How to Fold a Traditional Origami Swan

Co-authored by Robert Homayoon

Last Updated: November 10, 2023 Approved

The origami swan is a very traditional structure. This swan is very simple to make. Requiring only several mountain and valley folds, this origami swan is very well suited for beginners. The results of this swan may look a bit shabby at first, but soon, your swan will look very elegant and beautiful after only a few minutes of practice.

Steps

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Get a square piece of paper, turn it over so that the colored side is at the bottom. You can find a range of origami paper on Amazon.
diagonally, so that it looks like a triangle.

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so that it looks like a square again.
and fold them to that crease. It should make a kite shape.
and fold those into the middle crease again. The kite should be thinner with triangular designs on one side.
, take the bottom point of the kite (the thinnest part) and fold it up to the top point of your kite shape, with the thin point along the middle crease.
and fold down a small portion of the point down, the portion should look like a triangle that is only about 1 or 2 centimeters (0.4 or 0.8 in) tall. The triangle formed by the previous step that was a triangle, should now look like a very tall trapezoid.
Fold the crease in half again. Except with the design side on the top.
, pull up the thin point of the triangle to a desired height. It could be straight up, or at a sharp angle.
to resemble a beak.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I fold a sharp crease?

Robert Homayoon
Origami Expert
Robert Homayoon is an Origami Expert known for his engaging YouTube videos and accessible instructions. He has been teaching origami on YouTube since 2009. His channel has a following of over 676,000 subscribers, and his videos have garnered over 211 million views. Robert uses his channel to highlight his passion for teaching people origami, crafts, and how to solve puzzles. He graduated from SUNY Albany in 2007 and earned his D.M.D degree from Temple University Dental School in 2013.

Robert Homayoon

Origami Expert

Expert Answer

I often employ a technique where I use my thumb and fingernail, with the tip of my pointer finger, to run along the crease line. It's not exactly pinching the fingernail together but rather using the fingernail and the tip of the finger to align and define the crease sharply. Simultaneously, I secure the paper with my other hand to prevent any potential shifting that might occur while dragging my thumb and pointer finger along the fold. This ensures precision and stability in the crease.

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What if I use a rectangle instead of square?

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If you were use a rectangular paper instead of a square, your swan will end up uneven. The extra paper will stick out and could ruin your swan.

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Does this swan stand by itself?

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Yes it does, if you have the bottom part spread a little bit.

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Tips

If the paper is getting too difficult to fold, due to over-folding, start over. Or the swan will look crummy.

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Make sure the creases are very crisp and smooth. The more smooth, the more elegant the swan will look.

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At step one, the white side can be at the bottom. At the end, the swan would be mostly white.

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Warnings

Try not to get frustrated; just try again.

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Watch out for the edges of the paper, they are sharp. You don't want to get a paper cut.

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