Praying Mantis by Robert J.
Lang
Copyright 1990. All rights reserved.
1. Crease the diagonals.
4. Fold the corners in and turn
the paper over.
7. Fold and unfold.
2. Fold and unfold.
5. Fold a Waterbomb Base
based on the new creases.
8. Open-sink the corner..
3. First make the horizontal
crease halfway between the two
pinch marks. Then make the
vertical crease through the
intersection of the horizontal
crease and the diagonal of the
square.
6. Swivel-fold.
PostScript routines that were coded by the author. The design and
These drawings were composed on a Macintosh SE computer
using the program Aldus FreeHand 2.0, linked with additional
these drawings may not be distributed commercially.
9. Open out the sink and push some paper up 10. Reverse-fold 11. Pull down the edge of the
from the inside; pinch the excess paper in half the corner. pocket and fold the right layer
and swing it over to the left. back to the left.

12. Fold one flap down. 13. Swing one layer from right to left. 14. Repeat steps 6–13 on the right.

15. Squash-fold. 16. Petal-fold. 17. Unwrap a single layer.

18. Squash-fold. 19. Reverse-fold the edges. 20. Turn the model over. 21. Repeat steps 15–17.
 22. Fold and 23. Fold the flap down, using the 24. Reverse-fold a single 25. Reverse-fold
unfold. newly-made creases as a guide. layer out from the inside. the edges.

26. Reverse- 27. Pull out the layers 28. Open-sink 29. Flatten 30. Fold and 31. Fold one
fold the trapped under the the shaded the sunk unfold. layer to the left
bottom triangular hood. The region and region. in front and
corner. model will not lie flat. refold. one to the right
behind.

32. Top of the model. 33. Pleat and fold a rabbit 34. Fold and unfold 35. Wrap one layer of
Fold and unfold. ear from the thick point through all layers. paper to the front.
using the existing creases.

36. Fold one layer to 37. In progress. 38. Close the 39. Repeat steps 40. Swing the point
the right, releasing Pull paper out model back up. 36–38 on the next over to the left.
the trapped paper at from here. two layers.
the left that links it to
the next layer.
 41. Repeat steps
36–39 on the right.
42. There are four edges on 43. Pull out the 44. Swing the point
the top right; pull out as much loose paper back to the right.
of the loose paper between the between the first
third and fourth edges as and second
possible. A hidden pleat layer.
disappears in the process.

45. Repeat steps
42–43 on the left.
46. Fold and unfold.
47. Open-sink the
point. You will have
to open out the top of
the model somewhat
to accomplish this.
48. Rearrange the
layers at the top so that
the central square forms
a Preliminary Fold.

49. Fold one layer to the

right in front, and one to 50. Petal-fold. 51. Fold the flap 52. Closed-sink the
the left behind. The back upward. point. (Be careful!
model should be It is very easy to
symmetric as in step 31. rip the paper.)

53. Repeat 54. Reverse-fold the 55. Fold two layers to 56. Crease 57. Sink (open at the
steps 50–52 long edge all the way the right (in the into thirds. bottom, closed at the
behind. through the model process, you undo the top) the edge in and
(closed-sink the reverse fold you made out on the existing
corner at the top). back in step 11). creases.
58. Sink the 59. Fold one 60. Fold 61. Crimp the top left 62. Mountain- 63. Fold one
corner at the layer back to one layer in corner. Fold one layer fold the edge layer from
top. the left. thirds. from the right to overlap underneath. right to left.
the left layer, flattening
the point behind.

64. Repeat 65. Turn 66. Fold one 67. Fold and 68. Pleat
steps 55–62 the model flap up. unfold; the crease above the
on the right. over. lies on top of the crease you
horizontal edge of just made.
the layers behind.

69. Crease 70. Fold the flap 71. Fold the 72. Mountain- 73. Repeat 74. Fold the
into thirds. over on one of the next layer over fold both layers steps 69–72 top point
creases you just the top of the together. on the right. down to the
made, and make a one you just right.
linked pair of swivel folded.
folds at the top.
75. Unfold. 76. Fold the top 77. Pull out 78. Squash-fold 79. Pull out 80. Reverse-fold
down to the left. some loose the flap over to some loose the point.
paper. the right. paper.

81. Squash-fold. 82. Petal-fold. 83. Bring one 84. Fold the two 85. Narrow the
layer to the front points upward two points and
on each side. (the exact the sides of the
amount isn't main flap.
critical).

86. Fold the 87. Double-rabbit-ear 88. Repeat on 89. Fold up one point 90. Fold each
head down. the left point. the right. as far as possible on side in thirds.
each side.
 91. Open-sink the 92. Reverse-fold the 93. Reverse-fold the 94. Narrow the legs
side corners (top point out to the side. next point out to the with mountain and
layer only). side. valley folds.

95. Swing the white 96. Repeat steps 97. Turn the model over.
layer over to the 92–95 on the left.
right.

99. Shape the legs by pinching 100. Praying Mantis

98. Fold the lower portion of the
model in half, but keep the
upper portion flat. Fold the
forelegs down away from the
body.
them in half. Pinch and
reverse-fold the forelegs to
shape them. Mountain-fold the
edges of the body. Reverse-fold
the white edge at the abdomen
upward.