There's something instantly charming about a long-necked sea creature folded from a flat square—no cutting, no glue, just paper and patience. The Plesiosaurus is one of those origami animals that looks far more impressive than the effort suggests: a graceful neck, a rounded barrel body, and a shape that reads "prehistoric" the moment you set it down. If you've already tried a few beginner animals and want to stretch into something with a bit more structure, this is a great next step. Take it slowly around the squash and reverse folds, and you'll end up with a model you'll actually want to show off.

Here we’ll show you how to fold an origami Plesiosaurus.

A sea-dwelling dinosaur known for its long neck and barrel-shaped body.

It involves a few intricate steps, but the result is clean and rewarding—so give it a try.

How to fold Plesiosaurus

STEP 1. Make a mountain fold diagonally and a valley fold on the line connecting the midpoints of the sides.

STEP 2. Fold it along the crease.

STEP 3. Fold the edge to the center crease and make a crease.

STEP 4. Fold along the crease and squash it flat.

STEP 5. Turn the edge to the right.

STEP 6. Fold the left crease in the same way.

STEP 7. Turn it over and fold it in the same way.

STEP 8. Turn the corners over so the white side shows.

STEP 9. Fold the edge along the crease to make a crease.

STEP 10. Fold it along the crease as shown.

STEP 11. Fold the other side in the same way.

STEP 12. Fold the corners down. (Same for other aspects)

STEP 13. Fold the corner over.

STEP 14. Fold it so that the edges fit together.

STEP 15. Fold the other side in the same way.

STEP 16. Fold the corner up along the dotted line.

STEP 17. Fold it as shown.

STEP 18. Fold the left corner in the same way.

STEP 19. Fold it along the dotted line to make a crease.

STEP 20. Fold it inward along the crease.

STEP 21. Fold the left side in the same way.

STEP 22. Fold it so that the edges fit together.

STEP 23. Fold it over at the crease.

STEP 24. Fold the left side in the same way.

STEP 25. Turn it over and fold it back along the dotted line.

STEP 26. Make a crease along the dotted line.

STEP 27. Fold it so that it covers the dotted line.

STEP 28. Rotate the model and crease along the dotted line.

STEP 29. Bring the corner up.

STEP 30. Fold it inward along the dotted line to take the shape, and the Plesiosaurus is complete.