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Frog base

The frog base is a traditional starting shape made by squash folding and then petal folding all four flaps of a preliminary base, giving a slim form with many long points.

Start from a preliminary base. Lift one flap upright, open its pocket and squash it flat and symmetrical; repeat on the other three flaps. Then petal fold each of the four resulting diamonds, just as you would when making a bird base. The finished base has more points than the bird base, which is why it is used for the traditional sitting frog with four legs and for flowers such as the lily.

It is a long sequence of repeated moves, so small errors add up. Keep each squash fold exactly centered and each petal fold symmetrical, and work on a large square. Despite the name, the Jumping Frog on this site does not use a frog base; it is folded from a card with a waterbomb-style collapse.

How to fold a frog base, step by step

  1. 1

    Fold a preliminary base with the open end pointing toward you.

  2. 2

    Lift one flap so it stands upright, open its pocket and squash it flat so it is symmetrical.

  3. 3

    Squash the other three flaps the same way, turning the model as needed.

  4. 4

    Petal fold the first of the four diamonds, just as you would when making a bird base.

  5. 5

    Petal fold the remaining three diamonds.

  6. 6

    Check the result: a slim, many-layered shape whose long points become legs or petals.

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Common mistakes and how to fix them

  • The squash folds are off-center

    Each squashed flap must sit exactly on the center crease beneath it, or the petal folds that follow will lean.

  • The base becomes very thick

    Use a large, thin square, at least 15 cm and ideally 25 cm, and crease each layer flat as you go.

  • You lose your place in the repeats

    Work in pairs: squash the front and back flaps, then the two side flaps, checking the shape after each pair.

When you’ll use it

The frog base takes the ideas of the preliminary and bird bases one step further. It has more flaps than the bird base, with more layers in each, so it can become animals with four legs and flowers with several petals. The traditional lily and iris are folded from it, as is the classic sitting frog. Because the sequence repeats the same two moves four times, it is excellent practice for consistency: every squash fold and every petal fold should look exactly like the others. If one is different, the finished lily will have a crooked petal. Large, thin paper helps a lot, because the layers build up quickly at the center.

Frog base: questions

What is the frog base used for?+

The traditional sitting frog with four legs, and flowers such as the lily and the iris.

Does the Jumping Frog use a frog base?+

No. Despite the name, our Jumping Frog is folded from an index card with a waterbomb-style collapse and a pleated spring.

Is the frog base hard?+

It is an intermediate base. Each move in it is simple, a squash fold or a petal fold, but there are eight of them, so patience and accuracy matter more than skill. Fold a few bird bases first.

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