3D Origami Ultimate Dragon

This is an ultimate 3D Origami Dragon. It is made of approximately 1000 pieces. There are many different projects that you can make by sorting the pieces differently. I find it easier to look at a picture of the pieces and the pattern to be able to put it together. Videos are too fast to follow and written instructions can be hard to follow. I have taken pictures of various steps so you can follow the pattern.

Step 1: Materials

For this 3D Origami Dragon you will need:

1.) Colored paper
- Different colors of your choice for the design of the dragon
- I also prefer to use construction paper because it is cheap and easy to fold

2.) Scissors or a cutting board
- I find it faster to use a cutting board

3.) Glue
- I used Elmer glue because that is all I have and it works great. But you can use mostly any type of glue.

4.) A little bit of time
- The triangle may take a while to get all 1000 but I cut all the rectangle papers first then when I have spare time or while watching a movie I fold the tiny triangles.

Step 2: Make the Triangles

In order to make this dragon and many other 3D origami projects you need to start with the triangle. Cut whatever paper you want into a 3in by 2in rectangle. Each of these rectangles makes one triangle. You can get about 12-14 depending on what paper you use. I chose to use construction paper for the colors and strength but you can use any paper you want. Then fold it in half long ways. Fold it in half again the other way. Fold each closed side into the middle crease as shown in the pictures above. Open up the middle and fold the bottom flaps up. Make many more of these to create the ultimate Dragon or other 3D projects.

Step 3: Make the Tail

After you have made enough pieces it is time to start putting them together. On each triangle there are two insert holes in the back and two triangle insert flaps. Start the tail with a diamond. Then continue with a row of one and every so often add a piece to create the spiky tail. If needed look at the pictures. You can make this Diamond design as I did throughout the whole dragon or create a design of your own. Just remember you can always retry until you get it right or to how you like it up until you glue it:)

Step 4: The Body

You can continue the body off of the tail or you could connect them later. You can follow the design of my dragon or create your own using different colors. When you get to the tube part of the body it is 21 pieces per circle. I made it 20 rows long. You can also make the body as long or longer or even bigger if you want to make a bigger dragon. On the end where the neck will be connected I created an end for the body to make it look a little better. I only added pieces for the amount of holes in the row. This will allow for one less piece used every time. When I got down to only one slot left I flipped two pieces backward so I could connect it to the neck later. Look at the pictures for help.

Step 5: Build the Neck

You can build the Neck off of the body or connect it later. Go through the same process to create the neck as you did the body and tail. The neck should be centered on the body. The neck also curves upward. Look at the video or pictures for help.

Step 6: The Head

The Head can be made many different ways. I chose to make mine with horns and a design on the face. You can add black eye or leave a hole for the mouth. I started the head at the bottom like a triangle. Then I continued up. When I got to where the eyes should be I created a sort of mask across the face. Look at the pictures and video for help.

Step 7: Wings

The wings may be the coolest part of the dragon. One important thing to remember is that the wings need to be a reflection of each other. I start with one wing and then I mirror the other one exactly to that one. I first started with the left wing. Start at the bottom of the wing and move up from there. This will also help when you mirror the second wing.

Step 8:

The Arms and legs are very easy to make but also very important. The legs will hold up most the dragon's weight. So for the legs I created a column of 3 pieces wide. I made them long enough to bend a little but not too long that they are disproportionate to the rest of the dragon. The Arms are very simple. I started with the claws and made a simple row of 1 triangle for how long I wanted the arms.

Step 9: The Assembly

The Assembly may be a little tricky. if you have not already connect the tail to the body and the body to the neck. Then you can push the pieces from the body into the neck to make it more stable. Then add the legs. These should be positioned near the front lower half of the body. Then add the wings the above the legs either in front or behind. This depends on preference. Next add the head at the top of the neck. Then the arms should be near the bottom of the neck after the body. The spikes are extra triangles I had that I wanted to add for effect. They are also optional. This should be the end of the Ultimate Dragon. There are many other different designs that could be made with these triangles.

Step 10: Glueing

Gluing is important to keep the dragon together especially when you want to move the dragon or are transporting it. It is very important for the appendages to be glued in well. This includes the legs, arms, head, tail, and the wings. I used Elmer glue to do this. I first spread glue along the underside of the neck and tail to make sure that those pieces stayed together and did not separate. Then I glued on the legs and arms. I let it dry a little just to make sure it stayed then I glued the wings and the head on.

Step 11: Finished Dragon

Here are some pictures of the finished Dragon.