How to Make Origami Shark

Learn how to make origami shark with this easy, step by step instructions. With just a few simple folds, you can make these cute paper sharks in as many different colors as you like. You will love them!

This is an intermediate origami project. Each paper shark is made using a square sheet of pre-cut origami paper measuring 15 cm by 15cm. I used a double sided paper with different color on each side for this tutorial, but single sided paper or double sided paper with the same color on both sides is all you need as the these folded paper sharks will only show one side of the paper.

Each origami shark measures 11cm long (from head to the tip of the tail) and 5 cm wide (measured from the tip of the bottom pelvic fins to the tip of the top dorsal fin).

🎥Video Tutorial

Here is the video tutorial on how to make origami shark. The list of materials and step-by-step instructions and images are right below.

🧾Supplies

• Single sheet of square origami paper (measuring 15cm by 15cm). This can be a single sided paper.

✂️How to Make

Step 1: Make the base

If you are using double sided paper, place the paper on your table, with the right side facing up. In this tutorial, I am using a double sided paper with green on one side and pink on the other. I am making a green shark, so the green side is facing up and the pink side of the paper is facing down.

Place the paper on a flat surface. The first step is to fold it towards the right corner to form a diagonal crease (images 1 and 2).

Unfold and make another diagonal fold, this time to the left upper corner (images 3 and 4).

Turn the folded paper as shown. Lift the top layer of the paper and fold it towards the top (images 5 and 6).

Unfold and repeat on the other side (images 7 and 8).

Unfold and turn the folded triangle so that the tip is pointing upwards (image 9).

Fold the paper as shown, with the height of the fold reaching the exact cross point of the earlier folds (image 10).

Unfold. And then using the fold line made in image 10 as a guide, fold the top layer of the triangle downwards as shown (image 11).

Unfold and repeat on the other side (image 12).

Unfold and take note of the folded lines as marked by the black dotted lines (image 13).

Fold along the dotted lines as shown (image 14).

Press the center for a neat fold. And then fold it to the side (image 15).

Turn the paper over and repeat the steps from images 11 to 15 (image 16). Make sure the flaps on both sides are folded in the same direction, i.e. to the left.

Next, unfold the shape from the top. This is how it should look like (images 17 and 18).

Turn the paper over and fold the sides as shown on both ends (images 19 and 20).

Step 2: Shape the fin

Turn the shape over (image 21). And then fold it as shown, taking note to make sure you see the 2 small triangle sections underneath the folds (image 22).

Unfold the triangle. And then fold the tip as shown (images 23 and 24).

Unfold and repeat on the other side of the tip (images 25 and 26).

Unfold and using the folded lines as a guide, fold the tip as shown (image 27) and the fold the entire folded paper into 2 as shown (image 28).

This is how the shape should look like (image 29). Place in on a flat surface and lift the top layer from the bottom. Fold it as shown (image 30).

Step 3: Shape the body

This is how it should look like (image 31). And then fold the entire shape into 2 (image 32).

Once folded, flip the shape horizontally as shown (images 33 and 34).

Lift the flap on the right and fold it to the left side (images 35 and 36).

Unfold and then fold towards the folded line made in image 36 above (images 37 and 38).

After that, fold again to the left as shown in image 39. Turn the shape over and repeat the steps in images 35 to 39 (image 40).

Next, lift the top folded layer and fold it as shown (images 41 and 42).

Unfold, and refold in the opposite direction to tuck the fold as shown (images 43 and 44).

Turn the shape over and repeat the previous step in images 41 to 44 (images 45 and 46).

Step 4: Fold the face

To shape the face of the paper shark, lift the shape open from the bottom as shown in image 47.

Fold the tip as shown in image 48.

Refold the paper and press well (images 49 and 50).

Step 5: Shape the tail

Flip the shape vertically. Fold the paper along the line as shown (images 51 and 52).

Unfold and open the folded section. Shape as shown in image 53 and then fold it down the center line (images 53 and 54).

Fold the triangle flap upwards as shown and then unfold and open up the tail section. Fold the tail as shown (images 55 and 56).

Next, fold the tail along the center line and this is how it should look like (image 57).

And then, fold the triangle tip downwards (image 58).

Unfold, open up the tail section and press the unfolded section down (image 59) and press the tail together. Place the shark on a flat surface and open up the tip of the tail as shown in image 60).

Refold the tip. Using the folded line as a guide, fold the tail as shown along the black dotted line (images 61 and 62).

Unfold, turn the shark over and repeat on the opposite side of the tail (image 63).

Next, lift the shark and separate the first fold with your finger as shown (image 64).

Using the folded lines, form the shape as shown (image 65).

And then lift the flap on the bottom section and fold it down in the opposite direction as shown (image 66).

And the fold it again as shown (image 67).

Press the tail together in the middle part (image 68).

This is how the tail should look like (image 69).

Step 6: Shape the fin

The last fold is to shape the dorsal fin. Press the top flap at the top part of shark as shown and then fold it down the center crease line (images 70 and 71).

Step 7: Draw the eyes and mouth

And finally, use a black pen or fine tipped marker to draw the googly eyes and mouth for the shark (on both sides).

That completes the origami shark craft. Happy folding!