Making Origami Easter Bunnies!

It's nearly Easter and we're making origami bunnies. These bunnies would be perfect for autumn's tsukimi too!

We're using our small Chiyogami papers which are 8.5cm x 8.5cm - of course you can scale the size up or down.

One sheet of paper is perfect to make one bunny!

The only other equipment you need is a black marker pen to draw on the eyes.

TOP TIP: practice with rough paper first! Once you get the hang of it it becomes easy!

Put your small chiyogami paper on the table.

And then turn the paper over.

Fold the paper up in half and gently crease the fold with your finger.

I'm using a chopstick just to press the shape so that you can see!

Then fold the paper in half the other way, like this.

Now open out your paper so that it is diamond shape, and fold it in half one way, and in half the other way. Your paper will have creases like this!

Place the paper in a square shape, and fold the patterned side toward you, across the horizontal centre crease, like this.

Take hold of your horizontal centre crease, and push the two sides inwards, so that you create a folded triangle pocket shape. In the photo above you can see the two inward-going folds, and the triangle top and bottom shapes.

Take the right corner of the topmost triangle, and fold it to the centre and crease.

And do exactly the same the other side.

Fold a little triangle towards the centre line which has a bottom edge which is parallel.

Then repeat this on the other side.

Take the two little points at the top of the triangle and fold them so they meet the entrance to the little pockets. See below to see what I mean about the little pockets!

Here you can see I am pushing the little folded triangle into the pocket to secure it. Repeat on the other side.

You can see what the shape will look like below. This is the base of your bunny!

Now, turn the paper over, and gently bring the right side of the paper triangle over the centre line just to gently reinforce the crease.

Fold the right corner of the triangle to the centre crease.

Repeat on the other side so that your shape looks like this.

And then open up the two sides so that you are back to your triangle.

Now, take the outer right edge of the triangle and fold it so it lies on the centre crease.

Repeat on the left side so that your shape looks like the photo on the left.

Now, using the horizontal crease which is halfway up your right side fold as a guide, make a fold in the paper between this point and the bottom corner of the paper, just like this. You're beginning to make the bunny ears!

Repeat on the other side.

Bring the bottom right corner up to the centre line and crease firmly.

Repeat on the other side.

Fold the right side bunny ear again towards the centre line and crease firmly.

Repeat on the other side and crease firmly.

You now have your bunny shape. What you need to do now is blow air into him to make him into a 3-dimensional shape!

I'll explain below!

Carefully holding your bunny by the two ears (indicated by the paper clip), start to gently tease your bunny into shape.

If you GENTLY pull one ear one way, you'll begin to see a little hole emerging where the bunny's nose would be. This is where you need to blow into - with dry lips so as not to wet the paper! Blow as if you're blowing into a flute, so that the jet of air concentrates down. That should do it!

Your bunny will pop into life, and you will have a very cute 3D shape!