How to make an origami Penguin
Designed by Jo Nakashima (April 27, 2011)
Difficulty Level: low intermediate
Paper: 15cm x 15cm kraft paper

Dedicated to Heloísa Lie Iyama.

This origami penguin is one of my old creations, but I still like it a lot. It makes a good use of both colors of the paper and its 3D body will keep in shape.

If you like Penguins and books, see also the instructions for the bookmark version.

Origami Penguin diagrams

Update (2023/08/26): New diagrams available with a better folding sequence. Added some reference points to make the wings easier for beginners. You can also find the old diagram here [PDF].

Origami Penguin by Jo Nakashima - page 1
Origami Penguin by Jo Nakashima - page 2
Origami Penguin by Jo Nakashima - page 3
Origami Penguin by Jo Nakashima - page 4

Gotham

My penguin has appeared in the first episode of the third season of Gotham TV series. In the scene, Edward Nygma folds this model from a piece of wrapping paper while talking to Oswald Cobblepot (the Penguin).

“Penguins eat fish!”

The full episode is available on Netflix, but you can watch this scene on YouTube:

World record of origami penguin speed folding

Support my work!

If you like my work, please consider visiting and subscribing to my YouTube channel! You’ll find all my work, including models that are not in this website and also models from other origami artists. The easiest way to support my work is simply watching my videos, clicking the like button, leaving comments and subscribing to my channel!

You can also contribute with small donations on Patreon or YouTube Channel Membership. It’s basically like paying me a tip as a thanks for my work and get some rewards in return, like early access to my tutorials and your name in the video (the “thank you” list). They work with recurring payments, but you can cancel anytime so one-time donations are also possible.