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Petal fold

A petal fold is a move where you lift one layer of a point upward while its sides fold inward, producing a long, narrow diamond.

Start by folding the side edges in to the center and folding the top triangle down to create guide creases, then unfold them. Lift the bottom corner of the top layer along the horizontal crease, let the sides fall inward along their creases, and press everything flat.

The petal fold fails when the guide creases are weak or the sides do not meet at the center. Press the top triangle crease firmly, and guide the sides with your fingers as the flap rises. It appears twice in the Paper Crane.

Practice it on these models

Advanced15 min · 19 steps

Paper Crane

The origami crane is the traditional Japanese orizuru, a bird with spread wings folded from a single square without cuts or glue. It is an advanced model: expect about 15 minutes for your first one, mostly spent learning the petal fold and inside reverse fold.