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Origami Panda Face

Fold a broad panda face with contrasting corner ears and a triangular nose. Finish with two drawn eye patches. The ears come from side-corner folds, without the returned ear pleats of a bear face.

Preparation + 12 numbered steps

Materials

6-inch square · 6 × 6 inches

One 6 × 6-inch square (15.24 cm) of thin black-and-white origami paper. Start white side up. Ruler and pencil for light shaping marks; a black pen for optional eye patches. No cuts or glue.

Start the interactive guide ↓
Read all illustrated steps ↓Download PDF ↓ · one-page illustrated guide
Origami Panda Face: corner ears and a triangular nose on a broad flat face
Corner ears and a triangular nose on a broad flat face

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 track the original halves of one sheet, not black and white paper colors. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange outlines show moving layers. Eye patches are drawn ink, not folded paper.

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 track the original halves of one sheet, not black and white paper colors. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange outlines show moving layers. Eye patches are drawn ink, not folded paper.

  1. 0. Prepare the diamond
  2. 1. Mark the vertical center
  3. 2. Open the vertical guide
  4. 3. Mark the horizontal center
  5. 4. Open the horizontal guide
  6. 5. Inset the right corner
  7. 6. Inset the left corner
  8. 7. Close the upper half behind
  9. 8. Narrow the right side behind
  10. 9. Narrow the left side behind
  11. 10. Raise the front nose
  12. 11. Flatten the rear chin
  13. 12. Draw the panda eye patches
  1. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldPrepare the diamond

    PREPARATION · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Prepare the diamond

    Place the square white side up with one point at the top.

    Layers: One uncut sheet.

    Check: The left and right points are level.

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

    STEP 1 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Mark the vertical center

    Bring the right point over to the left point and crease.

    Layers: Move the whole right half.

    Check: The opposite points coincide.

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

    STEP 2 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Open the vertical guide

    Return the right half to the table.

    Layers: Open the same half completely.

    Check: The square is flat again.

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

    STEP 3 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Mark the horizontal center

    Bring the top point down to the bottom point and crease.

    Layers: Move the whole upper half.

    Check: The side points mark the ends of the crease.

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

    STEP 4 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Open the horizontal guide

    Return the upper half to the table.

    Layers: Open the same half completely.

    Check: Two diagonal creases cross at the center.

    Explore this step ↑
  6. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldInset the right corner

    STEP 5 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Inset the right corner

    Mark the horizontal crease 2.55 inches right of center. Fold the right point inward along a vertical line through the mark.

    Layers: Move the complete right corner.

    Check: The tip stops 0.85 inches right of center; it does not reach the middle.

    Explore this step ↑
  7. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldInset the left corner

    STEP 6 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Inset the left corner

    Mirror the mark 2.55 inches left of center and fold the left point inward.

    Layers: Move the complete left corner.

    Check: The two tips have a gap between them.

    Explore this step ↑
  8. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldClose the upper half behind

    STEP 7 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Close the upper half behind

    Fold the upper half away from you and down along the horizontal center crease. Keep the white lower half facing you.

    Layers: Carry the entire upper half, including both upper side flaps, behind the lower half.

    Check: The top edge is straight; contrasting corner triangles remain at its ends.

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

    STEP 8 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Narrow the right side behind

    Mark the top edge 2.04 inches right of center. Fold the narrow right strip away from you along a vertical line through this mark.

    Layers: Carry all layers of the right strip behind the face.

    Check: The right ear becomes a small corner triangle.

    Explore this step ↑
  10. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldNarrow the left side behind

    STEP 9 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Narrow the left side behind

    Mirror the mark 2.04 inches left of center and fold the left strip behind.

    Layers: Carry all layers of the left strip.

    Check: The face has matching straight sides and two corner ears.

    Explore this step ↑
  11. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldRaise the front nose

    STEP 10 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Raise the front nose

    Mark a horizontal line 3.18 inches below the straight top edge. Fold only the front bottom point upward along it.

    Layers: Move the original lower tip; keep the rear tip down.

    Check: A triangular nose rises to the middle of the face.

    Explore this step ↑
  12. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldFlatten the rear chin

    STEP 11 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Flatten the rear chin

    Fold the remaining rear bottom point away from you and up along the same chin line. Leave it flat on the back rather than tucking it inside.

    Layers: Move only the original upper tip, now at the back.

    Check: The bottom edge is flat and the triangular front nose stays visible.

    Explore this step ↑
  13. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldDraw the panda eye patches

    STEP 12 · Origami Club panda-face diagram; measured shaping adaptation

    Draw the panda eye patches

    Draw two black oval patches above the nose, leaving a small white circle in each for an eye. Keep them clear of the folded corner ears.

    Layers: No paper moves; the patches are optional ink.

    Check: Two corner ears, paired eye patches and a triangular nose complete the panda face.

    Explore this step ↑
Sources & notes

Origami Club; diagram copyright credit: Fumiaki Shingu, A Panda (face) (undated web diagram).

Complete panda-face diagram ↗ · Panda-face reference page ↗

The diagram credits Fumiaki Shingu; this is not evidence of public-domain status, traditional authorship or a design-reuse license. Reference media and wording are not reproduced. These instructions, material geometry and illustrations are independently authored.

Adaptation: Follows the cross-creases, inset side corners, half closure, backward side strips and front nose of panels 1–5. Exact side creases at 60% of the diamond half-width, rear side strips at 48%, and chin at 75% of the triangle height are authored ruler landmarks. The upper half closes away from the white front. Instead of panel 6’s concealed inside fold, the remaining rear bottom point folds openly onto the back at the same chin line. This disclosed flat-back finish retains the triangular nose without simulating an unseen tuck. Paired folds and reopening are separate steps. Eye patches remain optional learner-drawn ink.

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. One continuous uncut 36-square-inch sheet with rigid hinges, explicit front and rear packets, and the same endpoints for static, interactive and printable diagrams. Zero-thickness teaching geometry does not certify thickness, crease retention or physical foldability. Real-paper folding has not been tested.