Insects

The tail of this piece leverages the technique devised for an origami raccoon, adding an extra set of legs and wings to make a bee. Although the folding sequence is somewhat normal, from a structural standpoint, this is a strange model. The two sets of flaps coming from the middle portion of the paper (the wings and a set of legs) are colored differently, resulting in a model’s center that was difficult to resolve (which in layman’s terms would be to flatten neatly). It took a bit of effort to arrive at a set of steps that would be easy to follow. While some people might find the idea of a striped flap to be a novelty in origami, the way the wings tuck into the head section is also unique. Purchase Book

Many butterflies in origami do not feature legs, but for a model with the wings in the upright position the legs are more prominent and should be featured. In spite of the graphic level of detail, the piece still has a cartoonist feel as it is loosely based on a toy. Strangely enough, the design is loosely based on a lobster that was devised earlier. The claws and body were expanded to become wings, and one set of legs was converted to antennae. This is a model where you can really be creative and have fun with the paper choice for the wings. Purchase Book

The interesting aspect of the model is in how the wings are color changed. Since those appendages come from the middle portion of the model, turning them inside out would not work. Instead, the model is predominantly white (the wing color) for most of the sequence, and then all of the other appendages are color changed (which is doable, as the remainder of the points come from the edge of the square). The mosquito model Alice Gray (origami pioneer and former Entomologist) made for the American Museum of Natural History inspired this piece. Purchase Book

Back when this piece was devised (in the late 1980’s), origami with more than a dozen appendages was a rarity. Still, the method for coaxing this many legs is similar to the blintz technique (commonly used in traditional works). The idea is that all of the major appendages are derived from around the perimeter of the square. The original incarnation of this model did not have the body pleating, but these extra folds allow for more dynamic posing. In case you were wondering what a cankerworm is, think of how a caterpillar metamorphoses into a butterfly; analogously, the cankerworm changes into a moth. It is distinctive from the rest of the caterpillar family, as there are no serrations. Purchase Book

This piece is the result of an evolution spanning two decades. When it was first introduced in 1986, the legs were thicker, and the folding sequence was not as straightforward. Though out the years, minor improvements were added, so as to make the legs thinner, and the body easier to shape. When folding this work, colors such as purple and green are often used to accentuate the cartoonish approach. Purchase Book

Ladybug - Given the subject’s near universal appeal (some regard its presence as good luck), this ladybug is showcased on the cover of Origami Bugs . To obtain the specific pattern of dots on the wings, each spot is treated as an actual appendage. Purchase Book

From a single square using only simple valley and mountain folds (Pureland style). Purchase Book

This is a silly origami pun that was developed at a class hosted by Jeremy Shafer (the master of humor through folding). Purchase Book

The legs on this spider are longer than they look as they are bundled together at their root. Purchase Book

From a single square using only simple valley and mountain folds (Pureland style). Purchase Book

From a single square using only simple valley and mountain folds (Pureland style). Purchase Book