traditional origami turtle

How to Fold an Easy Origami Turtle

kellyByKelly Tan
8 Comments

Create a cute, 3-D-shaped origami turtle with these easy-to-follow instructions.

This model is great for practicing the swivel and pleat folds while still being accessible to beginners.

If you’re new to paper folding, have a look at our Beginner’s Guide, which will teach you all the basic folds and techniques.

Traditional Origami Turtle Step-by-Step Instructions

  • Difficulty: Beginner Level 3
  • Folding time: 10-15 minutes
  • Model designer: Traditional
  • Paper: Kami 15×15 cm
Download Instructions 📩
Ask Questions 💬

Step 1

origami turtle paper fold step 1
origami turtle diagram step 1

Start with the white side up. Fold in half and unfold. Flip around.

Step 2

origami turtle paper fold step 2
origami turtle diagram step 2

Fold the edges to the center line. Flip around.

Step 3

origami turtle paper fold step 3
origami turtle diagram step 3

Fold to the center line, along one layer only. Make sure to not crease the flaps created in the previous step (see picture).

Step 4

origami turtle paper fold step 4
origami turtle diagram step 4

Fold up, aligning the bottom edge with the center line.

Step 5

origami turtle paper fold step 5
origami turtle diagram step 5

Fold the right flap down, aligning the point with the bottom edge.

Step 6

origami turtle paper fold step 6
origami turtle diagram step 6

Repeat on the left side.

Step 7

origami turtle paper fold step 7
origami turtle diagram step 7

Fold the top flap in half.

Step 8

origami turtle paper fold step 8
origami turtle diagram step 8

Fold the flap up, aligning the circled points.

Step 9

origami turtle paper fold step 9
origami turtle diagram step 9

Fold and unfold, aligning the side edges with the top edges.

Step 10

origami turtle diagram step 10

Swivel fold towards the center, using the crease made in the previous step.

Step 11

origami turtle diagram step 11

Pleat the bottom to create the tail. Flip the model around.

Step 12

origami turtle diagram step 12

Pleat the tail and narrow the body.

Step 13

origami turtle paper fold step 13
origami turtle diagram step 13

Narrow the arms and legs.

🐢 Folding tip: Pleat the arms to shorten them and give more volume to your model.

The Completed Traditional Origami Turtle

origami turtle paper fold completed
origami turtle diagram completed

The completed model.

🐢 Folding tip: You can also pleat the head to shorten it and give more volume to your model.

What did you think about this origami turtle? Let us know in the comments!

Download the Full Origami Turtle Printable PDF Instructions

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kelly

My origami journey began 17 years ago, evolving into a profound passion throughout the years. My proudest accomplishment has been contributing to a vibrant local origami scene at UC Berkeley’s CAL Origami Club, where I helped to host local conventions and co-founded a university-level origami design class, aiming to inspire creativity within students. For me, origami offers a sense of accomplishment as I transform a flat sheet into a three-dimensional artwork. Its beauty lies not just in its complexity and precision but in the community, a shared connection, and appreciation for the art form.

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katrina unocorn

I’m tried making it but its challenging and I like it a lot and I gave it a name to its called cuteie

3
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Jeremy

I had to do this turle 4 times over again because I kept messing up by making a “square” XD
But over all it’s COMPLETLY worth it and I absolutely LOVE IT SO MUCH!
I even named HIM Jeremy Jr. And gae him a tiny tiny little hat :’)

5
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Md. Mehedi Hasan

nice

4
Reply
Hermione

it’s ok but it’s not really origami if you use scissors and it’s a bit flat it should be a bit more 3D

3
Reply
501 legion

Thx, I liked this, but isn’t it technically not origami if you use scissors?

3
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Origami KING

Yes, it is technically called kirigami I believe, but still cool turtle.

2
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Florent Fabre

We’ve added a new diagram to the page that doesn’t require the use of scissors. However, it’s worth mentioning that scissors are perfectly fine to use in origami and have been used in traditional models for a long time. Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference!

2
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Aaron Horner

Yellow turtle friend
Now keeps me company while
I sip my green tea

Had a lot of fun learning something new this morning. Glad to have put a few wrinkles in my brain as well as some paper. Thanks!

3
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