Learn how to make these adorable origami pandas with this step by step tutorial. If you love this, check out how to make an origami tulip too. This post contains affiliate links.

If you’ve been following our origami posts, you’ve seen that we’re finding animals all around the world. Come with me to China, where we’ll use the art of paper folding to make a model panda bear!

Now, Origami purists might not love this: it has cut-out add-ons but I personally can’t resist what you can do when you add just a bit extra!

two origami pandas with a pink background

origami pandas with black and brown details

One really cool feature of this project is that the panda’s head and body are both part of the same piece of paper. Some of our other tutorials (such as the origami dog) had you craft a head and body separately and then combine them.

That’s a great way to make a complex figure work, and it also serves a double purpose if you want to feature just a face, but I feel especially accomplished when I can create the whole project with a single sheet, using only folding to make the magic happen!

The thing is, it took a lot of folding to make this particular magic happen. This project is a good fit for intermediate crafters who are already pretty comfortable with origami. If you’re more of a beginner, I have some perfect tutorials to get you started – try making an origami fish, for example – and then you can come back to the panda when you’re feeling confident!

What really sets pandas apart is their unique markings. To make the distinctive black markings on this origami panda, you can cut them out from black paper, or you can use markers to draw the panda-rific eye spots, ears, and paws. I’ve used black to stay true to nature, but you can feel free to go wild with colors if that’s what you feel like.

As always with origami, but especially with a complex design, you’ll want to use a lightweight paper so it won’t get too bulky with the many folds. I was able to get beautiful results using plain white copy paper that I cut into a square, but you can also buy special origami papers for this.

origami pandas with smiling features on a pink background

Another helpful tool for origami is a bone folder. This is a smooth, flat tool that you can use to sharpen the folds you’ll be making in each step. This is especially helpful for a project like this one which has many steps and it is CRITICAL that your folds are sharp. If you don’t have a bone folder, you can use another smooth, flat object such as a plastic ruler to help you out.

Step into the bamboo forest with me and let’s find the panda in your paper!

What you’ll need

How to fold an origami panda

1. Prepare a square sheet of white paper or origami paper (trim it down to a square if needed)

2. Fold the paper in half and then unfold it.

3. Fold one side of the square in to the center crease.

4. Fold the other side to the center crease.

5. Fold the paper in half the other way – bringing the shorter sides together.

6. Unfold to leave a crease going across the middle.

7. Fold one short end to the middle crease.

8. Unfold the last fold.

9. Fold the paper in half again along the same center crease you created in step 5.

folding the paper at the original crease

10. Take the closed (folded) edge and fold it up to the crease that is now in the middle.

folding the halved paper into the crease

11. Unfold the last fold.

12. Open the top layer of paper along that last crease you created in step 10-11.

13. Now you have a closed edge sticking up in middle of the paper. Take one corner of that closed flap and fold it over to the crease.

14. Fold the opposite corner of the flap to the crease. Unfold both corners.

15. Tuck in those corners, inverting the fold.

16. Take one side and fold it in to the middle, opening the corner crease into a triangle.

opening the corner crease and folding inwards

17. Fold the other side to the middle, again flattening the corner crease into a triangle.

18. You now have a small square sticking out from the bottom of the project, formed by the two flaps that you just folded inward. Take the bottom corner of each flap and fold it outward on a diagonal angle, going from the top inner corner to slightly inside the bottom corner.

19. Flip the project over.

20. Leaving the small square flat on the table, take the large square part and fold it open/down.

21. Take the diagonal sides and fold them toward the center.

22. Unfold.

23. Holding down one of the diagonal sides, open up the top layer of paper along that last diagonal fold.

24. Smooth the diagonal fold and fold up the right side along the adjacent crease.

25. Repeat on the other side.

26. Turn it around so you can see the original small square sticking out at the bottom.

27. Flatten the big part. We’re going to make that into the head of the panda.

28. Flip over the project back to the side with all the folds showing.

29. Fold the sides of the head (the wide part) so the outer edges reach the middle.

30. Then, fold the edges from the middle back out to the new edge.

31. Undo the last folds so the edges are back in the middle.

32. Fold the top right corner down to the first crease.

33. Unfold the corner, and then tuck it inside.

34. Take the edge of the flap from the center and fold it outward (to the right). Fold it so that the crease in the middle of the flap aligns with the closed edge of the project. As you do this, the corner piece that you had tucked in will start to open up – flatten it out.

35. Repeat steps 32-34 on the other side. This forms the panda’s ears.

36. Fold the top outer corners of the ears slightly inward.

37. Take the bottom squared corners of the head and fold them upward.

38. Flip the project over to the smooth sides.

39. Cut out embellishments for the black parts of the panda. Or, draw it on with markers.

black cut out embellishments for the details on the panda

40. Glue the black designs onto the origami panda to complete the project. Add details with markers if desired.

Your origami panda is complete! Which origami project do you want to learn next? Comment below!

How to Make an Origami Panda

Materials

White origami paper or thin craft paper
Black or gray paper
Glue
Markers
Scissors
Pencil

Instructions

1. Prepare a square sheet of white paper or origami paper (trim it down to a square if needed)
2. Fold the paper in half and then unfold it.
3. Fold one side of the square in to the center crease.
4. Fold the other side to the center crease.
5. Fold the paper in half the other way - bringing the shorter sides together.
6. Unfold to leave a crease going across the middle.
7. Fold one short end to the middle crease.
8. Unfold the last fold.
9. Fold the paper in half again along the same center crease you created in step 5.
10. Take the closed (folded) edge and fold it up to the crease that is now in the middle.
11. Unfold the last fold.
12. Open the top layer of paper along that last crease you created in step 10-11.
13. Now you have a closed edge sticking up in middle of the paper. Take one corner of that closed flap and fold it over to the crease.
14. Fold the opposite corner of the flap to the crease. Unfold both corners.
15. Fold the corner creases along the outside.
16. Take one side and fold it in to the middle, opening the corner crease into a triangle.
17. Fold the other side to the middle, again flattening the corner crease into a triangle.
18. You now have a small square sticking out from the bottom of the project, formed by the two flaps that you just folded inward. Take the bottom corner of each flap and fold it outward on a diagonal angle, going from the top inner corner to slightly inside the bottom corner.
19. Flip the project over.
20. Leaving the small square flat on the table, take the large square part and fold it open/down.
21. Take the diagonal sides and fold them toward the center.
22. Unfold.
23. Holding down one of the diagonal sides, open up the top layer of paper along that last diagonal fold.
24. Smoothen the diagonal fold and fold up the right side along the adjacent crease.
25. Repeat on the other side.
26. Turn it around so you can see the original small square sticking out at the bottom.
27. Flatten the big part. We’re going to make that into the head of the panda.
28. Flip over the project back to the side with all the folds showing.
29. Fold the sides of the head (the wide part) so the outer edges reach the middle.
30. Then, fold the edges from the middle back out to the new edge.
31. Undo the last folds so the edges are back in the middle.
32. Fold the top right corner down to the first crease.
33. Unfold the corner, and then tuck it inside.
34. Take the edge of the flap from the center and fold it outward (to the right). Fold it so that the crease in the middle of the flap aligns with the closed edge of the project. As you do this, the corner piece that you had tucked in will start to open up - flatten it out.
35. Repeat steps 32-34 on the other side. This forms the panda’s ears.
36. Fold the top outer corners of the ears slightly inward.
37. Take the bottom squared corners of the head and fold them upward.
38. Flip the project over to the smooth sides.
39. Cut out embellishments for the black parts of the panda. Or, draw it on with markers.
40. Glue the black designs onto the origami panda to complete the project. Add details with markers if desired.