Welcome to a fascinating model by designer Joseph Hwang: the lifelike Origami Squid. I chose to fold this because I love how it uses techniques. The easiest mountain and valley folds form its slender, conical body, while pleats shape its graceful tentacles.
I recommend using a slightly larger sheet of paper, it gives your fingers more room to shape those fine details and makes the process easier.
Once you’ve finished, you might enjoy my Origami Jellyfish too. It has a round bell and graceful tentacles, too. Let’s begin folding!
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: 20×20 cm
- Total steps: 33
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Designer: Joseph Hwang
Material
You can create a 15 cm long origami squid using a 20 cm x 20 cm square.
Have some glue ready to secure at the end.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the paper with the desired display side face down. Fold and unfold it in half horizontally and vertically.
Step 2
Fold the top edge to align with the horizontal crease, and unfold.
Fold both the left and right edges to align with the vertical crease.
Step 3
Fold the right edge’s top half to meet the center horizontal crease. Only press down to create a crease on the bottom half of this folded edge. Unfold. You should see a short crease on the right layer.
Repeat this for the left edge’s top half.
Step 4
Completely unfold the paper, and mountain fold along the red dash-dot-dot line, then flip the paper over from left to right.
Step 5
Mountain fold along the creases indicated by the red dash-dot-dot lines, and valley fold along the dashed lines.
Turn the paper over from left to right, and reinforce these mountain and valley creases.
Based on these creases, push the left and right edges toward the center to collapse the paper.
Rotate the paper 90 degrees from right to left to lay it flat.
Step 6
Work on the top left part’s top layer.
Fold the top edge to align with its bottom edge, and unfold.
Fold the top edge to meet the crease you just made, and unfold.
Mountain fold the center horizontal crease so we can take and fold it to meet the bottom edge. Crease, and unfold.
Step 7
Lift the right layer upward. This will cause the top layer to fold down automatically, forming a new shape. Rotate the model 90 degrees from back to front to make it stand upright, bringing into view the pre-creased surface from the last step.
Step 8
Mountain fold along the crease indicated by the red dash-dot-dot line, and valley fold along the creases indicated by the black dashed lines. (picture 1)
Based on these creases, lift the bottom edge, and press down the right layer toward the left to make the model flat. (picture 2)
Finally, lift the right layer back up to its new standing position. (picture 3)
Step 9
This step repeats the same folding technique as before, but on different creases.
Mountain fold along the crease indicated by the red dash-dot-dot lines, and valley fold along the creases indicated by the black dashed line. (picture 1)
Press down the right layer toward the left to make the model flat. (picture 2)
Finally, lift the right layer back up. (picture 3)
Step 10
One more time.
Mountain fold along the crease indicated by the red dash-dot-dot line, and valley fold along the creases indicated by the black dashed lines. (picture 1)
Press down the right layer toward the left to make the model flat. (picture 2)
Finally, turn the model over from left to right. (picture 3)
Step 11
Work on the top layer on the top right and repeat Step 6.
Fold the top edge to align with its bottom edge, and unfold.
Fold the top edge to meet the crease you just made, and unfold.
Mountain fold the center horizontal crease so we can take and fold it to meet the bottom edge, crease, and unfold.
Step 12
Repeat Step 7.
Lift the left layer upward. This will cause the top layer to fold down automatically. Rotate the model 90 degrees from back to front to make it stand upright, bringing into view the pre-creased surface from the last step.
Step 13
As you did earlier.
Mountain fold along the creases indicated by the red dash-dot-dot lines, and valley fold along the creases indicated by the black dashed lines. (picture 1)
Based on these creases, lift the bottom edge, and press down the left layer toward the right to make the model flat. (picture 2)
Finally, rotate the model 90 degrees from front to back to lay it flat. (picture 3)
Step 14
As you did earlier, and work on the top white part.
Fold the top edge to align with its bottom edge, and unfold.
Fold the top edge to meet the crease you just made, and unfold.
Mountain fold the center horizontal crease so we can take and fold it to meet its bottom edge, crease, and unfold.
Step 15
Rotate the model 90 degrees from left to right to make it stand upright. (picture 1)
Pull the left and right layers outward to open the model and flatten the center. (picture 2)
Press down the top point to form a mountain fold along the red dash-dot-dot line. (picture 3)
Rotate the model 90 degrees forward, then another 180 degrees clockwise. (pictures 4-5)
Step 16
Mountain fold the creases indicated by the red dash-dot-dot lines, and valley fold the creases indicated by the black dashed lines. (picture 1)
Using these creases, push the top, left, and right sides inward toward the center. This will collapse and close the model into a flat shape. Flatten it completely. (pictures 2-3)
Gently open the model again. (picture 4)
Tips: If you find it is difficult to pre-fold these creases, you can try gently pushing the top, left, and right sides inward to close the model first. As you push, the paper will naturally curve, helping to form the mountain and valley folds along the way. Then, refine the creases as you flatten.
Step 17
This step repeats the same folding technique as before, but on different creases.
Mountain fold the creases indicated by the red dash-dot-dot lines, and valley fold the creases indicated by the black dashed lines. (picture 1)
Push the top, left, and right sides toward the center to collapse and close the model into a flat shape. Flatten it completely. (pictures 2-3)
Rotate the model 90 degrees from left to right to lay it flat. (picture 4)
Step 18
Fold the bottom rectangle’s left edge to meet the top rectangle’s bottom edge, crease it very well, and unfold it.
Turn the model over from left to right.
Repeat this action for the bottom rectangle’s right edge.
Step 19
Rotate the model 90 degrees from right to left to set it upright. Gently expand the bottom zigzag section. (pictures 1-2)
Now you will see a pattern of creases forming consecutive “V” shapes. The rule is: Mountain fold each “V”, mountain fold from the bottom point of each “V”, and valley fold between them.
Carefully collapse (or pleat) the entire section following this mountain-valley pattern. These zigzag folds will become the squid’s antennae.
Quick Tip: Pre-crease the lines with a tool for sharper, easier folds. Fold 2-3 pleats, check the pattern, then continue.
Step 20
Collapse and flatten the zigzag section. Rotate the model 90 degrees from right to left to lay it flat.
Step 21
Fold the top right corner (top layer) along the diagonal line.
Step 22
Fold the left corner of the new layer toward the right along the black dashed line (which runs parallel to the layer beneath). Crease it well, and unfold.
Step 23
Fold the left corner to the right side, making the crease you made in the previous step meet the right edge of this layer. Then, fold the new left edge to align with the existing crease. Crease it very well.
Step 24
Fold the bottom left edge of the top small layer to align with its right edge, crease it very well, and unfold.
Step 25
Unfold the small top flap to reveal an intersection (red dot) of several creases. (picture 1)
Now, using the existing creases, fold the bottom-left edge to the right again. (picture 2).
At the same time, mountain fold along the red dash-dot-dot line. Valley fold along the short black dashed line that connects the intersection to the corner of the layer. (picture 3).
Followed by the top-left edge to the right. Forming a new, small triangular flap. (picture 4)
Step 26
Flip the model over from left to right.
Step 27
Fold the top left corner along the diagonal line. Fold it back toward the left along the black dashed line (which runs parallel to the edge beneath). Crease it well, and unfold.
Step 28
Fold the right corner to the left side, making the crease you made in the previous step meet the left edge of this layer. Then, fold the new right edge to align with the existing crease. Crease it very well. (pictures 1-2)
Fold the bottom right edge of the top small layer to align with its left edge, crease it very well, and unfold. (pictures 3-4)
Step 29
Similar to Step 25.
Unfold the small top flap to reveal an intersection (red dot) of several creases. (picture 1)
Mountain fold along the red dash-dot-dot line. Valley fold along the short black dashed line that connects the intersection to the corner of the layer. (picture 2)
Fold the bottom-right edge to the left, followed by the top-right edge to the left. Forming a new, small triangular flap. (pictures 3-5)
Step 30
Rotate the model 90 degrees from right to left, then open it from the back side.
Step 31
Fold both the left and right triangles to the back.
Step 32
Lift the left and right edges upward. Apply glue to their inner edges and join them together to form a cylindrical tube shape, and this is the body of the squid.
Step 33
Tuck the two bottom corners of the body inward (mountain fold) to create a flat, stable base. Then, flip the model over from left to right. Separate the antennae at the bottom so they extend naturally. This completes your origami squid!
What’s Next
I hope you enjoy folding this squid. I have many more origami sea creatures to guide you through, so I hope you’ll dive back in for the next one. Until then, happy folding!
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