Just Fold Paper

Choose a color theme

Fold only

Origami Tiger Face

Fold a tiger face with short upright ears, straight sides and a small downward nose flap above the chin. Finish with optional drawn eyes and stripes. The cheek folds and folded nose shape the face before any ink is added.

Preparation + 15 numbered steps

Materials

6-inch square · 6 × 6 inches

One thin 6 × 6-inch square (15.24 cm), ideally orange on one side. Begin with the face color down. Ruler and pencil for shaping marks; optional black pen for eyes, nose and stripes. No cuts or glue.

Start the interactive guide ↓
Read all illustrated steps ↓Download PDF ↓ · one-page illustrated guide
Origami Tiger Face: short pointed ears, straight cheeks and a folded nose
Short pointed ears, straight cheeks and a folded nose

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, not its orange color. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange outlines identify moving paper; tiger stripes are optional ink.

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, not its orange color. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange outlines identify moving paper; tiger stripes are optional ink.

  1. 0. Prepare the diamond
  2. 1. Mark the vertical center
  3. 2. Open the center guide
  4. 3. Make a downward triangle
  5. 4. Lower the right corner
  6. 5. Lower the left corner
  7. 6. Raise the short right ear
  8. 7. Raise the short left ear
  9. 8. Straighten the right cheek
  10. 9. Straighten the left cheek
  11. 10. Lower the central forehead
  12. 11. Turn to the tiger’s face
  13. 12. Raise the front muzzle
  14. 13. Fold the rear chin behind
  15. 14. Fold down the little nose
  16. 15. Draw optional tiger markings
  1. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldPrepare the diamond

    PREPARATION · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Prepare the diamond

    Place the square with one point up and the face color down.

    Layers: One uncut sheet.

    Check: The side points are level.

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

    STEP 1 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Mark the vertical center

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

    Layers: Move the whole right half.

    Check: The side points coincide.

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

    STEP 2 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Open the center guide

    Unfold completely.

    Layers: Return the same half.

    Check: The diamond is flat again.

    Explore this step ↑
  4. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldMake a downward triangle

    STEP 3 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Make a downward triangle

    Bring the top point down to the bottom point.

    Layers: Fold the entire upper half toward you.

    Check: A broad two-layer triangle points down.

    Explore this step ↑
  5. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldLower the right corner

    STEP 4 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Lower the right corner

    Fold the right corner down to the bottom point.

    Layers: Carry both layers of the right corner.

    Check: Its old top edge meets the centerline.

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

    STEP 5 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Lower the left corner

    Fold the left corner to the same bottom point.

    Layers: Carry both left layers.

    Check: A small diamond has two loose corner packets at the bottom.

    Explore this step ↑
  7. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldRaise the short right ear

    STEP 6 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Raise the short right ear

    Mark the midpoint of the diamond’s vertical centerline. On its lower-right diagonal edge, mark five sevenths of the way from the bottom point to the right corner. Fold the right loose packet up along the line joining these marks.

    Layers: Move the complete right corner packet; keep the backing and left packet still.

    Check: A short point rises on the right.

    Explore this step ↑
  8. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldRaise the short left ear

    STEP 7 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Raise the short left ear

    Mirror the five-sevenths mark on the lower-left edge and use the same center mark. Fold the left loose packet up.

    Layers: Move the complete left corner packet.

    Check: The two ear tips reach the same height.

    Explore this step ↑
  9. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldStraighten the right cheek

    STEP 8 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Straighten the right cheek

    Through the raised right ear tip, make a vertical crease, about 1.46 inches right of the original centerline. Fold the paper beyond this line inward.

    Layers: Carry all layers of the outer side, including the lower ear base.

    Check: The right side becomes straight while the ear stays pointed.

    Explore this step ↑
  10. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldStraighten the left cheek

    STEP 9 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Straighten the left cheek

    Mirror the vertical fold through the left ear tip.

    Layers: Move all layers of the matching outer side.

    Check: Both cheeks are straight and evenly spaced.

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

    STEP 10 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Lower the central forehead

    Fold the central top point down on a horizontal line 0.85 inch below the original triangle’s top edge. Do not fold the ears.

    Layers: Move the central top packet only; leave both raised ear packets still.

    Check: A short flat forehead lies between two pointed ears.

    Explore this step ↑
  12. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldTurn to the tiger’s face

    STEP 11 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Turn to the tiger’s face

    Turn the whole model over from side to side, keeping the ears up.

    Layers: Carry every layer together.

    Check: The large plain face is now in front.

    Explore this step ↑
  13. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldRaise the front muzzle

    STEP 12 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Raise the front muzzle

    Fold only the front bottom point upward on a horizontal line 3.18 inches below the original triangle’s top edge.

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

    Check: A small pointed muzzle lies on the face.

    Explore this step ↑
  14. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldFold the rear chin behind

    STEP 13 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Fold the rear chin behind

    Fold the remaining rear bottom point away from you and up on the same line.

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

    Check: The chin has a level lower edge.

    Explore this step ↑
  15. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldFold down the little nose

    STEP 14 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Fold down the little nose

    On the front muzzle, fold the raised tip down on a horizontal line 2.38 inches below the original triangle’s top edge.

    Layers: Move only the raised muzzle tip; keep the rear chin still.

    Check: A small downward triangle sits above the flat chin.

    Explore this step ↑
  16. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldDraw optional tiger markings

    STEP 15 · Origami Club Tiger (face); measured shaping landmarks

    Draw optional tiger markings

    Add two eyes, darken the small folded nose and draw short stripes at the forehead and cheeks. The black markings shown are optional ink.

    Layers: No paper moves and no cuts are needed.

    Check: The short ears, straight cheeks and folded nose complete the tiger face.

    Explore this step ↑
Sources & notes

Origami Club; diagram copyright Fumiaki Shingu, A Tiger (face) (undated web diagram).

Complete tiger-face diagram ↗ · Reference model page ↗

The diagram credits Fumiaki Shingu. Traditional designation, public-domain status and a design-reuse license are not established. No source artwork, prose or code is reproduced. These instructions, material geometry and diagrams are independently authored.

Adaptation: Retains the center guide, downward triangle, corner-to-bottom diamond, returned short ears, full side shaping, central forehead, turnover, separate front/rear chin folds and small nose return. Exact ear creases run from the diamond center to a point five sevenths of the way from the bottom point toward each side corner on the lower diagonal edges. Side creases pass through the raised ear tips; the central forehead is 0.85 inch below the original triangle top. Chin and nose creases lie 3.18 and 2.38 inches below that original top. These reproducible proportions and separated paired actions are authored, not source-specified measurements. The forehead excludes both ear packets. Optional marks are original ink suggestions.

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 folds preserve one uncut 36-square-inch sheet. Ear returns carry their full original two-layer corner packets; vertical cheeks shape whole side packets; muzzle, rear chin and nose return move separately. Zero-thickness diagrams do not certify finite thickness, retention or physical foldability. Real-paper folding has not been tested.