle layer along the dotted line that connects two red spots [pictures 1 and 2].
Next, make a valley fold, shown by the short black dotted line connecting two red spots, as seen in the third picture. Finally, push this layer back to the right side and flatten the fold [pictures 3 to 5].
Step 30
The same to the left side, fold the left edge of the top layer to the right side along the middle black dotted line. Then, here, we used a red spot to divide the middle vertical crease into two equal sections. Fold the top right edge of the top triangle layer along the dotted line that connects two red spots [pictures 1 and 2].
Next, make a valley fold, shown by the short black dotted line connecting two red spots, as seen in the third picture. Finally, push this layer back to the left side and flatten the fold [pictures 3 to 5].
Step 31
Turn over the paper, then fold up the bottom triangle.
Step 32
Fold each of the left and right edges of the bottom triangle to overlap its base, then unfold.
Then, lift and slightly press down the left and right edges along the creases indicated by the white dotted lines, as seen in the fifth picture.
Step 33
Fold the paper in half vertically downward, then rotate it 90 degrees counterclockwise, and another 90 degrees from back to front.
Step 34
Fold up the left part along the black dotted line, crease it well, and unfold it.
Step 35
Rotate the paper 90 degrees from front to back, then expand the paper and valley fold the creases indicated by the black dotted lines [pictures 1 and 2].
Next, bring up the left part along these two valley-fold creases and close the bottom opening of the right part [pictures 3 and 4].
Finally, rotate the paper 90 degrees from back to front.
Step 36
Rotate the paper 90 degrees from back to front, and take out the small corner that is tucked on the left side [pictures 1 and 2].
Rotate the paper 90 degrees from front to back, and shape the small corner as the fourth picture shows [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 37
Fold the front layer backward along the red dotted line, then fold it back to the front along the black dotted line to complete a pleat fold.
Step 38
To make a mountain fold crease, as the red dotted line shows in the first picture, rotate the paper 90 degrees from right to left, then fold the left edge of the left flap toward the right side along the black dotted line.
While folding, flatten the resulting small corner, as shown in the third picture.
Step 39
Fold down the right flap along the crease indicated by the black dotted line, then fold it back to complete a pleat fold.
Step 40
As you did in step 38, fold the right edge of the right flap toward the left side along the black dotted line.
While folding, flatten the resulting small corner, as shown in the second picture.
Step 41
Fold down the top point of the right flap along the black dotted line, then fold it up to complete a pleat fold.
Repeat this for the left flap.
Step 42
Focus on this little corner we circled. Fold the left point of this small corner to meet its right point, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 and 2].
Fold the left edge of this layer toward the right side along the black dotted line, then flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 43
Repeat this for the left side.
Focus on this little corner we circled on the left side. Fold the right point of this small corner to meet its left point, leaving a crease, and unfold it [pictures 1 and 2].
Fold the right edge of this layer toward the left side along the black dotted line, then flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Step 44
Rotate the paper 180 degrees clockwise, then another 90 degrees from back to front.
Then, push both the left and right sides of the paper to close the bottom opening, and finally, rotate it 90 degrees from left to right. Here we can see the prototype of a reindeer.
Step 45
Shape the reindeer’s horns on this side along these red dashed curves. Do the same for the horns on the other side.
Step 46
Rotate it 90 degrees from left to right, and push its left and right cheeks to the front [pictures 1 and 2].
Fold the left and right points on each side along the dotted lines connecting the two red spots to form the eyes, and fold up the bottom point. Then, push the left and right sides to close the bottom opening of the paper [pictures 3 and 4].
Finally, rotate it 90 degrees from left to right.
Step 47
Fold down the top point of the tail, and unfold it.
Step 48
Rotate the model 90 degrees from front to back, then mountain fold the creases you made in the previous step, indicated by the red dotted lines, and valley fold the crease indicated by the black dotted line. Then, press the tip, tucking it between the two layers of paper. Finally, rotate the model 90 degrees from back to front.
Step 49
Look at its front left leg, fold its left point along the crease indicated by the black dotted line, crease it well, and unfold it.
Step 50
Focus on this front right leg and view it from the bottom left side, slightly expand this leg [pictures 1 and 2].
Mountain fold the creases you made in the previous step, indicated by the red dotted lines, and valley fold the crease indicated by the black dotted line. Then, press the tip, tucking it between the two layers. Flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Fold the edge backward along the red dotted line, then close the bottom opening of the model [pictures 5 and 6].
Finally, rotate it 90 degrees from front to back.
Step 51
Turn over the model from left to right.
Focus on the front left on this side, fold its bottom right edge along the crease shown by the black dotted line, crease it well, and unfold it.
Step 52
Similar to the step 50.
Focus on this front left leg and view it from the bottom right side, slightly expand this leg [pictures 1 and 2].
Mountain fold the creases you made in the previous step, indicated by the red dotted lines, and valley fold the crease indicated by the black dotted line. Then, press the tip, tucking it between the two layers. Flatten the fold [pictures 3 and 4].
Fold the edge backward along the red dotted line, then close the bottom opening of the model [pictures 5 and 6].
Finally, rotate it 90 degrees from front to back.
Step 53
This is the final shape of an origami reindeer.
Donโt forget to fold an origami Santa, the cute reindeer will be his best partner and helper.
Want to fold more origami projects related to Christmas? We recommend our Origami Combined Christmas Tree.
If you want to decorate your home with more unique and creative origami ornaments, explore our list of Christmas ornaments and decorations.
Origami Santa
Origami Combined Christmas Tree
What’s Next
That’s your cool origami reindeer, now you can explore our other origami animal instructions. Happy folding!
