How to Make an Origami Shark (Step by Step Instructions)

You can fold a realistic origami shark from a single square sheet of paper in about twenty steps, no glue, tape, or scissors required once your paper is square.

This is one of the trickier folds in our origami animals collection, so it helps to have a few basic origami folds under your belt before you start. It rewards patience more than speed.

Fold it in any color of craft paper and you’ve got a shark ready for a shelf, an ocean-themed room, or just a satisfying half hour of quiet folding.

Origami Shark at a Glance

• Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced
• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Cost: Under $1 (one sheet of paper)
• Ages: 10+ (an adult may want to help with the trickier reverse folds)
• Best for: Ocean-themed decor, leveling up your origami skills, or a rainy-day folding session

What You Need to Make an Origami Shark

Materials

• One square sheet of craft paper, about 6 to 8 inches, thin enough to crease sharply but sturdy enough to hold up through twenty folds

Tools (Optional)

• Ruler, to square off your paper if you’re not starting with a pre-cut square
• Pencil, to mark the square before cutting
• Scissors, to cut the square out

If you don’t already have square paper, measure and mark a square with the ruler and pencil, then cut it out with the scissors before you start folding.

How to Make an Origami Shark

Step 1: Crease the Diagonal Base Folds

Take your square sheet and fold it in half diagonally, corner to corner, then unfold. Repeat along the other diagonal so both creases are set.

Now fold one of the two large triangles formed by a diagonal crease in half again, then unfold it. That gives you every base crease you need before you start shaping the shark.

Step 2: Fold in Half and Add a Narrow Strip

Fold the paper in half along the diagonal crease from step 1.

Along the closed side of that half-folded triangle, make a straight fold about 2 cm deep.

Step 3: Open the Narrow Fold and Angle It Upward

Unfold both the 2 cm strip and the half fold.

With the middle crease running underneath, fold the two sides of that 2 cm strip upward. This one is fiddly, so take it slow and match the fold on each side.

Step 4: Flatten and Tuck the First Flap

Flatten the paper with the two narrow strips sitting in the middle.

Take the flap left over from step 1’s crease. Hold its open side, the edge that isn’t parallel to the crease, fold it inward, and line it up flush with the closed side.

Step 5: Crease the Matching Flap

Fold the other open side the same way to leave a matching crease, then unfold that fold too. You’re just marking the crease here, not locking it in yet.

Step 6: Bring the Two Flaps Together

Fold both of the last two creased sections together and add a fold along their shared middle crease.

Flatten the middle triangle down against the rest of the pattern, then fold the other flap to match.

Step 7: Open Up and Tuck In the Corner Triangles

Open the half fold back up and flatten the whole pattern out.

Fold in the small triangle at each open end of the paper.

Step 8: Flip and Fold Up a Third

Turn the pattern over to the other side.

Fold up about a third of one side. Eyeballing the third is fine here, it doesn’t need to be exact.

Step 9: Crease the Diagonal Sides at the Open End

Open the small triangle fold you just made at the open end.

Take the two diagonal edges coming off that open end, fold each in half, then unfold both. You’re leaving crease marks to guide the next step, not finishing the fold.

Step 10: Form the Pointed Triangle and Fold in Half

Fold along the two crease lines from step 9 so they meet the middle fold. That intersection pinches the paper into a pointy triangle.

Fold the whole pattern in half with that new point sitting on the outside.

Step 11: Fold Out the Top Flap

Fold the top flap out along its parallel crease. Once it’s open, the pattern looks noticeably different on the reverse side, which is normal at this stage.

Step 12: Match the Flap on the Other Side

Fold the flap on the other side out along its own parallel crease the same way.

Take hold of the open triangle section and fold it in half.

Step 13: Fold the Triangle In Again on Both Sides

Fold that same triangle inward one more time.

Flip the pattern to the other side and fold its open triangle the same way.

Step 14: Fold the Flap Along the Wide Front Edge

The pattern now has one wide side and one narrow side. The wide side becomes the shark’s front, so fold its top flap parallel to that edge.

Turn the pattern over and fold the matching flap on the other side.

Step 15: Fold Both Flaps In and Flatten the Middle

Fold the last two flaps inward.

Open the middle fold and flatten the whole pattern out again.

Step 16: Fold the Straight Side In Half, Then in Half Again

On the straight side of the pattern, fold the top half in along the middle crease, then fold the bottom half the same way.

Turn the pattern over to the other side.

Step 17: Crease the Backside Diagonals Between the Layers

Fold the pattern in half with the triangle sections facing outward.

On the backside, fold along the open diagonal edges near the top to set new creases, unfold them, then refold each one back inside, between the paper layers rather than on top. This is the step most people rush, so double check both creases land symmetrically before moving on.

Step 18: Tuck the Small Triangle on the Backside

Find the small triangle on the shark’s backside and fold it along the bottom edge.

Unfold it, then fold it back inside.

Step 19: Shape the Tail Fin

Repeat that same fold one more time to finish shaping the tail fin. By now the shark’s silhouette should be fully recognizable.

Step 20: Angle the Tail Fin to Finish

Fold one side of the tail fin out to roughly 45 degrees, or a touch more if you want a sharper angle.

That’s your finished origami shark. Give every crease a final firm press so it holds its shape on a shelf or in a display.

Tips for Folding an Origami Shark

• Crease firmly at every step, not just the diagonal base folds. This pattern layers folds on top of folds, so any softness early on becomes visible bulk by step fifteen.
• Work on a hard, flat surface. A folding mat or a clean tabletop holds sharper creases than folding in your lap.
• Once you’ve got the hang of this one, our full origami collection has plenty of other projects to try next, from easier animals to trickier flowers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the origami shark hard to make?

Yes, this is one of the more advanced folds in our origami animals collection, with close to twenty steps and several reverse folds packed together. If you’re newer to origami, practice basic valley and mountain folds first, or start with an easier animal like our origami cat before coming back to the shark.

What kind of paper should I use for an origami shark?

A single square sheet of craft paper works best because it creases sharply without tearing after this many folds. If you only have printer paper, square it up first, since anything thinner tends to go limp by step fifteen or so.

Is this a 3D origami shark or a flat, traditional fold?

This is a traditional single-sheet fold, not 3D modular origami, which uses dozens of separate pieces locked together. You’ll get a flat, stylized shark shape from one square of paper, with no glue or extra units needed.

How long does it take to fold an origami shark?

Budget about 20 to 30 minutes your first time through, since the middle steps involve several unfold-refold sequences you’ll want to double check. Once you’ve made one, a second shark goes noticeably faster.

More Origami Tutorials

• How to fold an origami bear
• How to make an origami panda
• How to make a traditional origami crane

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