The dodecahedron kit is a part of a series of similar kits from the book 'Polyhedron Origami', by Miyuki Kawamura. The other kits in the series include the Edge Module, Tetrahedron, Octahedron and Icosahedron kits.

Each of these kits are made up of 2 kinds of modules - the vertex modules (which forms the corners of the polyhedron) and the edge modules (which connects 2 vertex modules). The vertex module is different for different polyhedra, with changes in the angle and in the number of arms radiating from it.

The dodecahedron kit is made from 50 modules - 20 dodecahedron vertex modules and 30 edge modules. The vertex modules have 3 radiating arms, so are connected to 3 edge modules. 5 such vertex modules link together to form 1 face of the dodecahedron. 12 such faces are joined together to form the dodecahedron.

I found it an interesting piece to fold and might also fold the other kits if possible. The only disappointment for me was that I had used single-sided paper. And when folding the vertex modules, a little of the white can be seen at the back. I didn't think much of it till I started assembling the piece and realised that, since it is a structure with a lot of big windows, the back of the modules are also visible - as can be seen in the pic! So, if you are folding this, remember to use paper coloured on both sides, at least for the vertex modules.

The model is pretty stable but if you are going to move it around a lot, then I suggest a dab of glue at the joints. Else the vertex modules tend to put out of the edge modules. And another thing, remember to use fairly small paper. I used squares of 2.5 inches and ended up with a model that measured about 7 inches across.

Model Details:

Model: Dodecahedron Kit

Creator: Miyuki Kawamura

Book: Polyhedron Origami

Author: Miyuki Kawamura

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 2.5 inches

Model Size: 7 inches diameter

Number of Modules: 50

Since of late I have recently been working on easy origami, I thought I would try out something a bit more challenging. This hydrangea cube was a good attempt and I am quite pleased with how it has turned out 😀

How to go about this? Well, we need to initially make 6 of Shuzo Fujimoto's hydrangea tessellations. In origami, tessellations are patterns that are usually folded from a single sheet of paper, that repeat themselves as many times as needed. They usually provide a dimensional appearance.

The hydrangea tessellation is one of the simpler designs. The paper that I have used is regular kami paper. The paper didn't tear while making all those sinks and pops!

Once the 6 hydrangeas are completed, it is just a matter of joining them in a cube. Joins are made by creasing a mountain fold along each of the longer petals, on all 4 sides. The creased corner can be slid into the adjacent hydrangea to hold it in place. Fitting the last of the 6 turned out to be very frustrating and I almost tore up the model! Only the thought that I would have to refold 6 hydrangeas, kept me from doing it!! 😄😄

And if you are the adventurous sort, you can also try the regular snooze assembly, made from 30 units!

Model Details:

Model: Hydrangeau Cube 

Creator: Shuzo Fujimoto

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 8 inches

Instructions (for making a single hydrangea tessellation): British Origami

Tutorial: YouTube

Modules: 6

After making origami prisms in the previous post, it seemed natural to try out the antiprisms next. Antiprisms are similar to prisms but the difference is that the side faces are triangles instead of parallelograms. Also, the top and bottom parts are twisted, relative to each other.

For these antiprisms, I used 3.5 inch squares - 3 squares for the triangular antiprism, 4 for the quadrilateral one, 5 for the pentagonal antiprism and 6 for the last one. The model isn't very stable though, and requires a dab of glue to hold it well in place.

A variation to the prisms gives a slightly different shape, when the sides are creased in. This gives a multi-sided star shape - like the 3-sided star and the pentagonal star in the pic.

This modular origami is again from Miyuki Kawamura's book - ‘Polyhedron Origami'.

Model Details:

Model: Antiprisms

Book: Polyhedron Origami

Author: Miyuki Kawamura

Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3.5 inches

Model Size: 2 inches in height

Tutorial: Youtube

A couple of years ago, I had attempted these heart boxes by Robin Glynn for the first time. While I had not perfected it, it still turned out great. So this time, with Valentine's Day coming up, I decided to give it a go again.

This time, I wanted to make it sturdier, so attempted it with thicker paper. That is, with 120 gsm from some of the paper packs that I had with me. So, in addition to being really pretty, these boxes also turned out to be functional.

The pink and white boxes are my absolute favourites. Naturally, these boxes have been duly handed over to Little Miss! She apparently is once again in need of boxes for her things!

The blue box, termed "Love is in the air", was specially requested by a friend.

And with that, we come to the end of the post :)

Prisms in Mathematics are polyhedrons where the top and bottom faces are polygons that are identical. The sides are parallelograms.

I was trying out the prisms from  Miyuki Kawamura's book 'Polyhedron Origami' for beginners. And it turned out to be really simple. Each of the prisms can be done in 10-15 mins in all.

Well, there really isn't much more to say! Give it a go :)

Model Details:

Model: Prisms

Book: Polyhedron Origami

Author: Miyuki Kawamura

Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4 inches

Model Size: 2 inches in height

Tutorial: Triangular Prism, Square Prism, Hexagonal Prism

I don't usually fold animals or birds, but this little sparrow was a delight to fold. I also liked the look of it. It doesn't look like a real sparrow, more like the cartoon version, with a nice long tail and a pair of jaunty wings.

The sparrow fairly easy to fold, though I did get stuck in the third step initially. For those trying out for the first time, please remember that in the second step, the rabbit ears has to be completed on the front and then repeated behind. Only then does step 3 work out right. Steps 6 and 7 are slightly tricky. The rest is pretty easy.

The creator, Perry Bailey, suggests using single coloured paper, so that the head and the body are the same colour, but I think duo coloured paper provide a better appearance, such as my little sparrow here.

Model Details:

Model: Sparrow

Creator: Perry Bailey

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4.5 inches

Model Size: 2 inches in height and 3.5 inches across

Diagram: Origami Diagram

As a kid, I was an avid Enid Blyton fan. And as such, was quite familiar with mushrooms and gnomes and fairies and elves. So when I came across this origami mushroom, designed by Matt Slayton, well naturally, I had to fold it!

I had initially tried it with orange momigami paper. It came out well, but I think the wrapping paper in red with white dots makes a better mushroom. 3-4 inch squares result in an ideal size for these mushrooms.

Model Details:

Model: Mushroom

Creator: Matt Slayton

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3 - 4 inches

Model Size: 3 - 4 inches in height and 2 - 2.5 inches across

Diagram: Origami Diagram

This gift box, designed by Robin Glynn, is yet another of his economical designs. The entire box, including the closure at the top, is made from a single square of paper.

A 6-inch square gives a small box (about 2 inches in size, 1 inch in depth) that would be a good size for a ring, or a pair of small earrings. A bigger square, say 8 inches, results in a slightly bigger box, about 3 inches in size and about 1.5 inches in depth.

The paper I first used was the usual origami paper. Not good for the box. The sides are not strong, since it isn't a modular box, so it cannot serve any purpose. I then tried with scrapbooking paper, 160 gsm heavy paper. This was perfect. The open box was from a 6-inch 160 gsm paper, with a woodsy appearance. My favourite though, is the black and white box, made from an 8-inch 160 gsm paper.

Model Details:

Model: Gift Box 

Creator: Robin Glynn

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 6 - 8 inches

Model Size: 6 inch square results in a box of side 2 inches and depth 1 inch
8 inch square results in a box of side 3 inches and depth 1.5 inches

Tutorial: Youtube

Diagram: Origami Diagram

Happy New Year, dear readers! I hope this new year is a blessing to all of you.

So I wanted to start off the new year on the blog, with a beautiful project. I was working on a complex origami, which wasn't turning out to be much of a success! So I ended up putting it aside, incomplete for now, and instead started working on an easier (but more time consuming!) project, namely a paper rose wreath.

This rose wreath is made entirely from paper (the pages of an old book, to be precise). I have been working on this wreath for the past week, a few hours each week. And though it was a back-breaking and time-consuming work, I am delighted with the end result! And now it hangs proudly in my work room and I keep admiring it every few mins!! I know, vanity indeed!!

The purpose of the rose wreath was two-fold. One, I wanted a project for New Year and two, I wanted to try out a recent purchase of mine - the EK Success Circle Scissors. It arrived a few days back and ever since, I have wanted to do something with circles. And these roses start off as circles, so it was a perfect way to start using my scissors. And I must say, I am absolutely fascinated with the scissors! I needed to cut about 250 circles (that is how many roses there are in the wreath) and with the circle scissors, this was a piece of cake - all done in less than an hour :)

Of course, making the roses was the major work. It took me about 8-10 hours to complete. The base can be a foam wreath base. But I had made my own wreath - cardboard cut in shape, lined with bunched up newspaper then layered with tissues that are held down with a mix of glue and water. Allow to dry over night and you have a rock solid wreath base. Glue on roses, add a ribbon - red for a little colour. And voila, your wreath is ready!

I am now thinking of making a Valentine day's wreath, using red roses. What do you think, dear readers?

Model Details:

Model: Paper Rosette Wreath 

Origin: Traditional

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Circle

Paper Size: 3 inches in diameter

Model Size: Wreath diameter - 12 inches

No of Units: ~ 250 

Tutorial: Youtube