Origami guide
How to fold an origami panda face
Paper that is dark on one side and white on the other does the work: the dark side makes the ears, the white side the face. Draw on the eye patches and you have a panda.
- Little folder
- About 10 minutes
- 8 steps
You will need
One square of origami paper, 15 cm (6 in) across, black or dark on one side and white on the other. A black marker for the face.
This simple panda face lets the paper do the work: one side makes the face, the other the ears. You need paper that is black or another dark colour on one side and white on the other, and a black marker for the eye patches.
There is no single traditional panda face in origami. This is the simplest common one, easy enough for young folders.
Step by step
How to read the diagrams
- Valley fold: fold towards you
- Mountain fold: fold away from you
- Crease you made earlier
- Fold, then unfold
- Pull out or open
- Turn the paper over
- Push in here
New to folding? Start with how to start origami, which shows each fold.
Step 1
Crease the diagonals
Start with the white side up, turned so a corner points at you. Fold the paper in half corner to corner and unfold, then the other way.
Step 2
Crease the top and bottom
Fold the top corner down to the centre and unfold. Fold the bottom corner up to the centre and unfold.
Step 3
Fold the sides to the centre
Fold the left and right corners in to the centre.
Step 4
Turn over
Turn the paper over. This side is dark all over.
Step 5
Fold the top point down
Fold the top point down along a line a little above the middle, about 2 cm on a 15 cm square. The white point reaches down past the lower crease, and two dark ears show at the top corners.
Step 6
Fold the point behind for the chin
Fold the bottom of the white point behind, along a straight line, to make the chin.
Step 7
Fold the bottom point up
Fold the bottom point of the paper up to the crease above it.
Step 8
Draw the face
Draw two big eye patches, two eyes and a nose on the white face. Your panda is finished.
Tips
- The higher the fold in step 5, the smaller the ears. Try a few and pick your favourite.
- No black paper? Colour one side of a sheet of printer paper with a black crayon, then cut it square.
- Draw the patches big. Wide, droopy eye patches make it look most like a panda.
From face to moon
Our Panda asleep on the moon papercraft kit folds a faceted panda dozing in a crescent moon. It is a longer project with card, glue and a ruler, for older children and grown-ups.
Fold another
The elephant face and the fox face are just as friendly.