The Best Origami Animals of 2018

In this post we’re looking at the best origami animals I saw uploaded to the Internet during 2018. Voting is still open for the best origami people, birds and reptiles so if you haven’t cast a vote for your favourites over there be sure to check them out first.

Voting for your favourite animal themed model will be open from now until Monday February 25, 2019. Feel free to vote for your own model and to encourage everyone you know to vote as well.

And with that let’s get started!

1) Hippopotamus, Designed and Folded by J.W Park

This model perfectly captures the weight and overall essence of a hippo perfectly. I also love the wide open mouth, over all 3D-ness and the pose it’s in here.

Instructions not available

2) Jaguar, Designed and Folded by Jaeil Jeong

This jaguar is easily one of my favourite cat designs. It really looks like a jaguar with the perfect pose and I really like the heavy cat-like feet with individual claws. An absolutely fantastic design.

Instructions not available

3) Lion, Designed by Andrey Ermakov and Folded by Chrisophe Michel

This is a fantastic looking lion and I love how playful and cat-like it looks and feels even though it’s folded out of paper.

Diagrams available in Olympiad 2018

4) Basset Hound, Designed by Lee Jae Gu and Folded by Rui Roda

Here’s an absolutely fantastic little origami dog with a ton of character. The colour changes in the design are really great, I love the big ears and everything is perfectly folded and shaped.

Diagrams available in the 2016 Origami Collection

5) Squeaker, Designed by Kohei Kamei and Folded by Hiroaki Kobayashi

This is totally one of the cutest models I’ve ever seen. The design is awesome with the colour changes and how it’s folded from a single square of paper and Hiroaki Kobayashi did a fantastic job folding here.

Diagrams available in Tanteidan Magazine #172

6) Deer, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Ivan Danny

Here we have a beautifully folded deer photographed out in the wild. Fantastic folding work and equally fantastic photography.

Video instructions available from Mariano Zavala B.’s YouTube channel

7) White Rhinoceros, Designed and Folded by J.W Park

This is one of the best rhino designs I think I’ve seen. It looks super life-like and full of energy despite being folded out of paper.

Instructions not available

8) Labrador Retriver, Designed by Gen Hagiwara and Folded by Adriano Davanzo

Here we have an adorable Labrador Retriever. I love how happy Adriano Davanzo made it look and the photography here is fantastic as well.

Diagrams available in Spirits of Origami

9) Bucardo, Designed by Richard Galindo and Folded by Jhordan Arauzo

Absolutely fantastic work here. I believe it’s been modified a bit from the original design to make the horns look a loot better.

Instructions not available

10) Pangolin, Designed by Eric Joisel and Folded by Blue Dandelion the Creator

This looks awesome and must have taken forever to fold all those individual scales!

Instructions not available

11) Gorilla, Designed by Nguyen Hung Cuong and Folded by Nguyen Nam Son

Nguyen Nam Son did a fantastic job folding this somewhat famous gorilla model. The facial expression here is probably the best part.

Crease pattren available from NGUYỄN Hùng Cường’s Flickr

12) Horse, Designed and Folded by Jaeil Jeong

Here we have an absolutely beautiful and elegant horse design. Everything from how the legs are shaped to the head and mane is perfect.

Instructions not available

13) Wolf, Designed by Shuki Kato and Folded by Maeng Heung Gue

Easily one of the best origami wolves I’ve ever seen. The folding is super crisp and well done and the face has the perfect expression. The over all shaping and pose also deserve a mention.

Diagrams available in Origami Nature Study

14) Rhinoceros, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Tkak Sakai

I love how aggressive this rhino looks. It’s folded using wet folding and looks amazing.

Instructions not available

15) Horse, Designed and Folded by J.W. Park

Another really fantastic horse design some some awesome colour changes and shaping.

Instructions not available

Which one of these models do you think was the best origami animal of 2018? Vote below!

Voting will be open for 2 weeks until Monday February 25, 2019. Feel free to vote for your own model and to encourage everyone you know to vote for it as well!

Voting is Now Closed