More newspaper weaving, this time using magazine rolls. I had rolled up these tubes in the fond hope of making a pen holder. But for one reason or the other, I never got around to making them. So finally, thanks to new year resolutions, I decided to use them to make another attempt at coiling or root weaving.

This time, I decided to try out a rectangular shape, so that I could make it into a tray instead of a pencil holder. I had no particular idea of how big or how long the tray should be. I just coiled till I was happy with the size and till the tubes lasted!

The shape is a little wonky. As you can see, one side is a little larger than the other. But other than that, I think it a fairly good attempt.

The plus point of using magazine tubes is that the end result is very colourful and more cheerful than newspaper tubes that are painted a single colour! The end result is to be sent to a dear friend of mine, who had been asking me to sell one of my newspaper projects. I think this colourful tray will be a good addition to my friend's desk 💖

Model Details:

Model: Tray 

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube

The Sweet Spring Kusudama is a very simple but very elegant looking origami kusudama, designed by Natalia Romanenko. Each unit is a combination of 2 or 3 smaller modules. Why do I say 2 or 3? Because, while the instructions I found online require 3 modules, you can make do with just 2 of them. 

The basic module is an origami pig base. This is formed from a square. To this module, we add 2 modules folded from a rectangle. This forms the star and a wavy loop on the star. Well, I didn't want the wavy bit, so I stopped with just the star. Hence had ended up with 2 instead of 3 modules. 

So once these units are assembled, the kusudama is formed by inserted 1 unit into the next. The assembly is very simple and the model holds well together. 

I have been meaning to use indigo coloured paper for a long time now, so I clubbed it with orange paper to give me a very bright sweet spring kusudama! 

Have you tried out this kusudama? Do give it a go, if you haven't. 

 

Model Details:

Model: Sweet Spring Kusudama

Creator: Natalia Romanenko

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square + Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches square / 3 inches by 1.5 inches rectangle

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

Instructions: Paper Finger Cuts

Tutorial: Youtube

 

 

How about that?? I ended up making a very cute little duckling which also served a purpose! This is a little container that I made for my daughter Little Missy. She uses this to store little trinkets and is delighted with how tiny and "kawai" it is! 

I actually had a few sticks left over, after completing a recent project, so wanted to use those remaining sticks. And well, this was the size I could make without having to roll and paint new ones! So a duckling instead of a duck! I should addceyes, I guess, but I thought it looked good even now, no? 

Another first for me is that I have woven this as a free form, that is, I usually have a base form over which I weave. But I wanted to see how it went without a form and I think it has come out fairly well.

Model Details:

Model: Duckling shaped container

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube