Origami Swan

1. Start with your origami paper colorful side down, and white side facing you, in a square orientation.
**Terminology: Start with colored side down (standard starting position)**

2. Fold the paper in half diagonally across the square to create a triangle. The white part of the paper should be in the inside, colorful on the outside.
**Terminology: Valley fold along diagonal to create triangle base**

3. Unfold. Orient so your paper looks like a diamond with the white side of the paper facing you.
**Terminology: Unfold, then rotate to diamond orientation**

4. Now take the right corner of the diamond and pull it inward and upward towards the center crease of the diamond. Fold such that you create a right triangle that aligns with the center of the diamond.
**Terminology: Valley fold edge to centerline**

5. Do the same on the left side of the diamond. It should now look like a kite or an ice-cream cone with the colorful paper at the bottom and a triangle of the while side of the paper showing at the top.
**Terminology: Valley fold edge to centerline (creates kite base)**

6. Flip the paper around so it's a solid colorful kite.
**Terminology: Turn over - note: previous valley folds now appear as mountain folds from this side**

7. Now take the rightmost corner and fold it to the center crease again, just like you did in step 4. The kite should be getting narrower. You should also see a little peak of the white paper in a triangle at the top right now.
**Terminology: Valley fold edge to centerline (narrows the kite base)**

8. Repeat on the leftmost corner. You should now see a narrow kite shape with 2 little white triangles pointing inward towards the center.
**Terminology: Valley fold edge to centerline (creates narrow kite shape)**

9. Now take the bottom-most point of the kite shape and fold it up to touch the top-most point of the kit shape. This starts to create the swan neck.
**Terminology: Valley fold point to point (creates elongated neck)**

10. Take the top-most point of the swan's neck and fold it back down about an inch or so to create the swan's head. Your paper should now look kind of like a top-down view of a swan as if you were looking down at a swan from above in the air.
**Terminology: Valley fold tip back (creates head with reverse fold)**

11. With that in mind, find the center vertical axis of the swan from it's beak to back. Flip your paper so that the swan's head is against the table and fold the entire model along that vertical axis. You should now see a side-view of a swan with it's neck and head pressed down and back against it's body.
**Terminology: Turn over, then valley fold in half along centerline (book fold)**

12. Now pull the swan's head and neck up to an upright position however you want it and crease to keep in place.
**Terminology: Inside reverse fold to raise neck (involves both valley and mountain folds working together)**

13. Pull outward on the swan's head to whatever position you want it and crease to keep in place.
**Terminology: Inside reverse fold to position head (involves both valley and mountain folds working together)**

14. Your swan is done! Here are some optional steps to improve your model:
**Terminology: (Model complete - optional refinements follow)**

15. Try adjusting the model so it sits on a table.
**Terminology: Adjust base for stability**

16. Optionally try folding the head inward to create a more defined beak.
**Terminology: Inside reverse fold to shape beak**

Alterations: you can actually *not* flip in step 6 for a slightly different wing shape.
**Terminology: (Variation note - affects final coloring/appearance)**
