How to make an origami Red DragonflyあかとんぼRed Dragonfly
A red dragonfly with four wings, folded from the bird base. The two top flaps become the front wings, and inside reverse folds turn the two lower points into the back wings.
- 20 steps
- about 18 min
- 1 sheet of origami paper
- Age 7+
20
How to fold
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三角に折る
Fold in half to make a triangle.
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さらに半分の三角に折る
Fold in half again.
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うらがえす
Turn it over.
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こちらも袋を開いて、四角につぶす
Squash this side into a square, too.
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下のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折りすじをつける
Fold the lower edges to the center line and unfold.
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上の三角を折って、折りすじをつける
Fold the top down and unfold.
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1まいめを下から持ち上げて、ふちを折りすじで内側へ（花弁折り）
Lift the bottom corner of the top layer and fold the sides in along the creases (petal fold).
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うらがえす
Turn it over.
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こちらも、下のふちをまん中に合わせて折りすじをつける
Fold the lower edges to the center line and unfold.
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こちらも花弁折り（鶴の基本形）
Petal fold this side, too. This is the bird base.
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下のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折る
Fold the lower edges to the center line.
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うらがえす
Turn it over.
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こちらも同じように折る
Do the same on this side.
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上の1まいの左右のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折る
Fold the edges of the top flap to the center line.
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うらがえす
Turn it over.
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こちらも、上の1まいの左右のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折る
Fold the edges of this top flap to the center line, too.
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上の1まいを、ななめ左へ折る（前の羽）
Fold the top flap down to the left at a slant. This is a front wing.
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うしろの1まいを、うしろへ、ななめ右へ折る（前の羽）
Fold the back flap behind, down to the right at a slant. This is the other front wing.
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下の2本を、中わり折りで ななめ下へ出す（うしろの羽）
Inside reverse fold the two lower points out and down at a slant. These are the back wings.
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できあがり！大きな目と、細長い しっぽをかいたら、あかとんぼのできあがり！
Finished! Draw the big eyes and the long, thin tail, and your red dragonfly is finished!
Fun fact
あかとんぼは、夏は すずしい山で すごし、秋になると 里へ下りてきます。からだが赤くなるのは、おとなのオスです。
Red dragonflies spend the summer in cool mountains and come down to towns in autumn. The grown-up males are the ones that turn bright red.
Origami English in this model
❓ FAQ
- What age is this origami Red Dragonfly for?
- About Age 7+. It is rated “Medium” (level 3 of 5), with 20 steps, and takes about 18 minutes.
- What paper do I need?
- One sheet of square origami paper (15 cm / 6 in). No scissors or glue are needed.
- What is it called in Japanese?
- In Japanese it is “あかとんぼ” (赤とんぼ). The word origami (折り紙) itself means “folding paper”: ori = fold, kami = paper.
- Can I print the instructions?
- Yes. “Print the diagram” puts every step on one page (or a PDF), and the practice sheet has the crease lines printed on the paper. Free for home and classroom use.
