This post will guide you on how to fold a vivid 3D origami tiger. Using orange paper will provide an excellent base color for the tiger, and once completed, the classic black stripes will enhance its adorable appearance. Alternatively, you can use white paper to make a Bengal tiger.
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. And don’t forget to check out our origami animal collection for more origami ideas.
- Folding time: 40 minutes
- Paper: 15×15 cm
- Difficulty: Advanced
Material
Prepare a piece of 15×15 cm origami square paper, with different colors on each side, to create an 8×4.5 cm origami tiger.
Step by Step Instructions
Following is a step-by-stepstep origami tutorial for this vivid tiger. Let’s start folding.
Step 1-1
Place the paper with the desired display color side down to begin folding, fold it in half horizontally, and unfold it.
Step 1-2
Fold it in half vertically, leaving a crease, then unfold it.
Step 2
Fold the top and bottom points to meet the center intersection point, leaving two short creases shown by the black dotted lines, and unfold them.
Step 3-1
Fold the bottom point to meet the intersection point on the top side, shown by the red spot, leaving a short crease, shown by the black dotted line, and unfold it.
Step 3-2
Similarly, Fold the top point to meet the intersection point on the bottom side, shown by the red spot, leaving a short crease, shown by the black dotted line, and unfold it.
Step 4-1
Fold the bottom point to meet the intersection, shown by the red spot, leaving a short crease, shown by the black dotted line, and unfold it.
Step 4-2
Similarly, fold the top point to meet the intersection point shown by the red spot, leaving a short crease, shown by the black dotted line, and unfold it.
Step 5-1
Fold the bottom point to meet the middle intersection point on the top side, shown by the red spot, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 5-2
Fold the top point to meet the middle intersection point on the bottom side, shown by the red spot, leaving a crease, and unfold it.
Step 6
Flip the paper over from left to right; then mountain fold the two creases indicated by the red dotted lines. Fold these two creases to align with the middle horizontal crease of this paper.
Step 7
Flip the paper over from left to right, then fold it in half horizontally from top to bottom.
Step 8
Fold the right part along the black dotted line, which represents the left hypotenuse of the small white triangle, and then unfold it.
Step 9
Fold the right part along the black dotted line, which represents the middle vertical line of the small white triangle, and then unfold it.
Step 10
Fold the right part along the black dotted line, which represents the right hypotenuse of the small white triangle, and then unfold it.
Step 11
Expand the paper and rotate it 90 degrees clockwise.
Step 12
Fold up the bottom point, leaving a short crease shown by the black dotted line, and unfold it.
Step 13
Flip the paper from left to right, then fold the bottom tip along the crease marked by the black dotted line. Turn the paper over so the yellow side is facing up.
Step 14
Mountain fold the creases indicated by the red dotted lines, and valley fold the creases indicated by the black dotted lines. Then, fold up the bottom edge along these existing creases, and finally, flatten the fold.
Step 15
Fold up the two triangles on the bottom side, crease them well, and unfold them.
Step 16
Fold down the top edge of the bottom triangle along the black dotted line, then push its left and right points to meet the bottom point, and finally, flatten the fold.
Step 17
Open the bottom pocket, and push up the bottom left and right points along the creases indicated by the black dotted lines separately, then, mountain fold the two short creases indicated by the red dotted lines. Flatten the fold and close this pocket.
Step 18
Fold up the two triangles of the top layer, then fold up the bottom point to meet the red spot. Finally, put down the two triangles you folded up.
Step 19
Rotate the paper 180 degrees clockwise and focus on the top part. Fold down the two points a little, then unfold them.
Step 20-1
Slightly lift the left layer, and inside reverse fold the top left point, then place the layer down.
Step 20-2
Similarly, inside reverse fold the right point.
Step 21-1
Flip the paper from left to right.
Step 21-2
Fold up the bottom point along the black dotted line, then fold down the top point of the resulting triangle a little.
Step 22-1
Flip the paper from left to right.
Step 22-2
Fold down the two flaps on the top and the layer under these two flaps. Then, bring up the layer on the back side.
Step 22-3
Flip the paper from right to left.
Step 23-1
Fold the left and right points of the paper to meet the center intersection point, leaving two creases, and unfold them.
Step 23-2
Fold the left and right points again along the creases you made, and tuck the two points under the middle layer.
Step 24
Fold up the bottom part along the black dotted line that connects two red spots; then, we can see here two small white triangles on each side. Fold the top left edge of the left triangle to align with its right edge; fold the top right edge of the left triangle to align with its left edge.
Fold this layer back to the bottom side along the black dotted line, aligning the two upper red dots with the two lower ones.
Step 25
Fold the left and right edges of the bottom layer to align with the bottom edge, crease them well, and unfold them.
Step 26-1
Fold the left edge of the bottom pentagon to align with its middle vertical crease, and fold down the left section of the top edge based on the crease you made in the previous step. Finally, flatten the fold.
Step 26-2
Repeat this for the right side. Fold the right edge to align with the middle vertical crease, and flatten the fold.
Step 27-1
Fold up the bottom point a little, then flip the paper from left to right.
Step 27-2
Fold up the bottom part along the crease indicated by the black dotted line, then fold this folded layer horizontally along the black dotted line, making the upper two red spots meet the lower two red spots separately.
Step 27-3
Turn over the paper from right to left.
Step 28-1
Fold the bottom right point along the black dotted line, then bring up the top part of this folded layer 90 degrees.
Step 28-2
Open and squash this stand upright flap.
Step 29-1
Fold this trapezoidal along its bottom side, then lift the right edge of the middle rectangle.
Step 29-2
Fold that trapezoid back to its original position. Be careful not to fold the bottom right corner of the center rectangle; you’ll need to take it out.
Step 30-1
Fold the bottom left point along the black dotted line, then bring up the top part of this folded layer 90 degrees.
Step 30-2
Open and squash this stand upright flap.
Step 31-1
Fold this trapezoidal along its bottom side, then lift the left edge of the middle rectangle.
Step 31-2
Fold that trapezoid back to its original position. Be careful not to fold the bottom left corner of the center rectangle; you’ll need to take it out.
Step 32
Fold down the top edge along the black dotted line, then fold it up to complete a pleat fold.
Step 33-1
Fold up the tiny corners on each side, and unfold them.
Step 33-2
Fold the left and right edges of the top part along the two dotted lines that connect two red spots.
Step 34
Fold the paper in half vertically, crease it well, and unfold it.
Step 35-1
Flip the paper from left to right, then fold up the three flaps on the top side.
Step 35-2
Fold down the top left flap along the black dotted line that connects two red spots, crease it well, and unfold it.
Step 35-3
Repeat this for the top right flap.
Step 36
Fold the paper in half vertically backward, and you’ll find that the top will naturally fold down, based on the creases you made in the previous step.
Step 37
Rotate the paper 90 degrees from left to right and fold the tail toward the left side along the black dotted line.
Step 38-1
Expand this paper and draw some tiger patterns on it.
Step 38-2
Fold it vertically again and rotate it 90 degrees counterclockwise to form a complete origami tiger.
Fold another origami lion; we all know that the lion is the king of the grasslands, just as cool and majestic as a tiger
In addition to fierce animals like tigers and lions, we recommend you make a cute origami panda and experience different challenges.
Origami Lion
Origami Panda
What’s Next
That’s your lovely origami tiger. Next, you can explore our other origami animal instructions. Happy folding!
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