ORIGAMI +
→ New Origami for Halloween book!
→ New Origami Tshirts: give the t-shirt and make the model!

Origami Manatee

manatee
Original model created on 13/12/2015 - Published on 29/12/2015

Origami Manatee instructions and tutorial

The manatee is a fascinating sea animal, with a huge flat tail like a big spatula. This original origami manatee model is based on the traditional origami whale.

Origami manatee video instructions

To make a manatee in origami, please follow the instructions from this video on YouTube:

Please share this manatee with your friends!

How to make an origami manatee

Here are the step-by-step instructions to fold a manatee (photo diagram and/or video).

manatee - step 1

1. Start with a square piece of paper. Put the colored side on top.

manatee - step 2

2. Fold and unfold the two diagonals.

manatee - step 3

3. Turn the model to the other side, and rotate by 45 degrees.

manatee - step 4

4. Fold the top right and the bottom right towards the horizontal axis.

manatee - step 5

5. Fold the left tip slightly towards the right.

manatee - step 6

6. Unfold the two right flaps.

manatee - step 7

7. Fold the top left and the bottom left towards the horizontal axis.

manatee - step 8

8. Slightly open the two folds on the left and fold again the two folds on the right.

manatee - step 9

9. Flatten the folds towards the left.

manatee - step 10

10. Turn the model to the other side.

manatee - step 11

11. Fold the bottom of the model over the top of the model.

manatee - step 12

12. Fold the tail. Start the fold in the middle of the right top side, and fold so that it touches the tip of the flap.

manatee - step 13

13. Unfold the tail and open the model.

manatee - step 14

14. Invert the tail fold at the bottom and fold again the top fold.

manatee - step 15

15. Fold the model in two again.

manatee - step 16

16. Fold the right tip towards the left, slightly upwards.

manatee - step 17

17. Unfold the fold you just made and open the flap.

manatee - step 18

18. Invert the fold of the tip and fold it inside the model.

manatee - step 19

19. The tip is on one side and the model is not completely symmetric.

manatee - step 20

20. Fold the flipper (fin) towards the right.

manatee - step 21

21. Turn the model to the other side and fold the other flipper.

manatee - step 22

22. Make two small folds inside for the snout, and flatten the tail.

manatee - step 23

23. Your manatee is ready to swim and graze plants from the bottom of the sea!

manatee - step 24

24. Don't leave your manatee alone, and fold a whole family of manatees! :-) You can also make the tail point towards the top instead of the bottom.

Did you know that seamen thought that the manatees were mermaids? The manatee is also called the "sea cow", perhaps because it eats so much plants for seven hours every day!

I hope you will like this origami manatee model. It's the first sea animal on Origami Plus. Which other sea animal would you like to see next?

Note: this model is an original model protected by international copyright laws. Please do not publish instructions, diagrams or videos that show how to fold it, but instead point people to this page. If you would like to help with the translation of the instructions to your language (or improve the translation), please let me know. Thank you!

Your origami manatee photos

If you fold this manatee, please send me pictures of your paper manatee so that I can show them here.

What do you think of this manatee?

Have you tried this this manatee origami model? How did it turn out? Please tell me, and send me a picture of your model so that I can add it on this page!

If you like this manatee and my other origami models, you can support me on Patreon. Thank you!

Origami

Origami is the art of folding paper to create animals, plants, objects and geometric forms.

Origami models with easy to follow step-by-step instructions in video and photos.

Diagrams to fold origami models can be difficult to interpret sometimes. For each model we show a photo of each step so that you can easily fold all models. Each origami model also has a video that shows how to fold it.

Subscribe to the Origami + YouTube channel to be notified when I publish new origami models and videos.

If you like my original origami models and videos, please support me on Patreon. Thank you!

Join me on the Origami + Facebook page and follow @Origami_Plus on Twitter to talk about origami, share your origamis and suggest new models!

Do you speak Origami?

Origami.plus - Origami +

Copyright © 2015-2022 Stéphane Gigandet
Legal - Contact - Origami Links

For even more origami fun:

Do you speak Origami?

Do you speak Origami?