How to Make Turkey Origami: Step-by-Step Instructions for Folded Paper Turkeys

“TURKEY, n. A large bird whose flesh when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. Incidentally, it is pretty good eating.”

Some of the models I write about here are old favourites that I come back to and share. Some of them are designs I’ve just come across and think ‘I have to make this’. I’ve got a list of models I want to fold at some point, and another list of stuff that’s going to end up on this blog when I get round to it.

Sometimes though, I come across a design while idly flicking through my collection of origami books and think ‘oh yes, I’d forgotten about that’. That’s what happened last week. I stumbled across this origami Turkey by Gen Hagiwara and thought I’d give it a go.

I think Gen Hagiwara did a fine job with this design. The shape of the head makes it instantly recognizable as a turkey. While the tail is similar to the origami peacock it still works well with the model.

Yes, it’s probably the perfect origami model for Thanksgiving, but I didn’t feel like waiting. Keep this post handy come November, and then make a few origami turkeys to use as table decorations. There is also this “origami-inspired” turkey folded out of napkins, that could work well.

Origami turkeys make delightful Thanksgiving decorations and fun crafts to enjoy with kids. By folding paper into the shape of a turkey, you can create beautiful birds that look surprisingly realistic. With a few simple folds, you can DIY elegant origami turkeys to display around your home for the fall season.

Getting Started with Materials

To make origami turkeys you only need

  • Square sheets of origami paper Look for paper between 6″ and 10″ for good turkey proportions. Larger sheets yield bigger projects.

  • Traditional origami paper works best, but you can also use wrapping paper, construction paper, old magazines, newspapers or printer paper cut into squares.

For embellishing your origami turkeys, have on hand:

  • Googly eyes, gemstones, sequins or beads for eyes

  • Orange and red markers for coloring feathers

  • Glue for affixing decorations

  • Scissors for trimming paper or cutting details

Folding the Basic Turkey Shape

Follow these steps to fold a basic paper turkey:

  1. Start with your paper oriented as a diamond, with a corner pointing up. Fold the right corner across to meet the left corner. Crease it.

  2. Lift the bottom layer and fold it up to align the bottom corner with the top corner. Crease well.

  3. Fold the right corner across again aligning with the left side. Make your creases precise.

  4. Lift up the flap slightly and fold the left corner across to meet the right edge. Crease it down.

  5. You now have a square folded pattern. Turn it over to the white side.

  6. Fold the paper in half diagonally both ways to make an X crease.

  7. Bring the left and right corners in to meet at the center of the X.

  8. Your model should now look like an arrowhead. Flip it over to the white side.

  9. Fold the top flap down to make the head and beak. Crease firmly.

  10. Fold the bottom left and right corners up to shape the wings.

After completing these steps, you have a basic folded turkey shape to embellish!

Adding Decorative Touches

To give your origami turkeys personality, decorative options include:

  • Draw or glue on googly eyes. Add red triangle beaks.

  • Color the wings and tail feathers with red, orange, brown, yellow or black markers.

  • Use scissors to fringe the edges of wings and tail.

  • Glue on real feathers or cut feather shapes from construction paper.

  • Attach glitter, sequins, or beads for sparkle.

  • Draw designs on the feathers using markers or gel pens.

  • Cut a paper snood and fan and glue to the head.

  • Fold a paper wattle at the beak and glue in place.

Let kids get creative decorating their turkeys with their own unique style! Display flocks of their colorful origami turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Tips for Making Quality Origami Turkeys

Follow these tips and tricks for making origami turkeys that turn out looking their best:

  • Use sharp creases for neater folded edges.

  • Vary the turkey sizes by adjusting paper size.

  • For larger turkeys, begin with paper folded on both diagonals to start as a smaller square.

  • Print out turkey images for reference as you fold the tail and wing shapes.

  • Use square origami paper, not rectangular, for proper symmetry and proportions.

  • Look at photos of real turkeys to mimic details like snood, wattle, feathers.

  • Practice making the basic turkey base until you can fold it smoothly.

  • Forgiving papers like craft paper or newsprint are great for beginners before moving to delicate origami paper.

Don’t worry about mistakes! Just unfold and start over. With a little trial and error, you’ll be making picture-perfect origami turkeys to adorn your table ormantel.

Advanced Origami Turkey Designs

Once you master the basics, try out these more advanced origami turkey designs and techniques:

  • Fold pleated tail feathers for a showy display.

  • Shape an origami turkey body and attach separate folded feather tails.

  • Create a 3D effect by folding over wings and tail.

  • Make a hen turkey with folded head snood and beard.

  • Form an origami turkey fan by collapsing the wings and tail.

  • Fashion miniature turkey finger puppets for holiday plays.

  • Incorporate paper turkey calls into your origami model.

  • Design a scene of pilgrim and Indian figures with origami turkeys.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your origami turkey folding! Origami artists have developed incredibly intricate paper turkey designs you can find online. Use their models for inspiration for your own unique folded turkey creations.

With a bit of practice, you can soon master how to make origami turkeys to show off for Thanksgiving. Learning origami teaches patience and attention to detail. Making turkeys helps kids and adults alike appreciate the fascinating art of paper folding. Display your flock of folded paper turkeys as the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table for a handcrafted holiday.

how to make turkey origami

Diagrams for Gen Hagiwara’s Turkey

The instructions for this origami Turkey are in Gen Hagiwara’s book Spirits of Origami, which is available from Origami-shop.com here. I’ve folded several models from this book now (including a snake and several kangaroos) and I have to say I’ve enjoyed it. The models are varied, the diagrams are clear and the folding sequences are logical and easy to understand. There are a few more in this book that I’ll get around eventually. Possibly next time I’m browsing through my origami books, looking for some inspiration.

I’d love to hear your views on this 3D origami turkey. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below, or you find can me on Instagram or Twitter. Check out my Pinterest boards too!

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Russell has been folding origami since he was 8 years old and has recently written the book, Origami Made Simple. He is on the Council for the British Origami Society and a member of OrigamiUSA. When he is not folding, he enjoys photography and traveling.

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Folding the Origami Turkey

This is an intermediate level design. The is one open sink and one closed sink to navigate, but other than that it’s not a difficult model to fold. Hagiwara recommends a 20cm square sheet of yohishi, washi, or biotope paper.

I’ve made this one out of 24cm red and black Thai paper I picked up from Origami-shop.com here. Oddly, all the dimensions of this Turkey are the same. It is 9cm (3.5in) long, the width is similar, and the height is roughly the same as the length. There are 53 steps to this model and it took me about 20 minutes to fold.

If you want to fold an easy origami turkey, try this model designed by Margaret Van Sicklen.

How To Fold An Origami Turkey

FAQ

What’s the hardest origami thing to make?

In particular, Ryu-zin 3.5 (created in 2005), considered to be one of Kamiya’s most intricate creations, is a major work that took around one month to complete, using only a single sheet of paper measuring two meters on each side. Ryu-zin 3.5 is widely regarded as the one of most intricate origami pieces ever created.

What is the easiest origami animal to make?

The absolute easiest and best origami animal to start with is the origami cat face. This is because it only has a few steps, you can customise it be a dog, bear, rabbit or other animal face too!

How to make origami Turkey?

1. Select a square paper for the origami turkey craft. Fold the paper in half and then unfold it, creating a crease along the middle. 2. Fold both sides of the paper inward by aligning the edges with the middle crease. 3. Fold the 2 top corners inward, aligning the top edge of the paper with the middle crease. 4.

How do you make a origami turtle?

Step 1: This is the front of our origami paper, our origami turtle will end up this color. Step 2: This is the back of our paper, which if using origami paper, is often white. Step 3: Fold the paper diagonally in half so that you have a triangle shape. Step 4: Fold the bottom right point up to the top point.

What is the best origami bird to fold at Thanksgiving?

This origami turkey is the perfect origami bird to fold with your kids at thanksgiving. Designed by Margaret Van Sicklen. This easy to intermediate origami bird uses quite a few outside reverse folds, and inside reverse folds. If you aren’t familiar with these terms, it would be beneficial to have a look through our beginner origami category.

How do you fold a turkey neck & tail?

Then fold corner C downward, tucking it inside the model as shown. Unfold corner D, and use the crease mark to make a squash fold as shown: Then fold the piece in half lengthwise, and rotate it counter-clockwise 90 degrees: Now make two (2) outside reverse folds along the lines shown, to form the neck and tail of the turkey:

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