Origami Unicorns
Let your imagination soar and create origami unicorns with this step by step tutorial. When you’re done, check out these origami pandas. This post contains affiliate links.
I’m sure we all know someone – likely more than a few someones – who are obsessed with unicorns. Who doesn’t want to escape to a world of fantasy now and then? To the kids in your life and maybe also your own inner child, unicorns represent beauty, innocence, and all things fantastic. They also make lovely decorations for parties, stationery, and gifts – the combination of white body and rainbow-colored accents complements just about anything.
And origami purists – look away. This has some kirigami elements but with all that folding, yes, I’m calling it origami. And you can totally stop at the origami unicorn’s silhouette and then it’s pure origami.
Now you can learn how to use origami techniques to craft a little unicorn out of a simple sheet of paper. You can use paper to add details to the unicorn shape, or use your own materials to decorate the silhouette however you like.
I’ve used colored paper and markers for starters, but this is a project that most definitely calls for glitter or glitter glue! For a real added dimension you might try using colored yarn for the unicorn’s mane, or add a 3-D wiggly eye.
This is not a very difficult project to do, but it does involve quite a lot of folds of different types, and some steps where you’ll need to use your own judgment to get the right angle or size for the fold. It’s a good fit for someone who has some experience and skill with origami – or, if you’re a beginner but ready to learn, try doing it together with a friend or teacher who can help you along.
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 copy paper that I cut into a square. Or you can buy specialty origami papers – white is classic for unicorns, but they come in many colors and designs.
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. For some projects, this is a bit of an extra – but this project has several layers of folds, so you will really need to work on flattening them out nicely. If you don’t have a bone folder, you can use another smooth, flat object such as a plastic ruler to help you out.
Bring on the rainbows and glitter, because we’re about to raise some unicorns!
What you’ll need
- White origami or lightweight paper
- Colored paper
- Pencil
- Glue
- Marker or pen
- Bone folder (optional but very helpful)
How to fold origami unicorns
1. If you’re not using square origami paper, cut a sheet of paper into a square (you can do this easily by folding one side down diagonally, then cut off the extra paper that sticks out from the triangle)
2. Fold the square in half and then unfold, leaving a crease down the center.
3. Fold the right edge in to the center crease.
4. Fold the left edge in to the center.
5. Fold the entire thing in half from top to bottom, creating a new crease that goes across the first one – unfold it.
6. Fold the bottom edge up to the center crease and unfold it to form a crease ¼ of the way up the page.
7. Grasp the bottom edge of the left-side flap and pull it slightly upward.
8. Bring the corner to the center of the page, aligning the bottom edge with the line down the center. Flatten it to form a triangle on the left side.
9. Repeat to form the same triangle on the right side.
10. Fold the top tips of the triangles (the ones aligned with the center of the page) down to align with the bottom point.
11. Fold the pattern in half, folding the edges away from you so the flaps are on the outside.
12. Rotate the project so the pointy end is on the top left.
13. Notice the square formed by the two horizontal creases. Fold the project so that the right top corner of the square touches the bottom left corner.
14. Undo the last fold, leaving a diagonal crease across the square.
15. On the right side, find the center of the layers of paper. Open it along the new diagonal crease.
16. Continue to open the flaps until you can fold down the diagonal crease.
17. Take the tip that is still sticking up at the top, and fold it down to the back so that the entire top lays flat.
18. Take the top flap (on your left side) and fold it up toward the center. You want the edge to go a little farther than the edge of the main piece of paper, with the tip of the flap sticking up past the flat top of the page.
19. Still working with that top flap, take the newly formed corner on the left side and fold it to the opposite, vertical edge – in other words, you’re folding the tip in half. This is going to be the unicorn’s horn.
20. Take the top corner on the right and fold it toward the middle about 1 cm. This will be the front of the unicorn’s head.
21. Unfold the last fold.
22. Take the same corner and use the new crease to tuck it inside, so you keep the shape of the head without seeing the folded flap of paper.
23. Take the remaining flap on the top left side. Fold the corner down to the edge, meeting about halfway down the side.
24. Take the newly formed left corner and fold it about 1cm toward the middle.
25. There is a small flap sticking out below the last fold. Fold it upward along the edge of the last fold. It will stick out past the edge of the project to make the unicorn’s ear.
26. Now we’re going to work with the bottom of the paper, which is still one big rectangle. Fold it upward and to the side so that the bottom edge overlaps the bottom of the ear a bit.
27. Take the corner that sticks out on the left and fold it down.
28. Tuck the edge under the ear to hold it in place.
29. Turn the entire project over to the other side, so most of the folds are hidden in back.
If you’d like, you can use the finished origami as a guide to trace and cut out mane, horns, and blush designs from colored paper.
30. Glue the accents onto the origami unicorn outline.
31. Use markers or pens to finish off your project with an eye, nose, and mouth.
How to Fold and Origami Unicorn
Materials
- White origami or lightweight paper
- Colored paper
- Pencil
- Glue
- Marker or pen
- Bone folder (optional but very helpful)
- Unicorn features template
Instructions
1. If you’re not using square origami paper, cut a sheet of paper into a square (you can do this easily by folding one side down diagonally, then cut off the extra paper that sticks out from the triangle)
2. Fold the square in half and then unfold, leaving a crease down the center.
3. Fold the right edge in to the center crease.
4. Fold the left edge in to the center.
5. Fold the entire thing in half from top to bottom, creating a new crease that goes across the first one - unfold it.
6. Fold the bottom edge up to the center crease and unfold it to form a crease ¼ of the way up the page.
7. Grasp the bottom edge of the left-side flap and pull it slightly upward.
8. Bring the corner to the center of the page, aligning the bottom edge with the line down the center. Flatten it to form a triangle on the left side.
9. Repeat to form the same triangle on the right side.
10. Fold the top tips of the triangles (the ones aligned with the center of the page) down to align with the bottom point.
11. Fold the pattern in half, folding the edges away from you so the flaps are on the outside.
12. Rotate the project so the pointy end is on the top left.
13. Notice the square formed by the two horizontal creases. Fold the project so that the right top corner of the square touches the bottom left corner.
14. Undo the last fold, leaving a diagonal crease across the square.
15. On the right side, find the center of the layers of paper. Open it along the new diagonal crease.
16. Continue to open the flaps until you can fold down the diagonal crease
17. Take the tip that is still sticking up at the top, and fold it down to the back so that the entire top lays flat.
18. Take the top flap (on your left side) and fold it up toward the center. You want the edge to go a little farther than the edge of the main piece of paper, with the tip of the flap sticking up past the flat top of the page.
19. Still working with that top flap, take the newly formed corner on the left side and fold it to the opposite, vertical edge - in other words, you’re folding the tip in half. This is going to be the unicorn’s horn.
20. Take the top corner on the right and fold it toward the middle about 1 cm. This will be the front of the unicorn’s head.
21. Unfold the last fold.
22. Take the same corner and use the new crease to tuck it inside, so you keep the shape of the head without seeing the folded flap of paper.
23, Take the remaining flap on the top left side. Fold the corner down to the edge, meeting about halfway down the side.
24. Take the newly formed left corner and fold it about 1cm toward the middle.
25. There is a small flap sticking out below the last fold. Fold it upward along the edge of the last fold. It will stick out past the edge of the project to make the unicorn’s ear.
26. Now we’re going to work with the bottom of the paper, which is still one big rectangle. Fold it upward and to the side so that the bottom edge overlaps the bottom of the ear a bit.
27. Take the corner that sticks out on the left and fold it down.
28. Tuck the edge under the ear to hold it in place.
29. Turn the entire project over to the other side, so most of the folds are hidden in back.
Use the template (download at the end of this post) to trace the mane, horns, and blush designs onto colored paper, then cut them out.
30. Glue the accents onto the origami unicorn outline.
31. Use markers or pens to finish off your project with an eye, nose, and mouth.
