Just Fold Paper

Choose a color theme

Fold only

Easy Origami Turtle Profile

Fold a simple side-view turtle with a broad shell and an outside-reverse head fold. This flat profile uses no cuts, glue or separate pieces.

Preparation + 11 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 an eye and shell pattern. No cuts or glue.

Start the interactive guide ↓
Read all illustrated steps ↓Download PDF ↓ · one-page illustrated guide
Easy Origami Turtle Profile: a folded shell and raised head from one uncut square
A folded shell and raised head from one uncut square

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 left and right halves of one sheet. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange highlights an ordinary moving fold and its hinge. The head fold closes both connected walls together.

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 left and right halves of one sheet. Darker shades show the reverse. Orange highlights an ordinary moving fold and its hinge. The head fold closes both connected walls together.

  1. 0. Prepare the square
  2. 1. Crease the first diagonal
  3. 2. Open the first diagonal
  4. 3. Crease the second diagonal
  5. 4. Open the cross creases
  6. 5. Make the offset shell fold
  7. 6. Close the shell in half
  8. 7. Mark the head fold
  9. 8. Open the head guide
  10. 9. Open the shell for the head
  11. 10. Close around the reversed head
  12. 11. Finish the turtle profile
  1. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldPrepare the square

    PREPARATION · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Prepare the square

    Place the square with horizontal edges and the intended shell color facing down.

    Layers: One uncut square.

    Check: All corners are square; no scissors are needed.

    Explore this step ↑
  2. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldCrease the first diagonal

    STEP 1 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Crease the first diagonal

    Bring the upper-right corner to the lower-left corner.

    Layers: Move the whole upper-right half.

    Check: The opposite corners meet.

    Explore this step ↑
  3. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the first diagonal

    STEP 2 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Open the first diagonal

    Return the paper fully to the square.

    Layers: Open the same half.

    Check: One corner-to-corner crease remains.

    Explore this step ↑
  4. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldCrease the second diagonal

    STEP 3 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Crease the second diagonal

    Bring the upper-left corner to the lower-right corner.

    Layers: Move the whole upper-left half.

    Check: The other two corners meet.

    Explore this step ↑
  5. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the cross creases

    STEP 4 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Open the cross creases

    Unfold completely.

    Layers: Return the same half.

    Check: The diagonals cross in the middle.

    Explore this step ↑
  6. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldMake the offset shell fold

    STEP 5 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Make the offset shell fold

    Mark the top edge 1.2 inches right of the upper-left corner and the right edge 1.2 inches above the lower-right corner. Fold the upper-right corner inward on the line joining the marks.

    Layers: Move the complete upper-right corner.

    Check: Narrow uncovered strips remain along the left and bottom edges.

    Explore this step ↑
  7. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldClose the shell in half

    STEP 6 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Close the shell in half

    Bring the upper-left side across to the lower-right side along the diagonal running from lower-left to upper-right.

    Layers: Carry the folded shell flap with the entire upper-left half.

    Check: The lower edge is level and the pointed front is on the left.

    Explore this step ↑
  8. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldMark the head fold

    STEP 7 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Mark the head fold

    On the sloping closed edge mark a point 1 inch right and 1 inch above the lower-left tip. On the bottom edge mark a point 3.41 inches right of that tip. Fold the left corner upward along the line joining these marks.

    Layers: Move both layers of the front corner together.

    Check: The tip rises above the base.

    Explore this step ↑
  9. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the head guide

    STEP 8 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Open the head guide

    Lower the same corner back to its original position.

    Layers: Open both layers of the head corner.

    Check: Matching head creases remain in the two walls.

    Explore this step ↑
  10. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldOpen the shell for the head

    STEP 9 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Open the shell for the head

    Open the shell half fold completely while keeping the offset shell fold in place.

    Layers: Separate the two walls without opening the offset flap.

    Check: Both matching head creases can be seen.

    Explore this step ↑
  11. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldClose around the reversed head

    STEP 10 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Close around the reversed head

    Lift the lower-left tip toward the outside as you bring the shell walls together again. Reverse both prepared head creases and press the two head walls flat around the outside.

    Layers: Both connected head walls reverse together; do not pull one layer loose or make a cut.

    Check: The shell closes while the head rises on the left.

    Explore this step ↑
  12. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: goldFinish the turtle profile

    STEP 11 · Origami Club easy turtle diagram; measured profile adaptation

    Finish the turtle profile

    Smooth the shell and head. Draw an eye near the raised head tip and an optional shell pattern if you like. Keep the model flat for display.

    Layers: No new fold or additional paper. The optional marks are ink.

    Check: A raised head and broad shell form a turtle seen from the side.

    Explore this step ↑
Sources & notes

Origami Club; diagram copyright credit: Fumiaki Shingu, Origami Club: A Turtle (easy profile) (undated web diagram).

Complete fold-only turtle profile diagram ↗ · Reference model page ↗

The diagram credits Fumiaki Shingu. That does not establish traditional designation, public-domain status or a design-reuse license. Reference drawings, prose and code are not reproduced; these English instructions, material geometry and diagrams are independently authored.

Adaptation: Uses the fold-only side profile, not the four-legged turtle with a slit. The offset shell crease joins marks 1.2 inches from the upper-left and lower-right corners. The head root is 1 inch along each edge from the lower-left corner; its authored crease meets the lower edge 3.41 inches from that corner. We add a head precrease and fully reopen the shell before closing the paired walls around an outside-reversed head. Optional eye and shell pattern are learner-drawn ink, not added paper or legs.

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. The offset shell and preparation folds are rigid hinges. The outside reverse couples both head walls while the shell closes, retaining one connected square and shared material seams. Zero-thickness teaching geometry is not a finite-thickness or general contact certificate. Real-paper folding has not been tested.