How to Make Origami Swans Slideshow

Learning how to make origami swans is a good project for people who are new to paper folding. Swans are easy to make, with few complicated folds.

Begin with your square sheet of paper turned upside down. Turn the square sheet so points are up and down, like in the photo to the left.

Fold your paper into the kite base. To make a kite base, do the following:

• Fold your paper in half diagonally, crease and open.
• Fold each side into the middle crease.

Turn the kite base upside down and fold the sides in to the center crease.

Take the bottom (narrow) point, and fold it back and up towards the top point and crease.

While the figure is still folded in half, take a short length of the top point and fold it down. This length can vary, depending on how big you want to make the swan's head.

Let the fold through the middle open up halfway. Pinch the back of the swan's body lightly so that the crease helps it stand up a little better.

Straighten out the head of the swan. You can pinch the back of the head slightly or not, depending on the look you want.

Once you have mastered how to make origami swans, try folding more complicated animal figures, like origami dragons. If you need more help with the swan, read LoveToKnow's article Origami Swans for Beginners.