The Woolly Bears
Free instructions · Kite paper

Kite paper for your windows

Kite paper is thin, see-through paper that glows when the light comes through it. This red and white mushroom is one of the shapes we fold in our homeschool classes, photographed step by step so you can make it at home.

Fold a mushroom Printable PDF
Kite paper leaves, mushrooms, pumpkins and a rain cloud with raindrops, glowing in a window
Our autumn window
24 steps

Fold a mushroom

You fold a red cap and a white stem, glue them together and finish with a few white spots.

You'll need

  • A square of red kite paper for the cap
  • A square of white kite paper for the stem, plus a scrap for the spots
  • Scissors and a glue stick
Print the instructions

Three pages, US Letter. Handy to keep on the table while you fold.

Part 1 The cap

  1. Step 1: Start with a square of red kite paper.
    Step 1

    Start with a square of red kite paper.

  2. Step 2: Fold it in half corner to corner to make a triangle.
    Step 2

    Fold it in half corner to corner to make a triangle.

  3. Step 3: Unfold it so you can see a diagonal crease.
    Step 3

    Unfold it so you can see a diagonal crease.

  4. Step 4: Fold it in half along the other diagonal.
    Step 4

    Fold it in half along the other diagonal.

  5. Step 5: Unfold again so you have an X-shaped crease.
    Step 5

    Unfold again so you have an X-shaped crease.

  6. Step 6: Fold the bottom right corner in to touch the centre.
    Step 6

    Fold the bottom right corner in to touch the centre.

  7. Step 7: Unfold to reveal the crease you just made.
    Step 7

    Unfold to reveal the crease you just made.

  8. Step 8: Fold the top left corner to meet the newly formed crease.
    Step 8

    Fold the top left corner to meet the newly formed crease.

  9. Step 9: Fold the right edge in, slightly overlapping the left fold.
    Step 9

    Fold the right edge in, slightly overlapping the left fold.

  10. Step 10: Fold the upper corner to align with the large left fold.
    Step 10

    Fold the upper corner to align with the large left fold.

  11. Step 11: Repeat with the other upper corner.
    Step 11

    Repeat with the other upper corner.

Part 2 The stem

  1. Step 12: Now take a square of white kite paper.
    Step 12

    Now take a square of white kite paper.

  2. Step 13: Fold it in half corner to corner to make a triangle.
    Step 13

    Fold it in half corner to corner to make a triangle.

  3. Step 14: Unfold it so you can see a diagonal crease.
    Step 14

    Unfold it so you can see a diagonal crease.

  4. Step 15: Fold it in half along the other diagonal.
    Step 15

    Fold it in half along the other diagonal.

  5. Step 16: Unfold again so you have an X-shaped crease.
    Step 16

    Unfold again so you have an X-shaped crease.

  6. Step 17: Fold two opposite corners in to touch the centre.
    Step 17

    Fold two opposite corners in to touch the centre.

  7. Step 18: Fold the bottom edge in to line up with the centre crease.
    Step 18

    Fold the bottom edge in to line up with the centre crease.

  8. Step 19: Repeat with the other side.
    Step 19

    Repeat with the other side.

  9. Step 20: Fold down the top corner.
    Step 20

    Fold down the top corner.

Part 3 Put it together

  1. Step 21: Lay the cap face down and glue the stem's point onto it.
    Step 21

    Lay the cap face down and glue the stem's point onto it.

  2. Step 22: Turn it over and the mushroom is done!
    Step 22

    Turn it over and the mushroom is done!

  3. Step 23: For spots, cut three small circles from white kite paper.
    Step 23

    For spots, cut three small circles from white kite paper.

  4. Step 24: Glue the spots onto the cap.
    Step 24

    Glue the spots onto the cap.

Hang it in a sunny window and watch the light shine through.

Print the instructions
From our classes

More we've made

A few of the other shapes we've folded together this autumn.

  • A multicolour kite paper leaf in red, orange, yellow and green
    Multicolour leaf
  • An orange kite paper pumpkin with a green stem
    Pumpkin
  • A white kite paper rain cloud with blue raindrops
    Rain cloud
Who we are

Make things with us

The Woolly Bears is a small, Waldorf-inspired homeschool community in Vancouver, WA. Parents and kids spend the day outside together, playing games, walking, sharing soup and making things like these by hand.

More about us

Want to join next time?

Leave your email and we'll tell you when our next classes open, including our Winter Series, two Mondays from Nov 30.

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