Origami Shark

Start with a square sheet of paper, blue or grey side up. Place it as a diamond.

Fold the paper in half diagonally from bottom to top. Crease and unfold.

Fold the paper in half diagonally in the other direction. Crease and unfold.

Fold the paper in half horizontally. Crease and unfold.

Fold the paper in half vertically. Crease and unfold. You now have a grid of reference creases.

Bring the top point down to the bottom point while pushing the sides inward to collapse into a preliminary base (square base).

The preliminary base should be a flat square with open flaps at the bottom.

Fold the right front flap to the left along the center crease.

Fold the top right edge of the front layer down to the center crease.

Fold the top left edge of the front layer down to the center crease.

Lift the bottom point of the front layer up while opening the two flaps — squash into a petal fold.

Crease the petal fold flat, pressing down firmly on all edges.

Flip the model over. Repeat the petal fold on the back layer.

You now have a bird base with four long points extending from the center.

Fold the bottom left point up to the top, aligning it with the center crease.

Fold the bottom right point up to the top in the same way.

Open the two bottom flaps out to form the tail section of the shark.

Fold the top point of the front layer downward to begin forming the head.

Fold the top point back upward at a shorter distance to create the nose profile.

Fold the right side of the head section diagonally inward to narrow the nose.

Fold the left side of the head section diagonally inward to match the right.

Squash the nose section flat and crease all edges firmly.

Fold the right flap of the tail section upward at an angle to form the right tail fin.

Fold the left flap of the tail section upward in the mirror image to form the left tail fin.

Adjust both tail fins so they are symmetrical.

Fold the top right edge of the body inward to begin shaping the dorsal fin.

Reverse-fold the dorsal fin upward so it stands above the body.

Crease the base of the dorsal fin firmly so it holds its upright position.

Fold the right pectoral fin point outward and downward.

Fold the left pectoral fin point outward and downward to match.

Crease both pectoral fins at the same angle so the shark looks balanced.

Turn the model sideways. Fold the top layer of the body in half lengthwise to give it dimension.

Open the body slightly from the underside to give it a rounded three-dimensional profile.

Pinch the snout to sharpen and narrow the nose point.

Open the mouth area slightly by gently pulling the upper and lower jaw apart.

Fold small triangular points on each side of the lower jaw to suggest teeth.

The shark model laid flat horizontally — the dorsal fin rises from the back, and the body tapers from wide gills to a narrow tail.

Rotate to view the model upright from the front. The body forms a tall narrow rectangle with a pointed top and small pectoral fin stubs at the sides.

Fold the bottom-right corner of the body inward along the crease line to begin forming the right tail fin.

Fold the bottom-left corner inward in the same way. Both corners now form a downward-pointing triangle at the base — the tail fins taking shape.

The tail section shows two small side flaps (future lower fins) and the pointed triangle below. The top is rounded and the model is nearly ready to lay flat.

Hold the model and rotate it into the horizontal shark orientation. The dorsal fin, body, and tail begin to align into the shark silhouette.

Lay the shark flat in its final horizontal orientation. Dorsal fin points up, pectoral fins spread to the sides, and the tail fans out at the rear.

Open the body slightly from below to give the shark a rounder, three-dimensional profile. Both tail fins should spread outward symmetrically.

Hold the shark from behind — the hand grip shows the 3D cone of the body. The tail fins and body form a solid triangular shape when viewed from this angle.

Lay the shark flat and check the dorsal fin stands straight up. The pectoral fins spread evenly to each side.

Check the tail fins — both upper and lower fins should angle outward symmetrically. Adjust any that have shifted inward.

Hold the complete shark in your hand from the side. The full silhouette — pointed nose, tall dorsal fin, and spread tail — is clearly visible.

Hold the shark from a slightly elevated angle looking down at the back. The dorsal fin stands tall and the pectoral fins angle outward naturally.

Lay the shark flat on the surface and view from above. The body tapers cleanly from the wide gill area to the narrow tail base.

View the shark from the side. Separate the tail fins if they have stuck together — they should fan out into two distinct fins.

Refine the tail fin spread — press each fin firmly so they hold their position apart from each other.

Lay the shark flat and confirm all fins are in their final positions. The dorsal fin, pectoral fins, and tail fins all point in the right directions.

Make any final refinements — pinch the nose sharper, adjust the dorsal fin angle, and confirm the pectoral fins are even on both sides.

Your origami shark is complete! Draw an eye and gill lines with a marker for a finishing touch. Display with the nose pointing forward for maximum impact.