Follow one fold at a time and pause whenever you like. Ask me about any crease, the triangle, the diamond or why the two wings match.

Paper Cicada

One square, a few folds, and a cicada with two matching wings

Fold the square corner to corner and turn it so the 90° corner points up and the long folded edge is at the bottom. This is an isosceles right triangle: two equal sides and two 45° angles. The long edge is the square's diagonal, about 1.41 times as long as a side.

Fold each lower corner up onto the top point. Each crease runs exactly half way between the corner and the point it lands on, at a right angle to the line joining them. The paper becomes a diamond, a square half as wide standing on a corner. Then fold the two side points of the diamond behind, along lines parallel to the middle line, to make the body narrower.

Fold the top of each flap down and out along a slanting crease: these are the wings. They are mirror images, because the middle line from head to tail is the line of symmetry. Finally fold the top point of the front layer down, and the point of the next layer down a little higher up, so the head shows two stripes. Both head folds run straight across, at 90° to the line of symmetry.

Pause on any fold and ask the tutor which angles are equal, why the wings match, or how many triangles you can find.

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How do you fold a paper cicada?
Fold a square into a triangle with the 90° corner up, fold the two lower corners up onto the top point to make a diamond, fold the two side points of the diamond behind, fold the top of each flap down and out for the wings, then fold the top point down twice for the head.
What kind of triangle do you get from folding a square corner to corner?
An isosceles right triangle: two equal sides, one 90° angle and two 45° angles. The long edge is the diagonal of the square, about 1.41 times a side.
Why are the two wings the same?
The cicada is symmetric. The middle line is a mirror line, so a fold on the left is repeated as a mirror fold on the right with the same angle and the same length.
What paper is best for a paper cicada?
A square of ordinary origami paper or a square cut from printer paper works well. Thin paper is easier to fold three or four layers deep, and sharp creases make the wings crisp.
What age can fold a paper cicada?
Children around seven and up can follow it with help. It uses only simple valley and mountain folds, with no tricky pockets.