Alexander Swallowtail Butterfly (Design by Michael LaFosse)

I had been looking out for this design for quite sometime now and stumbled upon the link and designer in Sara Adams’ blog. This is a real pretty design of a swallowtail butterfly and Michael LaFosse has incorporated an amazing amount of detail in this model.

The swallowtail butterfly is an intermediate model (level of complexity of folding) and looks best when folded using origami paper, which is blank on one side, or simply single side colored. It took me about 15 minutes to fold this butterfly and another 5 minutes for finishing touches on it.

What you need:
Origami paper of 7” or more for a decently sized butterfly; preferably single side colored. In this image, of the model I folded, I have used printed origami paper (dual side print). It does not give the same effect of contrast as Michael’s model in his instructional Video.

How to fold the swallowtail butterfly:
Michael LaFosse’s book – Origami Butterflies – which he co-authored with Greg Mudarri and Richard Alexander is a collection of designs on butterflies and this model is taken from there.

Michael has also gone one step further and recorded a really good instructional video on his website – PEM | Origami - you will have to click on “Fold more Models” on the top right hand corner, choose / click on ‘Origami Now! – 2007’ section and then choose the butterfly image, which is the second from the right. I am sure you will find it really helpful and will be soon folding your own collection of pretty butterflies.

Michael’s website also features videos to folding other models such as a Good luck bat, Polar Bear, Albatross, etc.

I think this model is apt for the time…..as Spring is in the air and flowers have started to bloom….at least in my part of the world!