{"title":"How to Make an Origami Turtle (Easy, One Cut)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/paper-crafts/how-to-make-an-origami-turtle","category":{"slug":"paper-crafts","name":"Paper Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Art for Kids Hub","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5XMF3Inoi8R9nSI8ChOsdQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO23y8xVc2w"},"tldr":"Learn how to make an origami turtle from one square of paper. Easy steps, one snip for the flippers and a fun fold to do with kids.","quickAnswer":"Learn how to make an origami turtle from one square of paper. An easy project: about 15 minutes. You need 3 things, including scissors and bone folder. The 10 steps start with fold the Origami Paper Into a Small Triangle, squash Fold the First Flap of the Origami Turtle, squash the Second Side Into a Square Base, fold the Turtle Sides to the Center Line and open the Top Layer Into a Long Diamond.","totalDurationSeconds":695,"videoDurationSeconds":695,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":15,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":15,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":"1 paper turtle"},"tools":["scissors","bone folder (optional)"],"materials":["square origami paper, colored on both sides"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Fold the Origami Paper Into a Small Triangle","text":"Start with a square of origami paper, colored side down if it has a white side. Fold it in half corner to corner to make a big triangle and press the crease flat. If the corners do not line up, open it and redo it. Then fold that triangle in half again, corner to corner, to make a smaller triangle."},{"number":2,"title":"Squash Fold the First Flap of the Origami Turtle","text":"Lift the top flap of the small triangle so it stands straight up. Open the pocket and press it down flat so it becomes a square, with the center crease lined up with the fold underneath. This is called a squash fold. Press the new edges down firmly before you move on."},{"number":3,"title":"Squash the Second Side Into a Square Base","text":"Flip the paper over and do the same thing on the other side. Lift the flap, open the pocket and squash it flat into a square. When both sides are done, you have a square base: a small diamond with an open end at the bottom and layers on both sides."},{"number":4,"title":"Fold the Turtle Sides to the Center Line","text":"Working on the top layer only, fold the right lower edge in so it lines up with the center crease. Do the same with the left edge. It now looks like a kite. Then fold the top point down over those flaps and crease it well. These creases guide the next fold, so press them hard."},{"number":5,"title":"Open the Top Layer Into a Long Diamond","text":"Unfold the flaps from the last step. Lift the bottom point of the top layer up, using the crease you made as a hinge. As it rises, the sides fold in along the creases. Press them down so the top layer becomes a long diamond. This is a petal fold, and it is the tricky part."},{"number":6,"title":"Cut the Bottom Flap for the Turtle Front Flippers","text":"Take scissors and cut up the middle of the long flap you lifted, along the center crease. Stop where the flap meets the body. That single cut splits the flap into two strips. Those strips become the front flippers. This is the only cut in the whole turtle, so take it slow and keep it straight."},{"number":7,"title":"Fold Down the Origami Turtle Front Flippers","text":"Fold each cut strip down and out to the side, at a slant, so they stick out like front flippers. Press both flat. Try to fold them to the same angle so the turtle looks even. Now you can start to see the turtle shape, with a point above the flippers that will become the head."},{"number":8,"title":"Pleat the Origami Turtle Head","text":"Fold the top point down, then fold it back up partway so it sits in a little step. This small zigzag is a pleat, and it makes the head stick out from the shell. Press it down well. Turn the model over and you will see the head poking out from the top."},{"number":9,"title":"Fold Out the Back Feet of the Origami Turtle","text":"Fold in the side points of the front legs so they are not so pointy, then squash them back down. At the bottom, find the two little ends. Fold one out to the side to make a back foot and press hard. Fold the other to the same point so both back feet are the same length."},{"number":10,"title":"Pleat the Tail and Finish the Origami Turtle","text":"Fold the bottom point up, then back down in a small pleat, like the head but smaller. That is the tail. Turn the turtle over and check the head and tail stick out. Flip it back, fold the two side points in to touch the center line and press. Turn it over and your turtle is done."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-10T15:34:27.769Z","published":"2026-11-10T15:34:27.500Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}