Squirrel

Designed by Michael G. LaFosse

There is a huge oak tree that shades the deck along the west end of my house. The tree produces enough nuts to keep the squirrels busy all season. If acorns were dollars, our squirrels would be millionaires. I designed this origami squirrel after watching one watch me work.

This is a good example of "inside-out" origami, a model that takes good advantage of both sides of duo (two-color) paper. The success of this model depends upon judging the proper proportions for the tail. Large and light, the tail must balance the whole creature, just as a real squirrel's tail enables it to leap from limb to limb over great distances gracefully. Notice how the delicate folding style about the head and ears reveals the essence of a real squirrel's head and face, with minimal indentations - just a hint of an eye or cheek.