Step 1.
Take a square sheet, lay it flat on the table, in a diamond position.
additional information
- If it is two-colored, place the colored side down on the table.
- The corners of the square are; at the top, on the right, at the bottom, and on the left.
Step 2.
Make a valley fold, vertical, by bringing the right corner over to the left corner.
Press firmly along the fold, then unfold.
Step 3.
Make a valley fold, horizontal, by bringing the bottom corner up to the top corner.
Press firmly along the fold, then unfold.
additional information
- We have just marked the diagonals of the original square.
- On the sheet, you can feel that the diagonals are in a valley (the crease of the diagonals forms a hollow)
- The intersection of the diagonals corresponds to the center of the sheet.
Step 4.
Make four valley folds to bring the four corners of the sheet toward the center of the fold.
Clearly mark the folds, and leave folded.
additional information
- The folding becomes a double-thickness square with the bottom edge horizontal.
- The corners of the double-thickness square are at the top left, top right, bottom right, and bottom left.
Step 5.
Turn the folding from right to left, and place it in a diamond position.
additional information
- The corners of the double-thickness square are at top, right, bottom, and left.
- The front side is smooth.
- The four triangular flaps are on the table side.
Step 6.
We are going to make a fish base with this double-thickness square.
Make a vertical valley fold, bringing the left corner to the right corner.
Carefully crease the fold, then unfold.
Step 7.
Turn the folding from right to left.
additional information
- The four triangular flaps are on the ceiling side.
- The square is still in a diamond position.
- The vertical diagonal is a mountain fold (it forms a bump).
Step 8.
Make a horizontal valley fold by bringing the bottom corner up to the top corner.
Carefully crease the fold, and let it fold.
additional information
- The folding consists of two large triangular flaps of the same size, double thickness that overlap.
- These two flaps are connected by a horizontal hinge edge at the bottom.
- The ceiling side and table side surfaces are smooth.
Step 9.
Make a diagonal valley fold by bringing the front flap's right edge from right to left down along the hinge edge.
Carefully crease the fold, then unfold.
Step 10.
Form an oblique valley fold by bringing the left edge of the front flap from left to right downward, along the hinge edge.
Carefully crease the fold, then unfold.
Step 11.
Simultaneously bring the right and left edges of the front triangular flap from top to bottom toward the hinge edge, using the oblique valley folds starting from the bottom points.
The top apex turns into a point that you pinch, so as to bring it to vertical, as the two edges approach the hinge edge.
additional information
- When the right and left edges of the front flap are aligned with the hinge edge, the formed point is oriented toward the ceiling.
- We have just made a rabbit ear fold.
Step 12.
Fold the rabbit ear to the left, against the fold.
Step 13.
Turn the fold from right to left.
Then repeat the manipulations described in steps 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Step 14.
Tilt the front flap from top to bottom around the horizontal axis of symmetry to open the fold.
additional information
- The small movable flaps of the fish base are on the table side.
- The fold is a diamond in a horizontal position.
- The front face is made up of four single-layer triangular flaps that meet at the center of the fold.
Step 15.
Unfold the four single-layer triangular flaps.
additional information
- The central part of the fold is a double-layered diamond.
- It is surrounded by four single-layer triangular flaps.
Step 16.
Turn the folding from right to left, rotate it a quarter turn counterclockwise,
And tilt the two central movable flaps downwards.
additional information
- The fold looks like two overlapping squares in a diamond position.
- We will first work on the upper square.
Step 17.
Fold down the upper edges along the vertical axis of symmetry.
additional information
- Our upper square has become a vertically positioned kite.
- It has: a right front movable flap,
- A right rear fixed flap,
- A left front movable flap,
- A left rear fixed flap.
- The upper part of the movable flaps is double thickness while the lower part is single thickness.
Step 18.
Starting from the left tip of the left movable flap, cut a notch along the horizontal line that marks the change in thickness.
additional information
- We now have two left front movable flaps:
- A single-thickness on the lower side,
- And a double-thickness on the upper side.
Step 19.
Fold the single-thickness movable flap inward.
Step 20.
Create an oblique valley fold by bringing the lower edge of the double-thickness movable flap from bottom to top toward the right, along the vertical symmetry axis. Mark the fold well, then unfold.
Step 21.
Open the double-thickness movable flap and form a rabbit ear on the 90° single-thickness left corner. Then fold this rabbit ear upward.
additional information
- The double-thickness rabbit ear extends beyond the folding on the left; it will become a leg.
Step 22.
Starting from the right tip of the right movable flap, cut a slit along the horizontal line that marks the change in thickness.
additional information
- We now have two right front movable flaps:
- A single thickness on the lower side,
- And a double thickness on the upper side.
Step 23.
Fold the single-thickness movable flap inside the fold.
Step 24.
Create an oblique valley fold by bringing the lower edge of the double-thickness movable flap from bottom to top toward the left, along the vertical symmetry axis.
Firmly crease the fold, then unfold.
Step 25.
Open the double-layer mobile flap and form a bunny ear on the right corner at 90° single layer. Then tilt this bunny ear upwards.
additional information
- The double-layer bunny ear overhangs the folding on the right; it will become a leg.
- In the middle of the folding we find:
- Side by side, separated by a vertical slit, two independent triple-layer mobile flaps whose free tip is oriented at 6 o'clock. They correspond to the mobile flaps of the fish base.
- Just above, side by side, separated by a vertical slit, two smaller double-layer flaps in a diamond shape, slanted.
- Only the upper half of these diamonds is mobile.
- The top tip of the folding is quadruple-layer. The vertical slit goes through the top three layers.
Step 26.
Rotate the fold halfway around and tilt the middle flaps currently at 12 o'clock toward 6 o'clock.
Then repeat all the manipulations described between steps 17 and 25.
additional information
- The fold is symmetrical
- If this has not been done, tuck the small single-layer middle flaps into the turtle's belly so that they no longer get in the way.
Step 27.
Make a horizontal zigzag fold on the lower point to form the tail.
additional information
- The first valley fold directs the turtle's tail toward 12 o'clock.
- The second valley fold repositions it toward 6 o'clock.
- The length of the tail has been reduced.
- The lower part consists of three layers:
- on the ceiling side, a triangular flap with the free tip pointing at 6 o'clock.
- In the middle, a trapezoid in a horizontal position, whose small base is the hinge edge that connects it to the flap on the ceiling side.
- On the table side, the rest of the folding whose lower edge corresponds to the large base of the middle trapezoid.
Step 28.
Starting from the tip's end, begin to fold down a few millimeters of the right slanted edge of the triangular tip.
Fold down, by a few millimeters, the right slanted edge of the middle trapezoid (which has lifted).
Step 29.
Starting from the tip's end, begin to fold down a few millimeters of the left slanted edge of the triangular tip.
Fold down, by a few millimeters, the left slanted edge of the middle trapezoid (which has lifted).
additional information
- We reduced the width of the base of the triangular flap to form the tail.
Step 30.
Make a horizontal zigzag fold on the upper tip to start forming the head.
additional information
- The first valley fold directs the upper tip towards 6 o’clock.
- The second valley fold repositions it towards 12 o’clock.
- The length of the initial tip has been reduced.
- The upper part consists of three layers:
- On the ceiling side, a triangular flap whose free tip is oriented at 12 o’clock.
- In the middle, a trapezoid in a horizontal position, whose small base is the hinge edge that connects it to the flap on the ceiling side.
- On the table side, the rest of the folding, whose upper edge corresponds to the large base of the middle trapezoid.
Step 31.
Form a pivot fold by bringing from right to left, the right oblique edge of the middle trapezoid, along the long base of the trapezoid.
Fold to the left, the right oblique edge of the triangular flap, which has lifted.
Step 32.
Form a pivot fold by bringing from left to right, the left oblique edge of the middle trapezoid, along the long base of the trapezoid.
Fold to the right, the left oblique edge of the triangular flap, which has lifted.
additional information
- Now, the initial triangular flap looks like a kind of diamond.
Step 33.
At the tip of the upper point, form a horizontal valley fold to round the head.
Step 34.
At the tips of the upper right and left points, form a horizontal mountain fold to mark the feet.
additional information
- For the moment, our turtle is on its back!
Step 35.
If the middle movable triangular flaps are oriented towards 6 o'clock, tilt them towards 12 o'clock to be able to work on the turtle's hind legs.
additional information
- For the moment, the hind legs are represented by two diamonds side by side, one on the right and the other on the left of the vertical slit corresponding to the vertical axis of symmetry.
- only the lower half of these diamonds is movable.
Step 36.
Make a valley fold by bringing towards the vertical axis the right part of the diamond on the right.
additional information
- the fold starts near the upper tip of the diamond.
- the outer part of the leg is slightly lifted toward the ceiling.
Step 37.
Form a valley fold by bringing the left part of the left diamond toward the vertical axis.
additional information
- The fold starts near the upper point of the diamond.
- The outer part of the flap is slightly lifted toward the ceiling.
Step 38.
Tilt the movable triangular flaps from top to bottom and slide their movable tip under the trapezoids so that they are no longer visible.
additional information
- You can also cross them and hold them together with a paperclip. This solution has the advantage of giving volume to the shell.
Step 39.
Turn the folding from right to left to place the turtle on its legs.