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Origami Horse Face

A long tapered face folds sideways around an upright ear. Follow the folds one at a time, then add optional drawn features.

Preparation + 15 numbered steps

Materials

6-inch square · 6 × 6 inches

One 6 × 6-inch square (15.24 × 15.24 cm) of thin two-color origami paper. Ruler and pencil for shaping marks; optional pen for the face. No cuts or glue.

Start the interactive guide ↓
Read all illustrated steps ↓Download PDF ↓ · one-page illustrated guide
Origami Horse Face: a long tapered face folds sideways around an upright ear
A long tapered face folds sideways around an upright ear

Follow along

Preparation

The interactive guide needs JavaScript. Read every illustrated step below.

Camera only; does not change the fold.
Help · controls & diagram

Play or drag the progress slider to watch a fold from 0% to 100%. Use the view buttons or drag the diagram to look from another angle.

Blue and gold identify the original halves of one sheet. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange highlights moving paper and its hinge.

With the diagram focused: Space plays or pauses, ←/→ change steps, and Home resets.

Every step, at a glance

Compare your paper with each diagram after completing the action. Blue and gold identify the original halves of one sheet. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange highlights moving paper and its hinge.

  1. 0. Prepare the diamond
  2. 1. Crease the vertical center
  3. 2. Open the vertical crease
  4. 3. Crease the horizontal center
  5. 4. Open the horizontal crease
  6. 5. Mark the lower half
  7. 6. Open the lower guide
  8. 7. Shorten the bottom
  9. 8. Taper the right side
  10. 9. Taper the left side
  11. 10. Lower the forehead
  12. 11. Return the forehead tip
  13. 12. Round the right shoulder
  14. 13. Round the left shoulder
  15. 14. Close the face sideways
  16. 15. Finish the horse profile
  1. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldPrepare the diamond

    PREPARATION · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Prepare the diamond

    Place a 6-inch square with a point at the top and the intended face color down. Blue and gold in the diagrams track material, not your paper colors.

    Layers: One uncut square.

    Check: Top and bottom points line up.

    Explore this step ↑
  2. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldCrease the vertical center

    STEP 1 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Crease the vertical center

    Bring the right point to the left point.

    Layers: Move the complete half sheet.

    Check: Opposite points coincide.

    Explore this step ↑
  3. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the vertical crease

    STEP 2 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Open the vertical crease

    Unfold completely and smooth the square.

    Layers: Return the same half to the table.

    Check: The center crease remains.

    Explore this step ↑
  4. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldCrease the horizontal center

    STEP 3 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Crease the horizontal center

    Bring the top point to the bottom point.

    Layers: Move the complete half sheet.

    Check: Opposite points coincide.

    Explore this step ↑
  5. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the horizontal crease

    STEP 4 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Open the horizontal crease

    Unfold completely and smooth the square.

    Layers: Return the same half to the table.

    Check: The center crease remains.

    Explore this step ↑
  6. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldMark the lower half

    STEP 5 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Mark the lower half

    Bring the bottom point to the center crossing.

    Layers: Move the lower corner.

    Check: The hinge is halfway between bottom and center.

    Explore this step ↑
  7. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the lower guide

    STEP 6 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Open the lower guide

    Return the bottom point to its original position.

    Layers: Open the same corner.

    Check: A horizontal guide remains halfway down.

    Explore this step ↑
  8. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldShorten the bottom

    STEP 7 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Shorten the bottom

    Bring the bottom point up to the lower guide.

    Layers: Move the small bottom tip.

    Check: A short flat edge replaces the bottom point.

    Explore this step ↑
  9. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldTaper the right side

    STEP 8 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Taper the right side

    Mark the upper-right slope 1.06 inches above the middle crease. Fold the right point inward along the line from this mark to the right end of the new bottom edge.

    Layers: Carry the whole right side, including the short bottom flap.

    Check: A narrow flap lies inside the right edge.

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  10. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldTaper the left side

    STEP 9 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Taper the left side

    Mirror the fold using the same height mark on the left slope and the left end of the flat bottom.

    Layers: Carry the whole left side.

    Check: The lower face is long and narrow.

    Explore this step ↑
  11. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldLower the forehead

    STEP 10 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Lower the forehead

    Fold the top point down on the horizontal line joining the two upper ends of the taper folds, 1.06 inches above the middle crease.

    Layers: Carry the entire top section.

    Check: The point reaches into the tapered face.

    Explore this step ↑
  12. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldReturn the forehead tip

    STEP 11 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Return the forehead tip

    Fold the lowered point back up along the original horizontal middle crease.

    Layers: Move only the lowered forehead packet.

    Check: A point projects above a narrow horizontal band.

    Explore this step ↑
  13. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldRound the right shoulder

    STEP 12 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Round the right shoulder

    On the upper edge, mark 2.55 inches right of the original center, 1.06 inches above the original horizontal middle crease. Fold the outer right shoulder inward along a 45-degree line through this mark, sloping down to the right.

    Layers: Carry the complete little corner.

    Check: The shoulder is beveled.

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  14. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldRound the left shoulder

    STEP 13 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Round the left shoulder

    Mirror the same fold on the left.

    Layers: Carry the complete matching corner.

    Check: The shoulders match.

    Explore this step ↑
  15. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldClose the face sideways

    STEP 14 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Close the face sideways

    Bring the left half toward you and over the right half along the original vertical center crease.

    Layers: Move every layer on the left side together.

    Check: The plain profile has one upright ear and a narrow muzzle.

    Explore this step ↑
  16. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldFinish the horse profile

    STEP 15 · Origami Club diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Finish the horse profile

    Keep the plain face toward you. You may rotate it in your hands to point the muzzle sideways. Draw an eye and a nostril if you like.

    Layers: No new fold; all paper stays in the same packet.

    Check: A long face and upright ear complete the horse.

    Explore this step ↑
Sources & notes

Origami Club; diagram copyright credit: Fumiaki Shingu, Origami Club: Origami Horse Face (undated web diagram).

Complete reference diagram ↗ · Reference model page ↗

The reference diagram credits Fumiaki Shingu. This does not establish a traditional designation, public-domain status or a design-reuse license. Reference drawings, photographs, wording and code are not reproduced. Our English instructions, material geometry and diagrams are independently authored; no project-wide reuse license is implied.

Adaptation: Follows reference panels 1–10. The lower guide is reopened, the small bottom tip is shortened, and two taper folds precede the forehead pleat. Exact taper and ear-shaping lines are measured choices. The last fold closes the complete model sideways into a profile; display rotation is optional handling, not a new crease.

Original instructions and diagrams, made with AI assistance. About & reuse

Accuracy notes

Real-paper follow-along and paper weight have not been tested. Diagrams illustrate the sequence, not paper thickness, contact, collisions or exact layer visibility. Rigid hinges retain the original material coordinates of one uncut square. Paired folds are separated and free shaping positions are specified with ruler landmarks. Zero-thickness teaching diagrams do not simulate thickness or certify physical foldability. Real-paper follow-along has not been tested.