Hello dear reader! I can't wait to teach you how to fold an origami lion.

First, let's grab our materials!

You will need:

Three pieces of origami paper
One black marker
A glue stick

Step 1: Creating the Lion's Mane

Select three pieces of oragami paper; Each piece should be a perfect square with one colored side and one colorless side. For the best results, you should choose two lightly colored pieces and one dark colored piece. The dark colored piece will be used for the lion's mane and the lighter colors will be used for the lion's head and body.

Step 2: Step 2

Start with the piece of paper you would like to be used for the lion’s mane. Flip the paper over to the colorless side and turn it so it is shaped like a diamond. Take the topmost corner, fold in half to a crease and open it back up. Turn the paper 90°, or so that the crease is vertical/ the paper is in the same diamond shape, and fold topmost corner down to meet the bottom corner.

Step 3: Step 3

Keeping the paper in the folded position from the last step, grab the right corner of this triangle and bring down towards the middle crease, but do not connect them. Instead, guide the corner so that its point overshoots the top of the triangle. You should still be able to see the middle crease. Repeat this step with the left corner.

Step 4: Step 4

Following the center crease, take the topmost corner in the center on the paper and fold it down about a 1/2 inch. This fold forms the tuft of hair found between the ears of the lion.

Set the mane aside for now, we will come back to it later. Let's move on to the head.

Step 5: Creating the Lion's Head

Choose one of your lighter colored sheets of paper and flip it over to the colorless side. Once again, turn the paper so that the shape resembles a diamond. Next, take the topmost corner and fold it down so it meets the bottom corner, and crease. Open the paper up and turn it 90 degrees, repeating the previous fold.

Step 6:

Open the paper up back to its diamond shape. Gently pinch the bottom corner and bring it up so that the point is touching the center of the paper where the two creases meet.

Gently grab the the top most corner and repeat the fold.

Step 7:

Take the bottom corner and fold the tip of it back so that the point overshoots the border of the paper slightly, in a similar fashion to creating the mane from step 4.

Step 8:

Take the part of the folded corner that overshot the border of the paper and fold it underneath the rest of the paper. This will create a small white triangle on the posterior side of the paper.

Step 9:

Flip your paper over so that the white triangle is against the table.

Step 10:

Fold the left corner of your trapezoid towards the center of the paper. Repeat this step with the right corner. Ensure that the tips of the corners are touching so that your fold is even.

Step 11:

Undo the folds made in last step by folding both corners back out, lining them up with the sides of the paper, and crease. If done correctly, the paper should look like the pictures below.

Step 12:

Turn the paper over so that the small white triangle can be see. Fold the top right corner down and crease. Repeat this step with the left corner.

Step 13:

Take the top of the white triangle and fold it down about a 1/2 inch to make the tip of the lion's nose. This completes the head.

Step 14: Creating the Lion's Body

Turn the remaining piece of paper to the colorless side, fold it in half and crease. Fold the paper in half once more, longways, and crease it.

Step 15:

Open the folds back up to the colorless side of the paper and turn paper 90° to the right. Repeat last step.

Step 16:

Take the bottom of the paper and fold up halfway towards the first visible crease in the paper. Repeat this fold with the right side of the paper.

Step 17:

Ensure that the colored stripes on the colorless side are turned towards the top and left side of the paper. Flip the paper over to the colored side. Take the bottom of the paper and fold on the same fashion as the previous step.

Flip the paper over back to its colorless side and fold the top right corner so that it meets the colored stripe. If done correctly you should see the colored stripes parallel to each other.

Step 18:

Turn the triangle so the point is facing downward, as pictured, Fold the point upwards to the right and crease along the edges of the paper. This will once again create another triangle.

Step 19:

Take the triangle that has just been folded and gently separate it with your fingers. Put the top of your finger along the crease and compress it so that the square forms. Crease so that the fold lays flat.