horseshoe crab

Designed by Michael G. LaFosse

I was tempted to design a model with all of the legs, but later realized that it would require a serious compromise not worth the cost from the model’s most important view—its top side. As soon as I let go of the desire to create an anatomically correct crab, it became possible to pour energy into making the top side pure, full and elegant. The subtle shaping of the front is in stark contrast to the strong, angular folds of the pointed tail and at the base of the tail.

PAPER SUGGESTIONS

A 10-inch (25-cm) square will produce an 8½-inch (21.6-cm) horseshoe crab. The color of the paper can be anything from beige to dark chocolate brown.

1. Mountain-fold in half, corner to corner both ways. Valley-fold in half, edge to edge both ways.

2. Use the creases to bring corners A, B, C and D together at the bottom.

3. Fold corners A and B up to the top center point.

4. Fold points A and B down to the center of the paper.

5. Fold the left top-side corner to the right and the right back-side corner to the left.

6. Petal-fold up. Do not repeat behind!

7. Turn the model over, left to right.

8. Fold the top edges of the square to the center crease. Do not crease the fold all the way to the edge of the paper.

9. Mountain-fold point number 1 behind as far as it will go, flatten. Mountain-fold the outer edges of the tail (number 2) behind the model to the centerline.

10. Fold the corners out. Do not flatten.

11. Turn over, left to right.

12. Fold the bottom corner up. Pull out the hidden points from each side.

13. Mountain-fold the middle corners under. Fold small valleys at the front corners to lock the rounded shape of the shell.

14. Turn the model over, left to right.

15. Mountain- and valley-fold the left and right corners to point to the rear. Form a soft mountain fold along the top of the shell.

16. Mountain- and valley-fold an edge from “eyespot” to “eyespot.” Indent the eyes, as indicated by the white arrows. Mountain-fold the left and right top corners.

17. Inside-reverse-fold the tail down.

18. Inside-reverse-fold the tail up.

19. Narrow the tail by mountain-folding each side.

20. The finished Horseshoe Crab.