Make an Origami Bunny

These origami bunnies are cute and fun. You can draw on your bunny, you can make families, and you can even make your bunny hop! While method 2 doesn't hop like Method 1, it does look more like your standard bunny. See Step 1 below (of either method) to get started!

Steps

Making a Hopping Bunny

  1. Grab an index card or other rectangular paper. Anything will work, so long as it isn't square. You can use other things like business cards, a dollar bill, or a whole piece of paper. Do note that a small paper will be more likely to hop, but a bigger paper will be easier to fold.
    • Origami paper is best, especially because it comes with neat patterns. Two differently colored sides can sometimes make mistakes easier to see.
  2. Fold the top right corner of the index card diagonally down to the opposite side.
  3. Open the paper. Then fold the top left corner to the opposite side, just as before.
  4. Open the paper. You should see two creases making an X.
  5. Bend the paper backwards through the middle of the X. This will create a rectangle at the edge of your paper.
  6. Open the paper again. You should see an X with a line through it and several small triangles emerging. Got it?
  7. Push in the side triangles with your fingers. They should pop in towards the center. This is what's going to give your bunny its bounce.
  8. Collapse the folds by pushing the sides in and the top down. Right now it should look like a house. Rectangular on one end, triangular on the other.
  9. Fold the two sides of the "house" inward, so that they meet in the center. The sides will go under the points of the triangle on top. It's fine to leave a small space in between the edges. Now the "house" should look like an arrow.
  10. Turn the arrow over and fold the long bottom part up almost all the way to the top. The point of the "arrow" should still be showing.
  11. Take a little more than half the rectangle and fold it down. Make a solid crease with your finger.
  12. Turn the paper over again. Then, fold both points of the triangle into the center. See the ears?
  13. Curl the points back part way to make ears. Now that you see where the face should go, feel free to draw one on!
  14. Make your bunny hop by pushing down lightly on the space behind his ears. Then, let go! How much air can your bunny get?

Making a Stationary Bunny

  1. Start with a large piece of origami paper, patterned-side down. Small works, too -- it's just a bit harder to fold.
  2. Fold the paper in half, forming a triangle.
  3. Open the paper up and fold both sides into the crease. You should now have what looks like the beginning of a paper airplane. It also sort of looks like an ice cream cone -- the cone will be the patterned bit and the underside (the blank side) will jut out on top in a triangle shape.
  4. Fold the exposed underside over the patterned side. In other words, you know the ice cream cone shape you just had? Fold the "ice cream" bit over the "cone" bit. If you're using patterned paper, every bit should be showing you the patterned side.
    • You should be looking at a smaller triangle on top of a larger triangle. The paper, as a whole, is one giant, perfect triangle.
  5. Fold the flap (ice cream) 2/3 of the way back. You should be creating a small triangle going the opposite direction; the triangle is the underside (non-patterned) of your sheet. This will eventually be your tail.
  6. Flip the paper over and grab your scissors. Starting at the thinnest point in your big triangle, cut 1/3 of the way down the middle crease. This will create your head and ears.
  7. Fold it in half, folding the cut 1/3 up at a 90-degree angle. Fold them up on both sides. That's the head and ears, there's the body in the middle, and that little triangle you made a few steps ago? That's the tail!
  8. Draw on eyes and a face. Even just two little dots will bring the little fella to life. Now make another bunny so he has a friend!

Tips

  • If you want it to be a frog instead, simply fold over the "back legs" in the opposite direction, and the bunny ears become the front legs of the frog!
  • Reverse the 'jumping' folds to make a frog with feet.
  • If you still can't get your bunny to hop, try shortening the folds made in step 12. To fix this, turn the bunny over, straighten out the fold, and fold it in shorter.
  • Consider using recycled paper; it's better for the environment.
  • The stiffer the paper, the higher your bunny hops.
  • Try folding back and forth to make sharper folds.
  • Feel free to add some eyes and draw a nose, etc.
  • This is perfect for all ages and is lots of fun.
  • If you can't get your bunny to hop, try pushing down and holding it there, so your bunny's head is sticking up; then release.

Related Articles

Things You'll Need

  • Paper (any type, though origami preferred)
  • Scissors (method 2)
  • Marker (optional, for face)

Sources and Citations

  • Origami: New Ideas for Paperfolding - Gay Merrill Gross, Mallard Press (1990)
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