Contents

Introduction
How to Fold
Basic Folds
Making a Tableau
Adam and Eve

Serpent
Angel
Adam
Eve
Backdrop
Noah’s Ark

Noah
 Horses
Elephants
Lions
Mice
Dogs
Dove and Crow
Backdrop
Tower of Babel

Tower
Builders
Crane
Backdrop
Jonah and the Whale

Ship
Jonah
 Whale
Fish
Backdrop
First Christmas

Cow
Sheep
Baby Jesus
Mary
Joseph
Dove
Caspar
Melchior
Balthasar
Backdrop
Easter
 Lily
Risen Christ
Backdrop
Extra Projects

The Annunciation

Jacob’s Ladder

The Good Shepherd

Introduction
The Bible is a book.
But not just a book.
It is also a fountain, from which springs forth great sprays of art, music, and
literature. It is the source of much of our Western culture, a wellspring of our
imagination. And it is all around us. Even if we aren’t particularly religious, we
can’t escape the biblical motifs, language, and metaphors filling our daily life.
There has always been a tradition of presenting the Bible visually, since icons
and sculpture, illuminated manuscripts and stained glass evoke the mystery and
message of the Bible better than printed words can. So it seemed perfectly
natural to me to portray biblical stories in my own medium, paper and origami.
Bible origami!
I love origami. I can spend hours doing it. But however much fun it might be
folding up an elephant, for example, in the end it’s just one elephant. What can I
do with just one elephant? I always feel like it’s lonely. It wants some elephant
company. And then maybe it wants some lion company too, and a horse, and a
bird. . . and soon it’s a bunch of friends playing together. If I add a bit of
background it becomes the kernel of a story. Now I’ve got a lively origami
picture.
The trick has been to make the pieces look like they belong together. They
have to be in the same style, and appropriate sizes, or they will look more like an
origami jumble than a picture. A parade of matching animals with a big boat
background make up a moment captured from the story of Noah and his ark: an
origami tableau.
So here are a bunch of projects for you to fold and work into your very own
tableaux of some of the greatest Bible stories. With one or two exceptions, the
models are all my originals. They all look fine on their own, and they look better
in their sets, but they will look really great when you add your own touches.
What each tableau will look like is up to you. I have arranged the projects in the
order in which they appear in the Bible. But some of the early pieces are the
most difficult, so I suggest you work your way through a few of the simpler
pieces first—the pieces with the fewest steps. Take your time, look at all the
diagrams carefully, fold precisely, and you’ll make out fine. No miracles required!
To download the Folding Paper for 72 models,
please click HERE.
How to Fold
Here’s what the arrows in the directions mean:

Fold this way

Fold and unfold

Fold around behind

Flip the whole piece over

Most pieces start with the paper color side down. The drawings show the front in color, and the back in
white.

This is a mountain fold; it looks a bit like a mountain.

And this is a valley fold.

Some shapes are made with reverse folds. Start by creasing the paper along the fold lines. Open out the
paper slightly, reverse each of the folds, and recrease them to make a neat corner. Above are diagrams for an
outside reverse fold followed by an inside one (and on to complete a bonus penguin).

The directions tell you to fold on such-and-such a line, but if you use your own paper you won’t have the
lines. No worry! Just remember that in origami folds are usually made so that corners and edges meet, or
folds start at half-way points. The diagrams show you which edges and corners to use. And where corners
and edges aren’t indicated, the placement of the fold isn’t that critical.
Basic Folds
There are only so many ways to start folding origami projects. A few of the most
common ways are called bases, and are used as starting points for folding
diagrams. Here are the bases used in this kit.

Waterbomb Base
The waterbomb base is the beginning of the famous waterbomb, but it is also the
beginning of many other projects. Here is an easy way of doing it.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold and unfold from corner to corner. Flip the paper over.

2 Fold the paper in half and unfold it again.

3 Collapse the sides away from you along the creases you’ve made.
4 This is the finished waterbomb base.
Blintz Base
The blintz base is named for the pastry it looks like. Some projects fold the
corners in just once, and some fold the paper two or three times, but either way
the process is the same. The first step is to find the center of the paper.

1 Start with the color side down. Line up opposite corners and crimp the paper with your finger to make a
tiny crease in the middle.

2 Crimp the paper again in the other direction to find the center. A tiny crease won’t be as noticeable in
the finished piece as a long fold would be.

3 Fold the four corners in so they touch the center.

4 This is the finished blintz base.

Fish Base
This base looks a bit like a fish without a tail. It has two flaps in the middle that
can be used to make fins, legs, and all sorts of things.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold and unfold to the centerline from the top and bottom corners.

2 Fold the corners in to the centerline.

3 Press down the folds to crease the paper underneath and the fish base is finished.

Bird Base
The bird base is the beginning of classic origami pieces like the Japanese crane.
It creates four flaps joined in the middle, which can be wings, legs, or necks.

1 Start with the color side up. Fold and unfold from corner to corner. Flip the paper over.

2 Fold and unfold vertically and horizontally.

3 Push the bottom corners together while swinging the center corners out.
4 Here’s an expanded view of the base so far.

5 Fold and unfold as shown.

6 Pull up the bottom corner and reverse the folds.

7 Here it is part of the way through.

8 Do the same on the other side.

9 The finished bird base.

Making a Tableau
Once all of the pieces in each project are folded up, it’s time to put them
together into a tableau and put them on display.
The first thing you might want to do is glue loose flaps and edges down. After
a while folded paper starts unfolding itself. Many origami artists eschew glue,
but I don’t see how it can hurt if it’s just done to keep things in shape.
Next, use the stands to hold up the flat models, set up the backdrops, and
move things around until they look good to you. This is your chance to be the
creator!

The stands are very simple to make. Push them out, fold them down the middle, and you’re ready to slide
the flat models into the slit. They look better if the long side goes to the back. If the models fall forward,
bend them backwards slightly just above the slit in the stand.
When you fold up the backgrounds, use a ruler to help you make straight creases. Put the ruler behind the
paper for mountain folds, and on top of the paper for valley folds. The curved creases in the Jonah and the
Whale backdrop are best done slowly with fingers held close together.

You can fold the pieces on your own or you can do them together with family
and friends. More people means more fun!
ADAM AND EVE

The Bible begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth, light and dark,
dry land and sea, birds, fishes, beasts, and finally, the first people. Their story is
found in Genesis, from 1:26 through 3:24.

God decided to create man in his own image, so he formed Adam out of dust.
Adam was to look after creation, and God had him name all of the things in it.
But God saw that Adam needed help with this huge task, and decided to create
another human to work with him. He put Adam to sleep and drew out a rib,
which he formed into Eve. Adam and Eve got along right away. God brought
them to the Garden of Eden, and gave them full use of it, except for the tree at
its center. “Eat anything you want, but don’t touch the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.” But the wily serpent whispered to Eve, “Why
should you not? God just doesn’t want you to be like him. Eat this fruit and you
can be.” Eve was beguiled and ate the fruit, and shared it with Adam. At once
they knew good and evil, and realized they were naked in the garden.

God came across them as he walked in the garden. They had known evil, and
shame, and made aprons of fig leaves to hide their nakedness. He asked, “What
have you done?” and they confessed. “For this sin you must live in sorrow all
your lives. Women must bear children in pain, and men must sweat and toil on
the land for their food. And in the end, all people must die and return to the
dust from which you were made.” And so Adam and Eve were driven from the
garden, to begin the race of man, and the archangel Michael stood by the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil with a flaming sword, to ensure they did not
return.
All together in the garden.

The first human couple, for better or worse.

That sneaky serpent...
Serpent
The snake is an animal feared in every society. Most are harmless, but in the
Bible they are serpents, the embodiment of evil. Adam and Eve should have
been more afraid, but they didn’t know how to fear yet.

1 Fold the paper in half, color side in.

2 Fold the paper up on line 1.

3 Fold the paper up on line 2.

4 Fold the paper up on line 3.

5 Open out the paper, and refold it like an accordian, with a mountain fold at the center.

6 Fold the neck up on line 4.

7 Fold the head down on line 5.

8 Fold and unfold the nose on line 6.

9 Reverse folds 4, 5, and 6, outside for the neck, and inside for the head and nose.

10 Fold the bottom of the tail inside the body on the 7 lines.

11 Fold the body of the snake into a zigzag shape, and it’s done.
Angel
There are many angels in the Bible, and this piece is used for several of them:
Michael, who cast out Adam and Eve with a flaming sword; Gabriel of the
Annunciation; and the myriads that Jacob saw in his dream.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold and unfold on the 1 and 2 lines.
2 Flip the paper. Fold and unfold on line 3. Flip the paper again.

3 Pull in the corner and collapse the paper as shown.

4 Fold down the top layers on the 4 lines. Flip the angel.

5 Fold down on line 5.

6 Fold back up on line 6.

7 Fold up the wings on the 7 lines.

8 Fold the wings out on the 8 lines.

9 Fold the top of the wings down on the 9 lines.

10 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold line 10. Flip the angel.

11 Pull out the sides of the face slightly as shown.

Adam
God created Adam in his own likeness, to look after the plants and animals in
the Garden of Eden. Here he is, after falling from that state of grace,
grandfather of us all.

1 Fold lines 1 to 4 to make a bird base (page 7). Fold down on line 5.
2 Fold up on line 6.

3 Fold and unfold on line 7.

4 Pull the sides out and the tip down as shown, recreasing as you go.
5 Flip the piece top to bottom.

6 Fold the arms out on the 8 lines.

7 Fold down on line 9.

8 Fold down on the 10 lines.

9 Fold all layers on the 11 lines.

10 Fold out the arms on the 12 lines.

11 Fold up on line 13. Flip the piece over.

12 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold the hands on the 14 lines.

13 All done!
Eve
Genesis tell us that Eve was created from Adam’s rib. This origami Eve is
created from Adam’s step 8.

1 Eve is folded just like Adam until step 9. Fold all layers of one side on line 11.
2 Fold the arm out on line 12.

3 Repeat the last two steps for the other arm.

4 Fold up on line 13. Flip Eve over.

5 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold the hands on the 14 lines.

6 As an option, fold her right arm in again. Then, instead of reverse folding the hand, pull the front layer
up and squash the tip upwards to make a hand.
The Adam and Eve Backdrop
It seemed to me that the most attractive backdrop for Adam and Eve would be
the tree that was their undoing. It is bright and cheery, the kind of inviting tree
we would all be drawn to. What sort of tree was it? Nothing in the Bible says
one way or the other, but tradition tells us Eve ate an apple, so I’ve made an
apple tree.

Mountain- and valley-fold the lines at the bottom of the leaf line. Then curl the leaves and fruit gently with
your fingers to make them stand out from the tree a little. The missing apple was eaten by Adam and Eve.
The backdrop looks quite interesting with a light behind it, leaking around the leaves and fruit.
The finished backdrop will stand up if the bottom corners are pushed back and the trunk pulled out slightly.
NOAH’S ARK

The story of a great flood that destroyed everything and wiped the earth clean
can be found in several ancient cultures. It appears in a Mesopotamian classic,
the Epic of Gilgamesh. But most famous is the story of Noah, found in Genesis,
from 6:5 through 8:22.

God became unhappy with the wickedness of mankind, and regretted having
created people in the first place. “I will destroy everything,” he said. But Noah,
by his virtue, softened God’s resolve; he decided to spare this great man and his
family, and all the animals and birds and plants they would need, in hopes that
Noah’s virtue would be passed on in the world.

So he instructed Noah to build the ark, a huge boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide,
and 45 feet tall. It was built of gopher wood, carefully waterproofed with pitch,
with rooms, decks, doors, and windows enough to hold two of every kind of bird
and beast, and all their food for a long voyage. Noah loaded the animals as the
rain began, and after 40 days and nights of downpour, all the world was
inundated. Even the mountains were swallowed by the flood.
After the ark had drifted for 150 days, the waters began to recede, and the ship
grounded on the peak of Mount Ararat. Still later, the mountaintops appeared,
and Noah sent out a crow to search for land, with no success. He then sent out a
dove, which returned at once. After a week the dove went out again, to return
with an olive branch. Another week waiting as the land gradually appeared, and
Noah sent out the dove a third time. This time it didn’t return, and Noah knew
the flood was over. God spoke to Noah, and told him it was time to unload the
animals and his family, and start refilling the the world with their children.
Many animals joined Noah on the ark, but I’ve had to make a selection here.
The dove and crow are mentioned directly in the story, so here they are. And
with them are some of the more colorful voyagers.
Noah
Noah impressed God when he was unimpressed with the rest of humanity. God
wanted to sweep the Earth clean and start again, and it was Noah he chose to
help him. Noah was six hundred years old at the time!

1 Start with the color side down. Fold to the center on line 1.
2 Fold to the top edge on line 2.

3 Fold Noah’s face down on line 3.

4 Fold to the center on the 4 lines.

5 Fold and unfold on the 5 lines.

6 Fold Noah’s hands out on the 6 lines.

7 Pull each hand up to the corner, folding it in half and creasing as you go.
8 Refold the 5 lines and flip the piece over.

9 Fold the top layers to the center on the 8 lines, pulling the arms out from behind as you go.

10 Fold the top layer to the center on the 9 lines.

11 Tuck the sides under the arms at the 10 lines. Flip Noah over again.

12 Trim the tip of his head, optionally fold one arm down, and Noah is ready to sail.
Horses
Some people call horses the noblest of creatures. Certainly Noah could never
have left behind an animal as beautiful, and useful, as the horse.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold the paper in half.

2 Fold and unfold on line 1. Flip it over.

3 Fold down on the 2 lines.

4 Fold down on the 3 lines.

5 Fold in half toward you.

6 Fold and unfold on line 4, and open the paper out.

7 Fold in on the 5 lines.

8 Fold out on the 6 lines, refold line 1, and flip the paper over.
9 Fold up loosely on the 7 mark, and fold the paper in half.

10 Pull up the head and recrease on line 8. Fold, unfold, and reverse fold line 9.

11 Fold down on line 10.

12 Fold up on line 11.

13 Reverse fold lines 10 and 11, and the horse is done.

Elephants
There are probably more elephants in origami than any other animal. That’s
probably because elephants are the most recognizable of all animals.

1 Fold the paper in half, color side out, and add a centerline fold. Fold and unfold on line 1. Flip it over.
2 Fold down on the 2 lines.

3 Fold down on the 3 lines.

4 Refold line 1 and flip the piece over.

5 Fold up on line 4 and flip it again.

6 Fold in on the 5 lines.

7 Fold the elephant in half toward you.

8 Fold the rear legs down on line 6.

9 Fold forward on the 7 lines.

10 Fold the trunk down on line 8.

11 Fold the trunk up on line 9.

12 Fold the trunk down again on line 10.

13 Reverse the last three folds to finish the trunk.

14 All done!
Lions
Noah took animals on in pairs, male and female together. Lions look a little
different from lionesses, so a couple of extra folds turns one into the other.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold to the center on the 1 lines.

2 Fold down on line 2.

3 Fold in on the 3 lines as shown. Flip the lion over.

4 Fold down on line 4.

5 Fold the top layer in on the 5 lines.

6 Flip the lion over.

7 Fold in on the 6 lines.

8 Fold out again on the 7 lines, and flip it over.

9 Fold the front layer up at the 8 mark, and fold the lion in half.

10 Pull up the head until the crease meets the corner.

11 Pull the top layer down as shown and crease the head.

12 Tuck the nose inside the head at line 10.

13 Fold and reverse fold the tail on line 11, and the lion is done.

14 Tuck under the edges of the head to make the lioness.

Mice
Only two mice traveled on the ark, but it probably took them no time to return
to their original numbers. Was Noah’s wife pleased to have them, do you think?

1 Start with the color side down. Fold on lines 1 to 4 to make a fish base (page 7).
2 Flip the fish base over.

3 Fold down on line 5.

4 Fold and unfold on the 6 lines.

5 Fold the 7 lines, and refold the 6 lines.

6 Fold up the top layer on line 8.

7 Fold down on line 9.

8 Fold in on the 10 lines.

9 Fold in half toward you, and rotate it counterclockwise.

10 Fold down on line 11.

11 Fold up on line 12.

12 Reverse these last two folds.

13 Fold the bottom edges of the tail inside the body.

14 Your mouse is all finished.

Dogs
Hardworking dogs would have helped Noah look after the other animals on the
ark, and after the flood receded. Dogs may be man’s best friend, but I’ve always
thought of Noah as a cat person.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold on the 1 lines and flip it over.
2 Fold it in half on line 2, unfold it, and flip it over again.

3 Fold up on line 3.

4 Fold down on line 4.

5 Refold line 2, and flip the dog over.

6 Fold up on line 5, and flip it over again.

7 Fold down on line 6.

8 Fold up on line 7.

9 Fold down on line 8.

10 Fold the dog in half.

11 Pull the head down and recrease the front of the legs.

12 Fold back the front of the legs. Tuck the corner under the head.
13 Ready for companionship!
Dove and Crow
Noah first sent a crow to see if the flood was ending. He thought it must be, but
to be sure he sent a dove out as well.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold on line 1.

2 Fold up on line 2.
3 Flip the bird over.

4 Fold the top layer down on line 3.

5 Fold in half toward you.

6 Fold the wings over on the 4 lines.

7 Fold, unfold, and squash fold the tail on lines 5 and 6.

8 Fold the wings down on the 7 lines.

9 For the dove, fold, unfold, and reverse fold the beak on line 8.

10 For the crow, fold, unfold, and reverse fold the beak on lines 8 and 9.

11 Fold the corners inside the head to finish the crow.

The Noah’s Ark Backdrop
Using the ark as a backdrop for the story of Noah sets the time to the moment
just before everyone got on board and the floodwaters rose. But it is already
raining hard, as you can see.

Carefully mountain- and valley-fold the lines at deck and roof to make the boat stand out a bit, and push
open the windows slightly. Different dotted lines indicate mountains and valleys. Crease the slanted lines to
make it seem like it’s raining. And fold the bottom edge out at right angles to make a stand.
The finished ark is quite simple-looking. It shouldn’t be too flashy and overpower the origami animals
waiting to board.
TOWER OF BABEL

We might think that people would get along better if they could only just talk
together, or speak the same language. But the Bible tells us why we can’t. The
story is found in Genesis, chapter 11, verses 1 through 9.

In ancient days, when the sons of Noah and their families were still wandering
over the Earth, everyone spoke the same language.

It came to pass that as they spread from the east they found a great plain in the
land of Shinar, and decided to settle there. They found mud by the river, and
baked bricks of it, and used slime for mortar, and built a great city. And in the
center, they began to build a great tower, whose top might reach to heaven.

God came down to see the city and the tower they were building, and was
aghast. “They can do this because they have one language, and act together. If
they do this now, what will stop them from doing any other thing they imagine?
I must go down and confound them, so they will not understand one another.”
And so he did.

God descended on the builders of the tower, and confounded their language, so
that no two spoke the same tongue. And they were no longer able to cooperate
enough to continue their building, and abandoned the great tower. And the city
came to be called Babel, because the languages of the people sounded like
babbling. Thus were the children of Noah scattered throughout the whole of the
Earth.
What makes up the story of the Tower of Babel? Besides an angry God, there
are the workers, and the tower. Something more seemed called for to round
things out, so I added the crane.
Tower
The Tower of Babel is often shown in pictures as a kind of pyramid with a spiral
ramp going round and round to the top. That would be a ziggurat, a Babylonian
temple of the time.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold on line 1.

2 Fold the top right corner to the centerline on line 2, and the left corner to the new right edge on line 3.

3 Fold the top right corner to the center of the bottom edge on line 4.

4 Fold the top right corner to the bottom edge and top edge to the corner shown on line 5.

5 Pull the tower open again.

6 Fold and unfold on line 6, parallel to the other creases. Flip the tower over.

7 Fold and unfold on lines 7 and 8, parallel to the other creases. Then refold each crease to pleat the tower.

8 All done!
Builders
The builders of the Tower were not bad people, but they were driven by pride.
In the beginning they could all talk together and cooperate, which even God tells
us is a requirement for getting things done.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold in on the 1 lines to make a blintz base, and flip the paper over.
2 Fold in on the 2 lines, and flip it over again.

3 Fold in on the 3 lines. Flip it again.

4 This is a magnified view. Pull up and spread out the top layer of three corners, and crease the folds.

5 Fold the bottom corner of the right and left flaps to make the arms.
6 All done!
Crane
Ancient towers and temples in biblical times would have been mostly made of
mud bricks. But large stones had to be lifted into place, and for that cranes were
necessary. Workers walking inside a huge wheel provided the power to lift each
load.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold to the center on the 1 lines.
2 Fold to the center on the 2 lines.

3 Flip the piece over.

4 Fold the crane in half on line 3. Flip it over again.

5 Fold up on line 4.

6 Fold the top layer on line 5, while pulling the tip out from behind.

7 Fold the crane in half toward you.

8 Pull the crane arm out slightly as shown and recrease it.
9 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold on line 6.

10 All done!
The Tower of Babel Backdrop
How did God confound the builders of the Tower of Babel? How did he show
his anger? For this piece, I decided that simple was best: a single lightning bolt,
big enough to shock everyone into babbling.

Mountain- and valley-fold the lines at the edges of the clouds. Then curl the lightning bolt gently with your
fingers to make it stand out a little. The folds at each side help it stand up.
By folding the paper into a zig-zag shape, you make it very stable when set on a table. It’s simple enough to
look good even on its own.
This backdrop looks really great, and very convincing, with a light behind it.
JONAH AND THE WHALE

The God of the Old Testament sometimes threatens to destroy people and
places, but he usually gives them a chance to reform first. It fell to the prophets
to warn the sinners, and not all of the prophets were happy with this task. The
story of Jonah, the reluctanct messenger, is found in the short and colorful book
of Jonah.

God had become angry with the sinful people of Nineveh, a huge and ancient
city of Mesopotamia, and he chose Jonah to warn them to repent. Jonah quailed,
and tried to flee to Tarshish. he bought passage on a ship from Joppa, but no
sooner had they left port than a terrible storm came up. The sailors feared for
their lives, and dragged Jonah out of the hold. “What have you done to bring on
this storm?” they asked. To save the ship, they threw Jonah into the sea. And as
soon as they did, the tempest died down.

Now, God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, who spent three days
and nights huddled in its belly. At last he said “I will go to Nineveh as I was
told.” God caused the fish to spew him forth, and Jonah was thrown onto dry
land. And he did warn the people of Nineveh, and they repented.
What swallowed Jonah? We often say “whale,” but some Bibles say “fish.” My
guess is it was a basking shark, which is a fish as big as a whale, with a mouth
big enough to swallow a man.
Ship
A ship was not a very smart choice for a man running away from the Lord.
There was nowhere hide, either from the other sailors, or from the wrath of
God.

1 Fold the paper in half, color side out. Fold on the 1 line.
2 Fold the top layer back on line 2, starting a fifth of the way along the top and bottom edges.

3 Flip the ship and fold up on line 3.

4 Fold and unfold on line 4.

5 Pull out the edge of the color layer, and recrease between the corner that has moved and the center of the
circle.

6 Fold the right corner around behind the boat again, and recrease the folds. Flip the boat over.

7 Tuck the loose corner under the mast as shown. Fold up on line 5.

8 Flip the ship over and you’re done. You can use the folded up bottom as a stand.
Jonah
When Jonah hit the water, the raging storm suddenly stopped. But in the
heaving waves, even a strong swimmer would have been in trouble. Jonah threw
up his arms and implored.

1 Start with the paper color side up. Fold and unfold on lines 1 and 2. Flip it over.
2 Fold and unfold on line 3, and flip it back.

3 Refold the three creases and pull the ends of line 3 in to the center.

4 Fold up on line 4, and flip Jonah again.

5 Fold up on line 5.

6 Fold up on the 6 lines. Tuck the corners under the top layer.

7 Fold down to the center on the 7 lines.

8 Fold the arms up on lines 8 and 9.

9 Fold in the sides of the head on the 10 lines. Flip Jonah over.

10 All finished!
Whale
Was Jonah swallowed by a whale or a fish? Most Bibles say “fish,” but for a long
time people thought whales were fishes. Whatever it was, it must have had a
huge, gaping mouth.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold on line 1, from a quarter across the top edge to a third across the
bottom.

2 Fold out on line 2, starting from halfway along the paper’s edge.
3 Fold the right half the same way, on lines 3 and 4.

4 Fold in the front of the fins on the 5 lines.

5 Fold the whale in half toward you.

6 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold line 6. Lock it by folding the inside corner.

7 Begin folding the tail on line 7.

8 Fold back on line 8.

9 Fold again on line 9. Then reverse the last three folds.

10 Fold on the 10 lines to open out the tail.

11 Fold the fins up a bit on the 11 lines, pull the whale open slightly, and you’re done.
Fish
Jonah narrowly avoided becoming food for fish. You can make three different
fishes from this one design, depending on where you stop folding.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold the paper in half toward you.
2 Fold up on line 1.

3 Fold down on line 2.

4 Turn the fish over. This finishes the simplest fish.

5 Fold and unfold on the 3 lines, through all the layers.

6 Pull out the top two layers and unfold on line 4, as if making a bird base.

7 Fold up the top fin at line 5, and flip the fish over.

8 Fold up the bottom fin at line 6.

9 Fold down the bottom fin at line 7, and flip the fish over.

10 This finishes the second fish. To make the last type, fold the nose back to meet the tail.

11 And you’re done!

The Jonah and the Whale Backdrop
Okay, here it is, the face of God. The face “no one has ever seen.” But not quite,
because if you look closely, you can see it’s just a bunch of dark storm clouds.
Jonah had a guilty conscience, running away from God, so naturally that’s exactly
who he saw in the sky!

This background is easier to crease if you go very slowly and support the paper with your fingers while you
bend it. The mountain folds should stand right out, more than the valley folds. The two types of dotted
lines here indicate which folds are which.
This background looks good with light from the back, but even better with oblique light from the side or
above.
We imagine God looking like an older man with a big gray beard, mostly thanks to artists like
Michaelangelo. This made it easy for me to portray him, because it means he looks a lot like me. Except
that my nose is a little bigger.
FIRST CHRISTMAS

The New Testament tells of the coming of Jesus, his teachings, and the works of
his followers. All of this begins with the first Christmas, the story of the birth of
Jesus. One account of the story may be found in Matthew 2:1–12, and another
in Luke 2:1–20.

Shortly before her baby was to be born, Mary and her husband Joseph had to
travel to Bethlehem to pay a tax to Caesar Augustus. They were late arriving,
and couldn’t find any better lodging than an old stable. So it was there that Jesus
was born. Mary wrapped her baby in swaddling clothes and laid him in some
straw in the animals’ feed box to sleep.

Some shepherds were watching their sheep nearby when an angel of the Lord
came to them to pass on the great news, which was for all people. The shepherds
were afraid, but went to the stable to see for themselves. They were awed when
they saw the baby, who they knew to be the promised Savior. They went out and
spread the news, and the words of the attending angels, who sang “Glory to God
in the highest, and peace and good will to all the people of the earth!”
At the same time, three magi, the wise kings Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar,
saw a bright new star in the sky, which they knew to be a sign of the birth of the
King of the Jews. They asked Herod, king of Judea, where they might find this
new king. Herod was worried for his own crown. He sent the magi to
Bethlehem to find the baby, and told them to return with news so he could go
himself. They followed the star to the baby Jesus, worshipped him, and gave him
kingly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream
of Herod’s jealousy and ill will, and returned to their lands by another way.
I decided to include the three wise men in this crèche, but not the shepherds,
though you know they’re close by because their sheep are still here. Jesus, of
course, is the centerpiece.
Cow
It was the cow that gave its place to the holy family when there was no room in
the inn. He watches quietly as people come and go.

1 Fold the paper in half, color side out. Fold and unfold on lines 1 and 2. Flip the piece.
2 Fold and unfold on line 3. Flip it back.

3 Collapse the sides toward you as if making a warerbomb base.

4 Fold and unfold the top layer of each horn on the 4 lines. Flip the cow over.
5 Fold the top down on line 5, and flip the cow again.

6 Fold down the top layer of each corner on the 6 lines.

7 Fold up the bottom corners on the 7 lines.

8 Fold the cow in half toward you.

9 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold on line 8.

10 Lock the fold from the inside as shown.

11 Fold the horns back up.

12 Lightly pinch each horn to make a slight crease.

13 Twist the horns forward slightly.

14 All done! As an option, make a crimp in the side to puff out the body.
Sheep
Sheep play a large role in the Bible, from the sacrifices of the Old Testament to
the symbols of the faithful in the New. Jesus is the Lamb of God, and also the
Good Shepherd. Innocent, trusting, and pure. Fold up a flock.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold to the center and unfold on the 1 lines.

2 Fold to the center and unfold on the 2 lines.

3 Crease on the 3 lines and pull the inner corners to the outer edge as shown.

4 Fold out on the 4 lines.

5 Fold out on the 5 lines.

6 Fold down on line 6 and up on line 7.

7 Fold up on line 8.

8 Fold down on line 9.

9 Fold the sheep in half toward you.

10 Pull the head down slightly and refold.

11 Fold, unfold, and reverse fold line 10.

12 If you like, tuck in the corners to shape the body a little.

Baby Jesus
After Jesus was born, he was wrapped carefully in cloth and laid on a bed of
straw, in the manger that usually held the animals’ food. There he slept
peacefully.

1 Fold the paper in half, color side out. Fold on line 1.

2 Fold and unfold the front layer on line 2.

3 Fold up the corner on line 3. Unfold and flip the piece over.

4 Fold the corner down on line 4.

5 Fold again along line 5.

6 Refold on lines 1 to 3, and flip the piece over.

7 Fold up on line 6, so the corners just touch the edges.

8 Fold everything down on line 7. Flip the piece over.

9 Fold the front layer on line 8, while pulling the baby up from behind. Flip it over again.

10 Fold back on lines 9, 10, and 11 to hide the extra bits.

11 All done! Ready for adoration.

Mary
Mary was chosen of all women to be the mother of Jesus. She must have often
felt confusion, shame, fear, awe, pain, and sorrow on his account, but she only
spoke of love and hope.

1 Start with the paper color side up. Fold on line 1.

2 Fold back on line 2. Repeat these two steps for lines 3 and 4.

3 Fold Mary’s hands on the 5 lines, along the centerline.

4 Fold down on line 6.

5 Fold up on line 7.

6 Fold on lines 8 to 10, to tuck the front corners behind Mary’s head. Squash the folds flat.

7 Flip Mary over.

8 Fold on the 11 and 12 lines.

9 Flip Mary over again.

10 All done!
Joseph
Joseph was a respectable carpenter descended from ancient kings. He is often left
in the background in the Christmas story. But what a great man he must have
been, to be able to raise the Son of God as his own.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold on the 1 lines, and flip the paper over.
2 Fold the top layer in on the 2 lines, while pulling the corners out from behind.

3 Fold down on line 3.

4 Fold back up on line 4.

5 Fold on lines 5 to 7, to tuck the front corners behind Joseph’s head. Squash the folds flat. Flip the paper.

6 Fold on the 8 lines, so the corners touch the centerline.

7 Fold the triangular bits back on the 9 lines, and flip Joseph over again.
8 If using the slotted popout display stand, fold the feet up behind, and you’re done.
Dove
There would be doves in the stable where Jesus was born. But doves mean many
things in the Bible, and this one could be the Holy Spirit, watching over the
baby.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold up on line 1.

2 Fold up on line 2.

3 Flip the dove over.

4 Fold the top layer down on line 3.

5 Fold in half away from you.

6 Fold one wing over on line 4, and flip the dove over.
7 Fold the other wing over on line 5.

8 Fold and unfold the beak on line 6.

9 Reverse fold the beak, and the dove is finished.

Caspar
Caspar of Tarsus was the youngest of the wise men, a king from Europe who
brought a gift of gold. This was a gift from one king to another, a recognition of
Jesus as King of the Jews.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold on the 1 lines and flip the piece over.
2 Fold the top layer only on the two lines, pulling the corners out from behind as you go.

3 Fold down on line 3.

4 Fold back up on line 4.

5 Fold on lines 5 to 7, to tuck the front corners behind the head. Squash the folds flat.

6 Fold the outer corners in to the bottom of the head on the 8 lines. Flip it over.

7 Fold on the 9 lines. Flip the piece again.

8 If using the slotted popout display stand, fold the feet up behind, and you’re done.
Melchior
Melchior was the second wise man, a king of Persia who brought Jesus a gift of
myrrh.

1 Fold the paper in half, color side out. Fold and unfold on the 1 lines.
2 Fold down on the 2 lines.

3 Refold the 1 lines and flip the piece over.

4 Fold down on line 3.

5 Here’s how it will look. Flip it over.

6 Fold down on the 4 lines.

7 Pull up the loose bit at the back while folding on line 5.

8 Fold down on line 6.

9 Fold the bottom corners to the center on the 7 lines.

10 Mountain fold the bottom on line 8.

11 All done!
Balthasar
Balthasar of Saba came from Ethiopia, bearing a gift of frankincense.

1 Start with the paper color side up. Fold and unfold on lines 1 and 2. Flip it over.
2 Fold and unfold on line 3, and flip it back.

3 Refold the three creases and pull the ends of line 3 in to the center.

4 Fold and unfold on line 4.

5 Fold up on line 5.

6 Fold up on line 6.

7 Refold line 4. Flip the piece over.

8 Fold the corners in on the 7 lines. Flip the piece over again.

9 Fold the inner layer on the 8 lines, starting from the tip.

10 Flip the piece over.

11 Fold on lines 9 and 10, and flip the piece over again.

12 All done!
The First Christmas Backdrop
The star that appeared over Bethlehem, leading the shepherds and wise kings to
the baby Jesus, is said to have appeared in the east. So I decided to go all the
way, and add the real winter stars the shepherds and kings would have been
looking at as they watched for the sign of the newborn Savior.

With this backdrop, you will want to be careful to crease only the lines, without going off the ends. On the
other hand, light creasing is enough to make the star stand out just fine. Note the two different types of fold
lines.
Look closely and you should be able to see a few constellations. Orion is just to the right of the star, for
example. You’ll also see the faint beams of starlight pouring down on the manger.
EASTER
The life of Jesus the man ends with the drama of the last supper, the betrayal,
the march to Calvary, and the crucifixion. But there starts the story of the risen
Christ. This Easter story is found in Mark 16:1–11, Luke 24:1–12, and John 20.

Sunday morning, the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, his mother
Mary and friend Mary Magdalene bought sweet spices to annoint his body.
They hurried to the tomb, borrowed from Joseph of Arimathea, in which Jesus’
body had been laid. They wondered who they could ask to roll aside the stone
sealing the entrance, but when they arrived they found it already pushed aside.

Inside was a young man in a white garment, who said “You seek Jesus of
Nazareth, but he is not here. Tell his followers that he has gone ahead to
Galilee, and will meet them there as he promised.” They were very afraid,
because they knew Jesus to be dead. But Jesus himself then spoke with Mary
Magdalene, and she knew it was him. She rushed off to find the other mourning
disciples and tell them she had seen him. But, of course, they didn’t believe her.
When they visited the grave they found nothing but the shrouds and cloths that
had covered the body. Who could believe such a story? But later in the day, Jesus
spoke to two followers walking to Emmaus, near Jerusalem. “Why are you sad?”
he asked. They told him of the death of Jesus, and the rumor that he was alive,
but that because he hadn’t rejoined them, it might not be true. “Oh, slow of
heart,” admonished Jesus. They didn’t recognize him. Still, it was late and he was
alone. They invited him to their home for a meal. The other disciples gathered
too, and Jesus made himself known. “Peace be unto you,” he said, “I am risen.”
Easter is one of the two biggest celebrations in the Christian year, a happy
time celebrating the hope in Jesus’ teachings. We decorate eggs and eat
chocolate at Easter, but I’ve stuck to the wondrous scene in the Bible.
To complete this scene, be sure to also fold Easter Mary (page 47), Mary
Magdalene (page 47) and a Dove (page 49).
Lily
What do lilies represent? On the one hand, they are symbols of purity. But at the
same time, they symbolize death. That’s why we see them at Easter: the purity of
Christ, dead and risen.

1 Start with the paper color side down. Fold down on line 1.
2 Fold the paper in half again on line 2.

3 Lift one corner, pull it to the center top, and crease the new edges. Flip it and do the same on the other
side.

4 Fold, unfold, open out, and squash fold on line 3.

5 Here’s the squash fold in progress.

6 Fold top layer over and squash the other three corners the same way.
7 Fold and unfold on the 4 lines.

8 Fold line 5 and pull up the bottom edge of the top layer.

9 Fold over the top layer and fold the other three sides the same way.

10 Flip over the top layer.

11 Fold in the sides of the top layer on the 6 lines.

12 Pull over the top corner, and repeat the last step three times.

13 Pull down the four petals. Use a pencil to roll them up and shape them, and you’re done.
Risen Christ
The most beatific image of Jesus is the one of him standing before his empty
grave, giving substance to his message of love, hope, and salvation.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold in on the 1 lines, from the middle of the bottom edge and crossing
the center a quarter from the top.
2 Fold out on the 2 lines, starting where the edges cross the centerline. Flip the piece over.

3 Fold down on line 3.

4 Fold back up on line 4, and flip the piece over.

5 Fold down on the 5 lines.

6 Fold down on line 6, and flip the piece.

7 Fold the top layer down on line 7, while pulling the head out from behind.

8 Fold in on lines 8 and 9, and flip the piece.

9 Fold on lines 10–12, and flip the piece again.

10 All done!
The Easter Backdrop
There are a lot of scenes that would be appropriate for an Easter background.
The first I thought of was the tomb lent by Joseph of Arimathea. But it would
be very difficult to crease the paper so it looked like a cave. The cross, however,
is very easy to make by creasing paper, and quite appropriate to the theme. So
here’s the cross.

You can just crease the edges of the cross lightly, or you can pleat them strongly and squash them right
down, whichever you wish. In either case, use a ruler when you make the creases. The two different types of
dotted lines here show which folds are which.
If you bend the two sides backwards slightly, you’ll be able to stand the backdrop up. But if the top is bent
forward or back too much, it might not balance very well. Fiddle with it a bit until it’s just right.
EXTRA PROJECTS

This kit contains enough paper to make three more simple projects. You might
also move other pieces around to create more Bible stories. For example, use the
small Risen Christ, the Ship, and the Fish to re-create Jesus’ walk on the Sea of
Galilee. What else can you think of?

THE ANNUNCIATION

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. Mary was engaged to Joseph,
a carpenter descended from the great King David. Gabriel told Mary, “Hail! You
are blessed among women, and favored by God.” Mary was troubled by this
strange greeting. Then Gabriel went on, “Don’t be afraid, because you have been
chosen by God to bear a son, who you will call Jesus.”

Mary was now very confused. “How can this be? I am not married and have
known no men.” Gabriel explained, “The Holy Spirit will come into you, and
you will conceive a son, who will be the King of the Jews, ruler of the everlasting
kingdom. He shall be the Son of God.” Mary acquiesced, and so it came to pass.

You can find the story of the Annunciation in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1,
verses 26–38. By the way, Joseph is also told of the impending birth by an angel,
in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1, verses 18–25. It was certainly a shock to
both, and must have required a great deal of faith in an age where many taboos
surrounded childbirth. How did they know they had been visited by the Holy
Spirit? Here it is: the dove descending on Mary. The dove is a common image in
the Bible. It is present at Jesus’ birth as well. Today we say doves represent peace,
but in Christian art they are the visible form of the Holy Spirit.

The Annunciation project uses these folding papers and instructions: a Dove
(page 49), the medium Angel (page 13), and the Annunciation Mary (page 47).

JACOB’S LADDER

After Jacob received the blessing of his father Isaac, he set off to look for a wife.
On his way to Haran, he stopped at a certain place for the night. He took some
stones for a pillow, and lay down to sleep. After a while, he had a dream in
which he saw a ladder standing on the ground, so tall it reached to heaven, and
there were legions of angels climbing up and down it. At the top of the ladder
stood God, saying, “I am the God of Abraham your grandfather, and of Isaac
your father. I give this land to you and your children, and I will protect you
wherever you go until I bring you safely back here.” When Jacob awoke, he said,
“This is the very gate of heaven,” and called the place Beth-el.

The story of Jacob’s Ladder is found in Genesis 28:10–22. Jacob went on to

wrestle with God himself, and save his people from famine, before returning to
Beth-el.

The Jacob’s Ladder project uses these folding papers and instructions: Jacob
(page 48), the Ladder (page 30), and the six small Angels (page 13).

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

During one of his ministrations, Jesus declared, “I am the Good Shepherd, that
would lay down his own life to protect his sheep.” Innocent, guileless sheep may
go astray or be attacked by wild animals, but the shepherd will always watch over
them, and never abandon a single one. “A hireling who watches sheep that are
not his own, may run away at the first sight of a wolf. Why should he endanger
himself, if they are not his own sheep? But I know my sheep, and I am known by
them, just the way my Father and I know each other. I must bring all sheep into
my fold, and be the only Shepherd, beloved of my Father. I can lay my life down
for them, because I can take it back up again.”

Christ the Good Shepherd is described in John 10:11–18.

The Good Shepherd project uses these folding papers and instructions: Christ
the Shepherd (page 59), and seven small Sheep (page 45).
 The Tuttle Story
“Books to Span the East and West”
Most people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble
beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged
to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally books—especially old
and rare editions.
Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was tasked
with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing
Company, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.
Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a
world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over
6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the
“Order of the Sacred Treasure,” the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.
With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—
inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a
greater understanding of each.
Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

www.tuttlepublishing.com

Copyright © 2012 by Andrew Dewar

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-8048-4306-5
ISBN 978-1-4629-1572-9 (ebook)

First Edition
17 16 15 14 13 6 5 4 3 2
1303EP

Printed in Hong Kong

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