Fumiaki Kawahata's most well-known origami is probably the Origami Yoda. But, I doubt I will ever make it - for one, I am not very clear on who exactly Yoda is (Star Wars and I are galaxies apart!!) and two, I am not really good at folding people/animals/birds from paper. Somehow my models don't come out with a smooth finish and end up looking very unrealistic!

The modular ball, on the other hand, is one of only 3 modular origami designed by Fumiaki Kawahata. I have always been put off by how complex it looks, until I finally gave it a try today. Surprisingly, it is pretty easy to make. There are 6 modules that are basically pleated. Each corner is folded perpendicularly to the initial pleat, to form 2 perpendicular arms.

Now the way the model is put together is something I have not seen before! There is none of the usual tabs and pockets to assemble the model. Instead, 2 modules are placed facing each other, so that their perpendicular arms meet in the centre. Now, these 2 arms hold in place a third module. It is a little tricky initially, but pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Only thing to remember is that, if one module is taken out, the whole model will come undone.

Model Details:

Model: Modular Ball

Creator: Fumiaki Kawahata

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 3.5 inches

Model Size: ~ 3 inches

Tutorial - Modules: Youtube

Tutorial - Assembly: Youtube

After attempting Fumiaki Kawahata's Diplodocus in my previous post, I decided to try the origami dinosaur earrings for my Little Miss.

I tried out different sizes and finally this was the pair that I liked the best. I used red kami paper with print on it.

How do you like it? As for my daughter, she is very pleased! So yay for mummy!! 😀

Model Details:

Model: Dinosaur Earrings 

Creator: Fumiaki Kawahata

Book: Origami Dinosaurs 2

Author: Fumiaki Kawahata

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

I know zilch about dinosaurs! But Little Miss happened to see some origami dinosaur earrings on Etsy and wanted one for herself.

So I set about experimenting, since single-sheet origami isn't my cup of tea. Fumiaki Kawahata's book on Origami Dinosaurs has this folding for the Diplodocus, which was an interesting origami to fold. For the uninitiated, a diplodocus is a large, long-necked dinosaur, with a long tail. The animal is said to grow to a length of 24 metres (79 feet!!)

Since I wanted to make a small earring, I started of with a fairly large square first, just to see if I was able to fold it. The big grape coloured one is folded from a 7-inch square. And then, using progressively smaller squares, I refolded the origami. My smallest is folded from a 2-inch square. It is still too big to be an earring, but I will get there!

Model Details:

Model: Diplodocus (Dinosaur)

Creator: Fumiaki Kawahata

Book: Origami Dinosaurs 2

Author: Fumiaki Kawahata

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

With Valentine's day coming up, the origami cube of love would make a great DIY gift 😀 It is a modular cube with a whole bunch of hearts in it! It is made from 6 units, each unit with a heart in one of the corners. The modules are made from half a square, that is, rectangles in the ratio of 1:2. They are quite easy to make. Duo-coloured paper must be used to get the contrast between the heart and the rest of the module.

The cube makes a great decoration and will make a good gift for a loved one..

Model Details:

Model: Cube of Love

Creator: Fumiaki Shingu

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 5 inches * 2.5 inches

Modules: 6

Diagram: Origami-club