VIP Fish Base
A traditional design that forms the basis of many different models.
Description: It is a kite shape overall, with 2 points at the bottom (one lying directly on top of the other); and 2 points at the top that are next to each other. The top triangle that forms the kite is short and fat. The bottom triangle that forms of the kite is long and thin. There is longitudinal symmetry along the centre vertical line.
1. Take a square of paper and lay it coloured side up, and flat on the table.
2. Valley crease both diagonals leaving the second valley folded. ** If the first diagonal is mountain creased, in Step 8 the vertical crease that one needs to ensure is a valley, will be a valley. It just makes things a bit easier.**
3. Leaving the paper flat on the table, turn the paper so that the triangle has its hypotenuse parallel to the horizontal edge of the table, and the right angle corner is pointing towards you.
4. Taking the top layer only, valley fold the bottom left hand diagonally oriented edge up to the horizontal fold (hypotenuse). Crease and unfold.
5. Repeat Step 4 on the right hand diagonally oriented edge.
6. Turn the paper over so that the upper side that you have just been working on is now in contact with the table surface. Put the paper in the same orientation as at the end of step 3.
7. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 on the now upper layer of the paper.
8. Return the paper to the orientation at the end of Step 3.
9. Taking the top layer only, bring both left and right edges up at the same time, on the creases made in Steps 4 and 5. While doing this ensure that the vertical crease in the middle of the paper (that goes from the right angle corner at the bottom straight up to the hypotenuse) is a valley.
10. When the edges in Step 8 are alongside the hypotenuse, you will have a triangular flap sticking up out of the paper as follows. One of its corners will be pointing at the ceiling. Its hypotenuse will be sloping down from that corner towards you. The right angle of this sticky-up triangular flap is sitting on the hypotenuse of the original big triangle.
11. Fold this sticky-up triangle over to the left until it lies flat. Crease and then fold it flat over to the right, and crease.
12. Turn the paper over so that the top surface you have just been working on lies flat on the table surface. Repeat Steps 7, 8, 9 and 10 on this new upper layer.
13. Return the paper to the orientation of Step 3. Of course we no longer have a right angle triangle.
14. The hypotenuse of the main big triangle (formed by a horizontal fold) is a horizontal line of symmetry. Unfold the triangle along this line of symmetry, by lifting the top layers up and in an arc away from you until what was the top surface that was facing the ceiling at the start of this step, is now lying flat, in contact with the table surface.
15. You should have in front of you a long diamond shape with the long axis being horizontal, and a smooth surface facing the ceiling. All triangular flaps are now flat and in contact with the table surface.
16. Take hold of the extreme left hand point and valley fold it over to the right until it lies exactly on top of the extreme right hand point. when doing this allow the what were sticky-up triangular flaps at the back to swing around so that their horizontal edges lie alongside each other.
17. Rotate clockwise through 90 degrees.
18. You should now have a completed Fish Base.
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