Fold an Origami Frog That Inspired a Designer Handbag

Posted by CraftFoxes Staff on Jan 29, 2012

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Author Suk Song of Crease and Fold: Innovative Origami Projects Anyone Can Make designed this frog while collaborating with an award-winning accessory designer on origami-inspired hats and bags. Like frogs everywhere, it’s a symbol of good fortune. But if you want your frog to be lucky, you have to give it to someone else! Pass the luck on and it will hop back to you — true origami karma.

Paper Information

There are a lot of colors and textures of paper that make great frogs. A 6" (15cm) square is a good size to start with, but once you make one, challenge yourself to fold smaller and smaller if you can!

Leather and Snakeskin Folding

I first experimented with folding snakeskin and leather as part of an accessories design course. With leather you’re limited to simple folds because of the thickness of the material, but some people find it works well for geometric patterns and other simple shapes to create texture. With snakeskin you’re limited to the size of the skin, but as you can see on page 47, the effect it has can lead to a wonderful piece of origami!

1. Start with the Fish Base. On the front layer, fold the top corners of the flaps to the edges. Unfold.

2. On the front layer, fold the top corners of the flaps to the previous creases. Flip over.

3a. Rabbit Ear fold the top and bottom. Pinch the tips and collapse. Follow along with figures 3b and 3c below.

3b.

3c.

4. Fold the right side flaps out. Flip over.

5. Fold the left flap down.

6. Fold the left corner to the right corner.

7. Fold the corners of the body in. Unfold. Flip over.

8a. Outside reverse fold the flaps to create the legs.

Note: There are no new creases — just be gentle and this should happen easily. See 3c for more detail.

8b.

9. Fold the flaps from step 7 underneath the model.

10. Outside reverse fold part of the legs.

11. Outside reverse fold the legs along the previous creases to create feet.

12. On the front layer, fold the flaps outward.

Enjoy your finished Lucky Frog!

Excerpted with permission from Crease and Fold: Innovative Origami Projects Anyone Can Make by Sok Song, published by Potter Craft.