Three horns, a broad frill and four legs to stand on — the Triceratops is one of those models that looks as though it must be complicated, and mostly is not. What it is, instead, is patient. There are twenty-three steps, and a good number of them are creases you make, unfold, then fold along again later.

The part people tend to rush is around steps 10 and 11, pulling the corners out at right angles to make the neck and front legs. Do it slowly, and match one side against the other. Later, when the front and back legs are folded in stages, the paper gets genuinely thick — the original tutorial advises creasing each fold firmly before moving on, and that advice is worth taking literally.

Allow yourself twenty minutes and a sheet thin enough to survive being folded over itself six or seven times.

How to fold the Triceratops

STEP 1. Fold the paper in half vertically and crease it, then open it out. Now fold the red edge in so it meets the crease you just made.

STEP 2. Fold so the red line overlaps the blue line and crease. Make the same creases on the two bottom corners.

STEP 3. Fold the paper open along the creases you just made.

STEP 4. Open out all the corners.

STEP 5. Align the blue line with the red line, fold it, and crease. Then unfold back to the previous shape.

STEP 6. Align the blue line with the red line and crease along the dotted line.

STEP 7. Open out the crease you just made and fold as shown.

STEP 8. Fold so the blue line meets the red line on the part you just folded.

STEP 9. Fold the model in half from the centre towards the back.

STEP 10. This is the result. Next, pull the corners out from the area outlined by the dotted line.

STEP 11. First pull one corner out at a right angle, then pull out the other.

STEP 12. This is the result.

STEP 13. Seen from above, it looks like this.

STEP 14. Crease along the dotted line, then fold the paper in half at that crease.

STEP 15. Fold in half along the dotted line.

STEP 16. This is the result.

STEP 17. Open out the underside.

STEP 18. Fold so the blue line meets the red line at the centre, then unfold it again.

STEP 19. Fold the tail, a little at a time.

STEP 20. Fold along the dotted line, a little at a time.

STEP 21. Fold the tips of both hind legs inward.

STEP 22. Fold inward along the dotted line.

STEP 23. The Triceratops is finished!

Did you manage to fold it well? If so, take a moment to make small adjustments so it looks its best.

Tips for folding

Because the paper gets thick where the front and back legs are folded in stages, crease every fold firmly before moving on.