Merry Christmas 2019, dear blog readers! 

It feels like the year had just begun and we are already at the end and looking forward to a new decade! Time does fly, doesn't it? 

Anyway, in the Christmas tradition, I decided to do something in the traditional colours of green and red. I had rolled a number of newspaper tubes some time back and had been wondering on the project to work on. So I decided to go ahead with the new style of weaving that I have been trying out these days. In case you, dear reader, haven't had an opportunity to see what I have been up to, do check out this blue leaf tray that I had done a few months back. Also check out the previous box and lid, done using the same red/green tubes. 

This style of newspaper weaving, called coiling or root-weaving, is tedious but results in really cool newspaper products that are absolutely eye-catching! The weave is without any form, so it is with some trial and error that I manage to do this style of free-form weaving. 

This bowl or rather, tray is about 7.5 inches in diameter and made entirely from newspaper tubes, coloured red and green. As with my previous blue tray attempt, here too, I attempted to paint both plain tubes and tubes with print still visible. Since the colours were both dark ones, I was able to obliterate most of the print after painting the tubes twice. With a single coat of paint, the colour is not very rich and the print is clearly visible. But with a second coat, the colour also becomes richer and most of the font are pretty much invisible! And what little is visible, is hardly seen in this style of weaving anyway! So that was a good discovery for me.

In total, to make this bowl, I have used a total of 50 plain green tubes, 25 green tubes with print visible, 100 plain red tubes and 30 red tubes with print visible. And as expected, with this style of dense weaving, the end product is very robust and strong. A coat of polyurethene and I have an absolutely amazing product!

So what do you think?

Model Details:

Model: Coiled Christmas Bowl

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube

After trying out this modular wreath by Lidiane Siqueira, I attempted another of her wreaths, the Marieta Madala, a Christmas themed wreath, folded from 8 modules.  

It would, of course, look best with paper coloured red on one side and green on the other. Since I didn't this paper, I decided to go for red and green single sided origami paper. I like the way this has turned out and I think it would make a great addition to my Christmas tree. 

Model Details:

Model: Marieta Mandala 

Creator: Lidiane Siqueira

Difficulty Level: Simple 

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inches (7.5 cms) 

Model Size: ~4 inches across

Modules: 8

Diagram: Criativa'rte

With Christmas in the air, I decided to make a little Christmas wreath for my Christmas tree. This wreath is designed by Francesco Guarnieri and is made from 8 modules. It is pretty easy  and quick to do and makes a great addition for the Christmas Tree.

My first attempt was using white washi paper with red flowers, contrasted with plain red paper. Quite liked the contrast in this. But for a more traditional Christmas look, I guess the usual red-green combination works best. The model works best with double-sided paper. 3.5 inches squares were ideal for my requirements, and resulted in a great about 6 inches in diameter.

Model Details:

Model: Stella Ghirlanda / Star Garland

Creator: Francesco Guarnieri 

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3.5 inches square

Model Size: ~6 inches in diameter

Modules: 8

Instructions: Origami poesie di carta

Tutorial: Youtube

Recently I discovered another origami artist from Thailand, Sansanee Termtanasombat. As per her blog, PrwOrigami, her goal is to collect 1000 kusudamas. She also provides tutorials for a number of the models on her blog.

Of the models that have tutorials, I liked the heartbreak kusudama, for which the suggested colours are red and black. Naturally. But, I decided to go another way and chose pastel shades. I am not sure how well this combination of light blue, cream and white has turned out, but I quite like the pleasant colours. The individual modules are fairly easy to fold and so is the assembly, which is the traditional sonobe assembly.

In recent days, I seem to have developed a love for tassels, so I made a tassel for this kusudama too and made it into a hanging ornament.

Model Details:

Model: Heartbreak Kusudama 

Creator: Sansanee Termtanasombat (Praew)

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches by 1.5 inches

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

Tutorial: Youtube

After starting my Mette Rings project in July, here is the current status of the project. I have succeeded in completing 10 of these rings. I have to make another 10! At the speed at which I am progressing, I have serious doubts that I will finish by the end of the year, but hey, nothing wrong in hoping 😄

I still have a few colour gradients in yellow, followed by orange, red and pink. Apparently, according to Little Miss, I am missing a couple of colours in the blue-green transition. If I do get those colours, I will need to do some rearrangements. But as for me, I am quite happy with the colour progression right now.

Model Details:

Model: Mette's Ring

Creator: Mette Pederson

Book: Mette Units

Author: Mette Pederson

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 2 inches

Diagram: Mette Units

Modules: 18

The origami wedge cube is a visually captivating modular origami that I had wanted to fold for some time now. This model, designed by Miyuki Kawamura, is assembled from 20 modules - 8 of the corner modules and 12 of the pyramid structures.

I found it a fun model to fold and assemble. Neither the folding nor the assembly is too complicated. Assembly is by sliding a pocket into a flap. It is assembled without any glue and holds together very well.

Loved the colour combination, chosen by Little Miss. The brown and the pink contrast very well, I thought and the final model is really eye-catching!

Model Details:

Model: Wedge Cube

Creator: Miyuki Kawamura

Book: Origami Tanteidan 9

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inches

Model Size: 2.7 inches

Number of Modules: 20

The Graciosa wreath is a very simple origami wreath by Lidiane Siqueira. It is also very economical. The wreath is made from an odd number of modules - 7 of them. Each module is folded from half a square.

The size I liked is a 7.5 cms square cut into 2. So for my wreaths, I used one sheet of 15 cms square, double sided origami paper. From this, I got 7 rectangles, 7.5 cms by 3.75 cms. The modules are very easy to fold. Each module forms 2 spikes of the wreath, so that the final wreath actually has 14 spikes.

Assembly is also quite easy, it is just a matter of slotting one module into the next. It is held together with glue.

Model Details:

Model: Graciosa  

Creator: Lidiane Siqueira

Difficulty Level: Simple 

Paper Ratio: Rectangle

Paper Size: 3 inches * 1.5 inches (7.5 cms * 3.75 cms) 

Model Size: ~3 inches in diameter

Modules: 7

Diagram: Criativa'rte

I have rolled up tubes for a Christmas project but before that, decided to try out a little box with lid using the red/green combination. I have tried this method before, when I made a blue tray, but since it's been a long time since I did that, this box and lid is kind of a refresher course for me 😀

I liked the way this box came out. I added a little ring to the lid so that it is easy to open the box. The overall size is about 4 inches in diameter and about 3 inches in height.

The problem I faced was making a little indent for the lid so that it doesn't slide off easily. I am still to  figure out how to weave the lid. For this box, all I did was stick a couple of tubes to form the indent.

For this box, instead of using white tubes, I used tubes with print, painted red and green. In the close up shot, a little bit of the print is still visible, but of course, this cannot be avoided. I think the only colour which will completely obliterate the print is black.

Model Details:

Model: Coiled Box with lid

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube

So while folding the mette ring units for my Mette Ring of Rings project, I tried out some small variations to it and ended up with a neat variation.

Here the little triangles shows a colour variation that I found interesting. Anyway, will update soon on my progress. Till then!

Model Details:

Model: Mette's Ring Variation

Creator: Mette Pederson

Book: Mette Units

Author: Mette Pederson

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inches

Diagram: Mette Units

Modules: 18

This little heart box is my attempt to organise my desktop with a few recycled boxes. For the first one, tried out a heart box. The base is made from cardboard, since I wasn't too sure I would be capable of weaving a heart shaped base!! 😄😄 The heart-shaped cardboard was covered with newspaper that was then painted the same colour as the tubes.

Based on the size of the box, I started with tubes placed at an interval of 1.5 cms. I find this is the ideal placement of tubes. I tried 2 cms distance but I found the weaving to be too spaced out. Smaller distances makes weaving difficult for me! So 1.5 cms it is.

After that, it was a very simple weave with 2 tubes. Finishing off was also pretty easy. Then it was just a matter of glazing the box to give me a really hard and sturdy heart-shaped organiser for my desk.

Model Details:

Model: Heart Shaped Desk Organiser

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial for making the edge: Youtube

After completing the origami owl designed by Roman Diaz last month, I realised that the book "Drawing Origami (Tome 1)" has another of his owls. This owl is a little more complicated and more realistic than the last one. But I must admit, the first owl that I folded is more dear to me than this one ♡♡

As for folding this one, I used the same animal hide paper that I had used for the previous owl. While the recommended paper size is 15 * 15 cms (6 inches) kami, I used a 12 cms (5 inches) square, which worked out quite well. The instructions in the book are fairly clear, though I faced some difficulties the first time I folded it.

The book is very colourful with plenty of models. Among them, I still want to try Ekaterina Lukasheva's Rubin, Mindaugas Cesnavicius's Swallow, Quentin Trollip's Bambi and Patricio Kunz Tomic's Joe Cocker. I think the other ones might be a little too complicated for me! Well, these are all projects for another day!

Model Details:

Model: Owl 

Creator: Roman Diaz 

Book: Drawing Origami

Author: Halle, Pere Olivella, Nicolas Terry

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 5 inches

Model Size: ~3 inches in height

Tutorial: Youtube

When I had started my origami journey, one of the first life-forms that I had folded was Roman Diaz's panda from his book "Origami Essence". Since then, I hadn't attempted to fold any of the other models in the book because they were a little too difficult for me.

Anyway, in recent days, I decided to revisit the models and decided to try out the owl, which is the second model in the book. The owl or the buho requires a square sheet of origami or kami paper, preferably duo-coloured. A square of at least 15 cms (6 inches) is suggested.

Since I wanted something small, I decided to try with a 10 cms (4 inches) square. I used some lovely duo-coloured kami paper, with an animal hide print on one side. I must say, when I saw the final owl. I was delighted both with my choice of paper and with the size I had used. The final owl was about 2 inches in height.

Model Details:

Model: Owl 

Creator: Roman Diaz 

Book: Origami Essence

Author: Roman Diaz

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4 inches

Model Size: ~2 inches in height

Tutorial: Youtube

Tomoko Fuse's spirals has always fascinated me. And since my last Tomoko Fuse origami was this pyramid box in May, I figured I would try out another of her spirals origami.

This origami spiral cube has been on my to-do list for quite a few years now! And finally I managed to do it! The cube is made from strips cut out of A4 paper. Each A4 sheet is cut into 4 strips. A total of 12 such strips are needed, which means 3 A4 sheets will be required.

As with most of Tomoko Fuse's models, the individual modules are fairly easy to fold. Assembly is a lot more challenging. I assembled the first three faces, on a flat surface. And I admit, I glued the tips of the spiral so that it didn't unravel easily. Once the three faces was done, the fourth face was decidedly more difficult but manageable. Then the top and bottom of the cube. Assembling one of the 2 ends was easy, because I could insert my hand inside the cube to hold the arms of the spiral and then continue with the assembly. The true challenge was, as always, in finishing the final face. I didn't have proper support, which meant I was forming the spiral in air! But finally, with a good deal of patience, I succeeded!

While I am happy with the cube, I find it too big for my taste. Hope to make another one from A5 paper. The principle remains the same. 4 strips from each A5, 12 strips in all.

Model Details:

Model: Spiral Cube

Creator: Tomoko Fuse

Book: Let's Fold Spirals

Author: Tomoko Fuse

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle

Paper Size: 11.7 inches * 2 inches

Model Size: ~3.5 inches across

Number of Modules: 12

Tutorial: kusuda.ru

After making this origami kusudama, designed by Ekaterina Lukasheva, I have a special respect for people who work with miniatures! For this model, I had some double-sided paper that was left over from a previous origami modular that I had done. So I decided to use that paper.

The size of those squares were 2 inches. Since this kusudama required paper in the ratio 1:2, I cut each of the squares in half which resulted in 30 pieces of 1 inch by 2 inches. And then proceeded with this kusudama.

While making the individual modules was quite simple, assembly was a real challenge, given the small sizes of the folded modules. Patience is of the essence and of course, a toothpick! I finally ended up gluing the modules to ensure that they did not come undone while assembling them.

Overall, an interesting kusudama. But I will think twice if I have to fold this one again! 😆😆

Model Details:

Model: Apricot

Creator: Ekaterina Lukasheva

Book: Modern Kusudama Origami

Author: Ekaterina Lukasheva

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 1 inch by 2 inches

Model Size: ~2 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Way back in 2010, I had tried out Mette Pederson's Mette rings - the 3D version. Mainly because they are made from 12 units, instead of the 18 modules needed for the 2D version.

In recent days, I decided to try out the 2D version. The individual modules are easy to fold, so is the assembly. Assembly is without glue and is really solid, in the sense that there is no way it will come undone by itself.

In addition to trying out this model, I have another project in mind - making a ring of rings, using 20 mette rings. I have decided to go ahead with a gradation of colours starting from violet and going up to pink. That mean, I need to fold a total of 360 modules! Which will make it my biggest project since I started my blog! A big goal, and one that I hope to complete by this year end.

Model Details:

Model: Mette's Ring

Creator: Mette Pederson

Book: Mette Units

Author: Mette Pederson

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inches

Diagram: Mette Units

Modules: 18

The Gekkin kusudama started off as a way to use some leftover pieces of squares that I had mistakenly cut out for my last kusudama, Kusudama Estrelle Flor. While I needed only 15 squares of each colour, I had incorrectly calculated and cut 30 squares. So I ended up with the extra squares which I did not want to waste. 

So the Gekkin kusudama came in very handy. I used 10 dark purple, 10 lavender and 10 white squares to make this very pretty kusudama. A tassel and some beads and I ended up with an attractive ornament! 

The modules are pretty easy to fold and assembly is also straight forward. Since I wanted to make it into an ornament, I glued the joints. The curls add a very nice touch to the kusudama, giving the impression of a bouquet, I thought.

Model Details:

Model: Gekkin 

Creator: Maria Vahrusheva

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 inches 

Model Size: ~5 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Diagram: Mediafire

Tutorial: Youtube

After the strenuous coiled or root-woven tray from my last post, I was more than happy to try out this acorn box made from black newspaper tubes.

I have been trying out various acrylic colours which will completely blot out any print in my newspaper tubes. For the lighter colours, I have no choice but to use white or mostly-white tubes. Otherwise the print is very obviously visible and I just don't like it. As a consequence, I find that I am left out with a  lot of tubes that have newspaper print/coloured pictures on them.

One way to go is to use them as-is and weave my boxes with the print and pictures visible in the end product. I find that there are a lot of people who like this and I have had some orders where I have been specifically asked to use the newspaper tubes without any colours added.

On the other hand, I have also been experimenting with dark colours that I can use on these tubes, to hide the print, and the very best colour is, of course, black. Other than black, dark blue, prussian blue, deep red and dark green also work well.

So for my acorn box, I have used black tubes to form the base and the lid. The base was woven with a form, which was a plastic bowl of the required size. I tried out a 3-strand weaving, which I liked very much. The lid started off as a flat plate, with the edges turned down to convert into a lid. I added the little knob at the very end.

Model Details:

Model: Black Acorn Box

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

The Estrella Flor Kusudama is a modular origami created by Erny. Like my previous post, the Mt. Fuji Kusudama, the essential shape of this model is also a sonobe. And to form the sonobe modules, a total of 30 squares of paper is required. It works best if we use 15 squares of 1 colour and 15 squares of a second contrasting colour. That will bring out the flower pattern very well.

Each of the 15 squares are cut into 2 rectangles of ratio 1:2. So finally, to make the model, we will be folding 60 modules. 30 of these modules will form the flower shape and the other 30 will form the sonobe shape. The flower modules are slotted into the sonobe modules before starting the assembly. While the task seems quite daunting, the folding is not very difficult, though a little time consuming. Assembly is the usual sonobe assembly - 3 pyramids grouped in clusters of 5.

I quite like the colour choice I had made - dark purple and a light violet (or would that be mauve?) The final model is not too large, since I had used 7.5 cms squares. I decided to make it into a hanging ornament, so ended up with tassels and some beads to form the ornament.

Model Details:

Model: Kusudama Estrella Flor 

Creator: Erny

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches by 1.5 inches

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

Instructions: Folding in the air

Tutorial: Youtube

Recently I discovered a Youtube Origamist - Origami Kankichi. I later found out that he does have a blog and various other social media sites, but I prefer the youtube channel. Well, on his channel, he regularly posts tutorials on folding and assembling origami modulars. Most of this models are 30-unit assembly and of these, I especially like the sonobe variations - I have a particular fondness for sonobes. So after much deliberation, I decided to try out one of the sonobe variations that he has designed - the Mt. Fuji Kusudama.

The kusudama is a representation of Mt. Fujiyama in Japan. Naturally, it works best with blue and white paper. But, for me, the first time I saw this kusudama, I was reminded of Tomoko Fuse's Chrysanthemum Globe kusudama. So I decided to use a dark pink and white paper, to resemble a chrysanthemum covered mountain, I guess. Anyway, any contrasting colours should work out well for this kusudama.

The modular is made from 15 squares of dark pink and 15 squares of white origami paper. Each of the 15 squares are cut into 2 rectangles of ratio 1:2. So finally, to make the model, we will be folding 60 modules. 30 of these modules will form the mountain shape and the other 30 will form the sonobe base. The mountain modules are slotted into the sonobe bases before starting the assembly. While the task seems quite daunting, the folding is not very difficult, though a little time consuming. Assembly is the usual sonobe assembly - 3 pyramids grouped in clusters of 5.

Model Details:

Model: Mt. Fuji Kusudama  

Creator: Origami Kankichi

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches by 1.5 inches

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

Tutorial: Youtube

One of the traditional methods of basket-weaving involves a technique called coiling. This technique combines a process of coiling materials such as grass and binding them together using flexible fibres.

The same process can be applied to tubes made from newspaper or magazines. Here the tubes are used in both the processes - they are wound and held together by other tubes. I first came across this technique of weaving in Pinterest and have since been fascinated by the method.

When I got an opportunity to try it out, I first attempted it using newspaper tubes. Needless to say, it wasn't much of a success! My coiling was loose and the tubes that held the coils together were not placed close enough to give a tight weave. And once you fail, even in something like craft work, it takes a lot of courage to get back on the proverbial horse, doesn't it?

So, after many months and with a lot of hesitation, I tried out this blue tray, in the shape of a leaf. The tubes are made from newspaper strips, around 10 mm in width and 260 mm in length, rolled around a 2mm skewer. I painted it prussian blue, since that was the colour I had in abundance! This time, since I knew what to expect, I was able to coil much better. Overall, it gave me much better results than my first attempt. The shaping is still a problem and that takes more practise I guess. On the whole, I am quite pleased with this attempt.

While this technique is more challenging than regular weaving, the result if much more pleasing. But I would not attempt this type of weaving unless I had a lot of time, because without doubt, it is much more time-consuming that the regular weaving that I do. This tray took me a good 3 days to complete! And that is just the coiling part. Time taken for rolling the tubes, painting and glazing the final product also needs to be considered.

Model Details:

Model: Coiled Blue Leaf Tray

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube

For the very first time, Little Miss went on a trip without me! She had gone on a weekend trip with her grand parents and her uncle's family. Well, more heart-rending for the mom than for the daughter, I think! 😆

Anyway, during this trip, my wonderfully thoughtful little girl decided to buy something for my husband and for me. She put in a lot of thought into the gifts and we feel blessed to receive them. For my husband, she got a shirt in his favourite colour and for me, she bought some gorgeous origami washi paper in a variety of colours! I am truly touched.

So such a thoughtful gift required a well thought-out origami. So after a lot of research - and I assure you I did quite a bit of research - I decided to make this beautiful pyramid box by the wonderfully amazing Tomoko Fuse.

Absolutely love the way it has turned out. And Little Miss also liked what I finally came up with :) The model is taken from the book 'Origami Boxes' by Tomoko Fuse and is published by Tuttle Publishing. The first part of the book starts with a lot of variations to the traditional Masu box, followed by the Pyramid Box and finally, the Dome Box. Part 2 deals with modular boxes from square sheets of paper. Finally, Part 3 deals with modular boxes made from rectangular sheets of paper. It is a very good book, I thought, with a lot of colourful pictures to help one visualise better.

As for the Pyramid Box, each box is made from 2 sheets of origami paper, 6 inches squares. The steps are not very difficult to follow, though the final collapse when making the lid might prove a little challenging initially. A variation is also shown for the lid - that is the yellow box in the picture above. For the base, Tomoko Fuse has also kindly provided instructions for increasing the size of the base and also instructions to make it more sturdy. The base is, of course, easier to make than the lid.

Altogether, a good origami project to work on and I thought, a fitting use of some lovely washi paper.

Model Details:

Model: Pyramid Box

Creator: Tomoko Fuse

Book: Origami Boxes

Author: Tomoko Fuse

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 6 inches

Model Size: 2.5 inches across and 2.5 inches in height

This blue bowl is the first large-sized bowl that I have tried, that has come out reasonably well! The problem with bowls that I have found is that, while the start is pretty standard with the help of a form, it is inward curve at the top that causes trouble.

The reason being that a form can no longer be used! So this is more of eye-balling the correct curvature so that the bowl is shaped uniformly. I have always had a problem with this and usually my bowls turn out a little too one-sided for my liking! So I am quite delighted that for the very first time, I have done a decent job and the bowl looks more centred.

I also like the way the edging has been done. The edge with a whole bunch of 'V's is more attractive than the usual edges that I use and gives a good finish to the bowl, I thought.

Model Details:

Model: Woven Bowl

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Uniya Filonova's Cassiopeia Kusudama has been on my to-do list for quite some time. Finally, this Mother's Day seemed to be the right occasion to try out this eye-catching design.

Did you know that Cassiopeia is actually the name of a constellation? Yep! And in the kusudama, the stars do stand out, but this modular reminds me more of a flower than a constellation. What do you think?

Getting back to the kusudama, it is made from 30 modules, with each module folded from a rectangle in the ratio 1:3. So one square will yield you 3 modules. I had used 3 inches (7.5 cms) squares that I cut into 3 rectangles. So each rectangle measured 1 inch (2.5 cms)  by 3 inches (7.5 cms). The end result was a ball about 3 inches (7.5 cms) in diameter.

While I did find both the instructions and the tutorial (links below) a little confusing initially, once you get the hang of it, the modules are very easy to fold. And even with the size I had chosen, it was not difficult to fold the individual modules.

Double sided paper works best to bring out the star. I had used some very precious paper that I absolutely love - red with white dots on one side and yellow on the other. Very happy with the selection and with the result.

The assembly is interesting - you have to try it out to appreciate it. It does not involve the usual pocket and flap assembly that you usually see in modulars, rather, one petal is folded into the adjoining petal. Very interesting and very robust. Assembly is without any glue.

Finally, a happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Little Miss has decided that this modular is going to be her gift for me!! 😆😆

Model Details:

Model: Cassiopeia Kusudama 

Creator: Uniya Filonova

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: 1:3

Paper Size: 1 inch by 3 inches

Model Size: ~3 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Instructions: Stranamasterov.ru

Tutorial: Youtube

Once I finished the clown fish, a.k.a Nemo, I found that there was a similar modular version of Nemo's friend - Dory, who is a Blue Tang. So I ended up making this one too. This model is even easier to do than Nemo, because of the bigger size of this fish.

Similar to the clown fish, this one is also not a pure origami model, since it involves gluing of the pieces. And this one is also made from 4 different sized squares, albeit different colours - 2 of the squares are yellow, one blue and one black, since these are the colours of the blue tang fish. This model is also created by Mariko Miyamoto of Oriart.

While each module is folded from a square, the size of the square varies.  So the body is made from a blue 15 cm square, the black section is made from black 10 cm square, the little yellow fin between the black and blue sections is made from a yellow square of 3.75 cms and finally, the tail is made from a yellow square, 7.5 cms side. The different modules are held together by glue or tape.

So, have a go at it. It is a fun model and is sure to attract a young audience!

Model Details:

Model: Blue Tang 

Creator: Mariko Miyamoto

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: Blue 15 cm square | Black 10 cm square | Yellow 3.75 cm square | Yellow 7.5 cm square

Model Size: ~5 inches across

Tutorial: Youtube Part 1 and Part 2

I am sure most of us have watched the animated movie "Finding Nemo". I have watched this movie, repeatedly, because Little Miss loves it! So naturally, when I came across this youtube tutorial to fold a two-dimensional clown fish, I couldn't resist folding it!

The fish is not a pure origami model, since it involves gluing of the pieces but I guess we could say that it is a modular one, made from 4 modules - a tail, a body, the head and the fins and is created by Mariko Miyamoto of Oriart.

While each module is folded from a square, the size of the square varies.  So the tail is made from a 5 cm square, the body from a 10 cm square, the fins from 7 cm square and the head from 5 cm square. Obviously the model works best with a rich orange single-sided paper ie., paper that is orange on one side and white on the other. The different modules are held together by glue or tape.

The sizes I have mentioned, give a clown fish that is the bigger of the two in the picture. I named this one Marlin 😀 And naturally, Little Miss wanted a smaller version, for Nemo. So I halved all the values from the previous model to end up with a mini clown fish - Nemo. Though the squares were small, since the model was fairly easy, I was able to make the smaller fish without any trouble.

So, have a go at it. It is a fun model and is sure to attract a young audience! And the lovely alternating colours adds a whole lot of beauty to the characters.

Model Details:

Model: Clown Fish 

Creator: Mariko Miyamoto

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 2 squares of 5 cm (2 inches), 1 square each of 10 cm (4 inches) and 7 cm (2.7 inches) for the bigger fish
2 squares of 2.5 cm (1 inch), 1 square each of 5 cm (2 inches) and 3.5 cm (1.3 inches) for the smaller fish

Model Size: ~3 inches across (bigger fish) and ~2.5 inches across (smaller fish)

Tutorial: Youtube

These little Easter baskets were made from some left-over tubes that were lying around. They were pretty easy to make and quick work too..

Of course, they don't serve any purpose given their size 😄 But are super cute to look at, so may be I will end up making more of these!!

Model Details:

Model: Easter Basket

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (making the basket): Youtube

After folding the Jaciara from the book 'Modern Kusudama Origami' by Ekaterina Lukasheva, I decided to give it another go. Only this time I tried out one of the variations of the model. And I used a smaller square, since I wasn't too happy with how big my previous model turned out to be!

This variation is the second variation for the model. The author states that the variation seems pointless till you open up the petals. And while this might be true, I must say I adored this model even in the closed-petal state! I quite liked the elegance of the closed kusudama.

But of course, when you open up the petals, it really looks like a blossomed flower. Be sure to use double-sided paper, so that the print on the other side becomes visible when it is opened.

The Jaciara is the last model in the book. There are 2 variations and another couple of Jaciara variables. Hopefully I will get a chance to try some more of these models in the future.

Model Details:

Model: Jaciara - Variation 2

Creator: Ekaterina Lukasheva

Book: Modern Kusudama Origami

Author: Ekaterina Lukasheva

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 2 inch squares

Model Size: ~2.5 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Shades of Blue is my current version of the bowl that I had initially tried out a few days back. I am very pleased with the way this bowl has turned out. The base of smoother than my previous efforts and the weaving is much improved, even if it is not where I want it to be!

As in my previous attempt, I went ahead with a gradation in colour. The paper I have used is without any print, so the lighter colours have turned out clear and without any marking. For the darker blue, of course, the tubes with print works just as well as the tubes without print, since the print is barely visible.

To achieve a more graded colour change, I weaved a couple of rows with a mix of dark and light blue, before switching to the lighter colour. I like the effect this produces.

The side view gives a good view of the rim of the bowl. The weaving pattern is the same as the base (tutorial link at the end of the post). The rim is harder to weave than the base, because it is narrower than the base. But that gives a fuller and smoother appearance I thought. What do you think?

The bottom of the bowl is by far, my favourite part of this project! I love the evenness of the base and I think I have much improved in this one area. Of course, this is the part that is lease visible! 😆😆 But that doesn't stop me from admiring my improved attempts!! 😂😂

So what do you think? Do you like it? Should I try other colours? Do drop a comment 😀

Model Details:

Model: Woven Bowl - Shades of Blue

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Picture Tutorial for the thick rimmed bottom: Stranamasterov

Recently, I had the pleasure of being a part of a farewell party for outgoing students of a class. This was the culmination of a 2-year intense study for a masters degree. Naturally both the outgoing students and the students who were giving the farewell were very excited and at the same time emotional.

For me, it was a chance to be around young minds, marvel at their creativity and guide them when I could. Given that origami is one of my keen interests, the students wanted me to incorporate a little bit of origami in their celebrations. So when I came across this idea of making invitation boxes using origami, I went ahead and did exactly that!

Since black and white were the event colours and personalised invitations were the need of the hour, I chose a variety of black and white single sided paper to make the invites. The paper is fairly thick, 120 gsm, which means the folding is not very complex 😀

The photo above is the invitation in the closed position. The 2 halves of the heart serve as handles to open up the invite. See below for the open one.

Model Details:

Model: Invitation Box

Origin: Traditional 

Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Square or Rectangle

Paper Size: 12 inches * 7 inches (While the tutorial calls for a square sheet of paper, since I wanted a different size invitation (4*3 inches), I worked with a rectangle sheet of paper.

Model Size: ~4 * 3 inches

Tutorial: Youtube

'Modern Kusudama Origami' by Ekaterina Lukasheva is an excellent book on modular origami. To date I have already tried out 3 models and here is the fourth one - the Jaciara.

For the first attempt, I went ahead with the recommended paper size - 4 inches square. The finished model was about 5 inches in diameter - a tad too big for my liking. The next time I try, I will attempt a much smaller size, probably 2 inches or so.

The individual modules are not too difficult to fold, though it looks kinda scary at first! I liked the way the modules locked together.

There are a couple of variations mentioned. Hopefully I will get a chance to fold those as well.

Model Details:

Model: Jaciara 

Creator: Ekaterina Lukasheva

Book: Modern Kusudama Origami

Author: Ekaterina Lukasheva

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4 inch squares

Model Size: ~5 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Tutorial: Youtube

My second attempt at making a bowl was a better success I think! I have been repeatedly told that the tubes in which the print is visible, are much more unique in appearance. So I went ahead with printed tubes which were coloured in shades of blue.

The base started off with a deep blue, which forms the rim of the bowl. As in my previous post, the base is formed using the same method. One thing I noticed is that, the deeper the colour, the lesser the print is visible.

I had used 3 shades of blue. Deep blue at the base, a lighter version in the middle and finally, a light blue to finish it off. The finish needs some work and hopefully this will become better in the subsequent attempts!

Once the bowl was complete, since I had some more tubes, I decided to go ahead and make a pen stand. This turned out quite sturdy and useful.

Finally, a coating of varnish to strengthen and protect the pieces and I am all set!