An origami turtle is a flat paper turtle with a rounded shell, four little flippers, a head and a tail, all folded from one square. This version needs a single snip with scissors, which makes the front flippers much easier than a pure fold. This tutorial follows Rob from Art for Kids Hub, who folds it with three year old Austin helping press the creases, so it is a good one to do with grandchildren.
How to make an origami turtle: the short version
- Fold a square into a triangle, then a smaller triangle.
- Squash both flaps into a square base.
- Fold the sides to the center and open the top layer.
- Cut the bottom flap up the middle and fold out the front flippers.
- Pleat the head, fold out the back feet and pleat the tail.
- Fold in the side points and flip it over.
Choosing paper
Use square origami paper that is colored on both sides. Rob picks green on both sides, so no white shows on the shell or flippers. A 6 inch square makes a turtle about the size of your palm; a larger 8 or 10 inch sheet is easier for small hands. If you only have printer paper, fold one corner down to the opposite edge to make a triangle and cut off the strip below it. When you open it, you have a square.
Folding with kids
Let the adult set up each fold and the child press it flat. Children love running a finger along a crease, and a sharp crease makes every later step easier. Do the scissors step yourself or with child safety scissors and a hand on theirs. The squash fold in steps 2 and 3 is the trickiest part. Rob opens and redoes it once on camera, which is a good reminder that it is fine to unfold and try again.
Origami words you will see
- Square base. A small layered diamond made from two squash folds. Many origami animals start here, including the crane.
- Squash fold. Lift a flap, open its pocket and press it flat into a new shape.
- Petal fold. Lift one layer while its sides fold in along creases you made earlier.
- Pleat. A fold down and back up that makes a small step.
Ways to use your turtles
Draw a pattern on the shell with markers, or fold a small one from patterned paper for a baby turtle. Glue one to the front of a birthday card, tape a row along a classroom bulletin board, or fold a family of different sizes for an ocean scene with paper fish. A turtle with a small magnet on the back makes a cheerful fridge decoration.
Common problems
- The squash fold will not lie flat. Open the flap fully, line the center crease up with the edge below, then press.
- The flippers are uneven. Cut straight up the center crease and fold both sides to the same angle.
- White paper shows. Use paper colored on both sides.
- The legs look too pointy. Fold the tips in, as in the last step, to round them off.
More paper animals
Once you have the turtle, try an origami frog that jumps, a paper cat, or the classic origami crane.
