How to Make an Origami Parrot: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

We love easy paper crafts on Skip to My Lou, and today, we’ve got a super fun easy origami project for you to try.

Parrots are fascinating birds that love to talk, and our instructions will help you fold a simple origami parrot.

These paper birds are the perfect way to keep kids entertained and make for excellent school projects for teachers, too, because, with a little guidance, origami beginners can fold their own paper toy birds.

A red and blue origami parrot folded with instructions from Skip to My Lou! — Easy origami parrot tutorial for kids – simple step-by-step paper folding craft

Skip to My Lou is filled with fun origami projects that you should try out including Origami Heart Sucker Covers, Make a Puppy Ears Card, and DIY Origami Gift Card Holder.

Supplies Needed for This Origami Parrot Tutorial

You will need the following supplies:

A square piece of paper
Colored pencils

Video: How to Fold An Origami Paper Parrot

Folding an Origami Parrot Step-by-Step Guide

Follow this origami bird step-by-step guide to fold your parrot. Make sure you watch the video as well to help you during the folding process.

Step 1: Start with a square piece of paper and fold it on a 45-degree diagonal.

Two hands holding a green square piece of paper. — You need a square piece of paper to start.

Two hands folding the paper at a 45 degree angle to form a triangle. — Take the top point on the right and fold it down at a 45-degree diagonal to the bottom corner on the left.

Step 2: Open the fold and turn the paper 45 degrees. Now fold the right flap over as shown in the images below. Do the same for the left flap.

Two hands unfolding the first fold and turning the paper 45 degrees so it forms a kite shape. — Unfold and turn the paper 45 degrees.

Step 3: Take the right side of the paper and fold it towards the crease line of the first fold. Do the same with the left-hand side.

Two hands folding the right flap of the paper towards the crease line from the first fold. — Fold the right flap of the paper towards the crease line and fold.

Two hands folding the left flap of the paper towards the crease line from the first fold. — Do the same fold for the left flap.

Step 4: Flip the paper over and fold the bottom of the paper upwards, as shown in the image below.

After the paper has been flipped over, two hands folding the bottom upwards. — Now fold the bottom flap upwards.

Step 5: Flip the paper over again and fold the left and right bottom corners towards the center line. The video shows this clearly if you aren’t sure of the exact folds to make.

Two hands folding the bottom right corner updwards towards the center line. — After flipping the paper over, fold the bottom right corner upwards using the center line as your guide.

Two hands folding the bottom left corner updwards towards the center line. — Do the same with the fold on the left side.

Step 6: Unfold the paper again on the right-hand side. Now fold a triangle as shown in the images below. This can be tricky if you are just using these photographs, but the video shows the folds you need to make clearly.

Two hands unfolding the right hand side of the paper. — Unfold the right-hand side of the paper.

Two hands folding the bottom right side of the paper upwards. — Fold upwards. Watch the video if you aren’t sure what folds to make.

Two hands creasing the fold to form a kite shape on the right hand side. — You are looking to form a kite-shape on the right-hand side.

Step 7: Do the same on the left-hand side.

Two hands folding the bottom left side of the paper upwards. — Make the same folds you did on the right side to the left side.

Two hands holding the paper after the folds have been made. — This is how it will look after the folds have been made.

Step 8: Take the bottom right-hand section and fold upwards at an angle as shown in the images below. Do the same for the bottom left-hand section.

Two hands folding the bottom section of the paper. — Time to fold the bottom sections of the paper.

Two hands folding the bottom right section up and at an angle. — Fold it up and at an angle.

Do the same with the bottom left-hand section too.

Step 9: Flip the paper 180 degrees and make two small folds on the left and right side, as shown in the images below.

Two hands making a small fold on the right hand side after flipping the paper 180 degrees. — After flipping the paper 180 degrees, make a small fold on the right.

Two hands making a small fold on the left hand side after flipping the paper 180 degrees. — Make the same fold on the left.

Step 10: Now fold the bottom triangle upwards towards the center of the paper and then fold the top section of it back down, as shown in the images below.

Two hands folding the bottom triangle upwards, — Fold the bottom triangle upwards.

Two hands then folding the top section of the bottom triangle that was just folded upwards back down, making a crease line. — Then fold it back down, like this.

Step 11: Now fold the paper in half.

Two hands folding the paper in half along a center line. — Fold the paper in half.

Two hands making a crease line along the center line. — Make a crease line like this.

Step 12: Take the top section, and fold inwards as shown in the images below.

Two hands folding the top section inwards. — Fold the top section inwards.

Two hands forming the parrot beak from folding the top section inwards. — This forms the parrot beak.

Step 13: Your parrot is ready to be decorated. Draw an eye, and decorate the wings, it’s up to you really!

Two hands using a pen to draw an eye on the parrot. — Your parrot will need an eye!

Two hands holding two compelted origami parrots, one red and one green. — Fun parrot origami project for kids, with step by step video.

Related: If you love parrots, turn this colorful free printable into a paper parrot launcher flying bird craft—and get creative with parrot coloring pages too!

Try These Easy Origami Animals

Now that you have a parrot, why not fold some other origami animals

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