Origami Jumping Frog

Lately while being cooped up inside all day during the global pandemic, everyone has needed to find new ways to keep themselves busy. Some people have taken up cooking, some knitting, some building, and others more unique routes such as origami. Origami is an artform that involves folding paper into various shapes and figures. The best part about origami is that anyone can do it and it doesn’t require many materials. The jumping frog happened to be a fan favorite but it can be tricky if you do not have a clear set of instructions to help you along, which is why this instructable is going to be breaking down and teaching you how to properly produce a clean, original, origami jumping frog!

• Paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Pencil/Pen

Choose a piece of paper to use for your origami. You can use any kind as long as it is flat. Construction, printer, lined, and notebook paper all will work for this project.

Using a ruler, measure 4 inches from the base of the paper horizontally, and mark using a pen or pencil. Rotate the ruler to rest on the paper in a vertical direction, with the base of the ruler aligned with your mark. The ruler should be parallel with the edge of your paper. Trace a vertical line beginning at your mark, and stop once the line reaches the 4 inch indicator on the ruler. Rotate your straight edge back horizontally. The base of the ruler should align with the edge of your paper, and your previous line should end at the 4 inch mark. Trace along the ruler and connect the end of your line with the edge of the paper, creating another 4 inch line. This one, horizontal. You have now created a 4x4 inch box.

Using a pair of scissors, cut along the lines you drew in previous steps, until you have a cut-out piece of 4x4 paper.

Starting from the top left corner and moving clockwise, label each corner with a pen/pencil as 1, 2, 3, & 4. As pictured below. Do this on both sides of the paper, but be sure that the numbers mirror each other on the opposite side. It's okay for the numbers on the backside to be out of order. Flip the paper back to the original face.

Fold the square diagonally so that Corner #1 touches Corner #3. This should create a perfect triangle. Unfold the triangle and fold Corner #2 to connect with Corner #4. This should create the same shape. Unfold the triangle once more. The folds in the paper should create an “X” shape.

Flip the piece of paper over. The center of the folds should come to a point. Using both hands, place your thumbs and ring fingers at each corner, with your index finger pushing the space between each corner as you connect corners #2 & #3 to each other, and #1 & #4, all with a pinching motion.

Completely flatten the triangle. This will create four different flaps for each numbered corner. Take Corner #4 and fold it inwards towards the center. Align the edge of the flap with the center of the triangle. Repeat with Corner #3. Leave Corners #1 & #2 as they are.

The resulting shape should resemble an airplane. With the new flaps you just created, fold Corner #4 outwards until its edge aligns with the edge you created in step #12. Repeat with Corner #3. This creates the leg of the frog.

Flip your shape over. Fold Corner #1 upwards to meet the center point. Repeat with Corner #2. The resulting shape should resemble a diamond.

Take the left and right points of the diamond and fold them inwards towards the center, with their points ending at the center line.

At this point, Corners #1 & #2 should be detached from the backside of your frog. Fold down Corners #1 & #2 to face outwards. This creates the frog hands.

Fold the entire frog body in half from the bottom up. Finally, fold Corners #3 & #4 (and their connecting piece) downward until the center of them is aligned horizontally with the previous fold.

Now flip the frog over, stand him up and carefully push down on his bottom half to make him jump!