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Crimp

A crimp is a pair of reverse folds made close together on a point, like a pleat through all its layers, used to change the angle of a leg, neck or head.

Make a pleat across the point, one valley and one mountain crease, and pre-crease both firmly through every layer. Then open the layers slightly and fold the pleat symmetrically on both sides, inside the point or wrapped around it, so the paper bends into a zigzag and the point changes direction. Crimps are the usual way to make knees, bent necks and heads that tilt.

Uneven crimps come from layers that shift between the two sides. Pinch the layers together at the fold lines before flattening, and check that both sides of the point look the same. A crimp is related to the pleat and the reverse fold; if those feel comfortable, the crimp is the natural next step.

How to fold a crimp, step by step

  1. 1

    Decide where the point should bend; a crimp is two folds close together.

  2. 2

    Make a pleat across the point, one valley and one mountain crease, through all the layers, then unfold.

  3. 3

    Open the layers of the point slightly.

  4. 4

    Fold the pleat symmetrically on both sides, inside the point or wrapped around it, so the paper forms a zigzag.

  5. 5

    Close the layers and flatten; the point now sits at its new angle.

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Common mistakes and how to fix them

  • The two sides of the crimp don’t match

    The layers shifted. Pinch them together at the fold lines before flattening, and check both sides.

  • The point bends too much or too little

    The angle between the two crease lines sets the bend. Re-crease them at the angle the diagram shows.

  • The crimp springs open

    Press the zigzag firmly through every layer; on thick models, extra pressure at the inside fold holds it.

When you’ll use it

Crimps give models posture. A bird's head tilts with one small crimp at the base of its neck; a leg bends at the knee; a tail kicks upward. They also add strength, because the zigzag of layers locks the point in its new direction. Two kinds are common: an inside crimp, where the pleat is folded inside the point, and an outside crimp, where it wraps around the outside and shows on the surface. Diagrams draw both with a valley line and a mountain line side by side across the point. To practice, crimp a single long flap up and then down, and notice how the angle between the two crease lines changes the bend.

Crimp: questions

When is a crimp used?+

To make knees, feet, bent necks and heads that tilt: anywhere a point should change direction while both sides stay symmetrical.

Is a crimp hard to learn?+

If you can fold a pleat and an inside reverse fold, you already have the skills: a crimp is a pleat made with reverse folds.

What is the difference between an inside and an outside crimp?+

In an inside crimp the zigzag of paper is folded inside the point, so the outside stays smooth. In an outside crimp the layers wrap around the outside, so the step shows on the surface. The diagram says which one to use, and the next picture shows whether the zigzag is visible.

Related folds and bases