How Simple Can It Get? Folding an Origami Elephant

This origami elephant was designed specifically for folding with leather—rather than paper. The leather used for folding is thinned through a process called skiving, but no matter how thin it gets, it’s still thicker than paper. The practical limit for thinning leather without tearing is about 0.5mm, while the paper typically used for origami is around 0.07mm to 0.1mm, making leather roughly five times thicker.

Other leather folding Origami

Folding complex designs with leather often becomes impossible due to its thickness. To accommodate this limitation, this elephant was designed to be folded in as few steps as possible, omitting details like eyes and legs. Instead, the emphasis is on capturing the essence of an elephant using only its long trunk and large ears.

One of the true joys of origami is experimenting with how much you can simplify a form while still retaining its recognizable essence.