The narwhal has always been the whale that gets all the attention — that long, spiraled tusk has earned it the nickname "the unicorn of the sea." With a single square of paper, you can give a plain origami whale that exact upgrade.

This model is a neat little hack rather than a brand-new fold: you start from the traditional origami whale, unfold it partway, and add one clever adjustment to grow the tusk. If you've folded the whale before, this will take just a few minutes. Let's turn that whale into a narwhal.

Learn how to make an easy origami narwhal! This super simple model is made from a single square sheet and is easy enough for kids. The origami narwhal is a simple modification of the traditional origami whale: first complete the traditional whale tutorial, then come back to this page. Done? Great — scroll down for the tutorial on turning your whale into a narwhal!

STEP 1. Start by folding a traditional origami whale (see the whale tutorial).

STEP 2. Unfold the whale back to this point.

STEP 3. Fold the inner left section over to the left, leaving a small gap.

STEP 4. Fold the whale back in half and pull the narwhal’s tusk into a good position.

STEP 5. This is how the inside looks after repositioning the tusk.

STEP 6. Your origami narwhal is done!