Origami for the Blind

Jumping Frog

A jumping frog that is very simple. It works best with small paper, e.g., 5 to 8 cm square.

Design
Hans Dybkjær, Denmark.
Type
Action.
Difficulty
Very easy.
Paper
Square, e.g., 75x75 mm. Not soft.

Folding

See also glossary and folding help.

  1. Hold the paper with a corner on the top and the backside facing you.
  2. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner to form a triangle.
  3. The two pointed corners on the sides become the front legs, and the open corner at the top with two layers becomes the mouth. We are looking at the underside of the frog.
  4. Fold the two front-leg tips up to the corner.
  5. The shape is now square. The two points lie together with the open corner at the top. Their straight edges follow each other downwards in the middle of the frog.
  6. Fold the side corners in towards the center.
  7. The former side corners now lie as right-angled triangles with the apex pointing towards the center of the frog and with slanted edges at the top and bottom, inside the frog.
  8. Take the left point at the top. Its vertical, straight edge should be folded out to the left so that it lies along the upper slanted edge of the left triangle.
  9. The left leg sticks out slightly beyond the edge on the left side.
  10. Repeat with the right leg: Take the remaining, right point at the top. Its vertical, straight edge should be folded out to the right so that it lies along the upper slanted edge of the right triangle.
  11. The two front legs stick out to either side in the upper part of the frog. Now focus on the corner at the bottom which needs to be turned into the hind body and jumping mechanism.
  12. Fold the bottom corner up to the other two corners in the middle of the frog. The fold can be sharp.
  13. The frog now has equal, folded-over edges on the sides and at the bottom. One can think of them as lying in a square. There are obtuse angles at the top of the square, partially covered by the front legs sticking out.
  14. Bend the lower, folded-over edge up so that the edge and corners lie up against the obtuse angles. Do this softly, not as a sharp fold.
  15. The new fold goes across where the three triangles meet in the former middle of the frog. The former back edge lies up near the front legs.
  16. Bend the former back edge softly back to the back edge. You may give it a press on the sides.
  17. The back edge now has a zig-zag fold with many layers. This is the spring mechanism.
  18. The two layers in the top corner, the mouth, can be bent slightly apart to open the frog's mouth. The singing frog.
  19. Turn the frog over and place it on the table. The frog is finished. Optionally draw eyes on it.
  20. To make the frog jump, press lightly down on the back edge and then snap quickly down and backward.