My daughter, Little Miss, has recently become very keen on recycling and reusing whatever she can. So when I was recently asked to make a few origami lotuses, she came up with the idea of making literary lotuses! And we are both delighted with the way the lotuses turned out. We initially tried a complete literary lotus - that is, the flower and the leaves were an old book paper. But our second attempt - book paper lotus with green copy paper leaves were more to our liking.

One thing I did find was that, the book paper is much thinner than the copy paper - which meant pulling out the petals had to be done with more care, else we risk tearing the paper. And since the paper was thinner, the literary lotus turned out a little smaller than the one made entirely from copy paper.

Model Details:

Model: Lotus

Origin: Traditional

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle

Paper Size: 3 inches * 5.2 inches

Model Size: ~4 inches

Modules: 12

Tutorial: Youtube 

I love reading and, consequently, love collecting bookmarks. But since it was Valentine's Day a couple of days back, I wanted to make heart shaped bookmarks. So off I went, making a whole bunch of these heart bookmarks for everyone I know! Wonderful V-Day gift for a book lover, huh?

The bookmarks are pretty easy to make, thanks to the tutorial by Jo Nakashima, who is also the creator of this model. They are made from a rectangle in the ratio 1:2 but from the tutorial, I understand any rectangle will work just fine.

Model Details:

Model: Heart Bookmarks 

Creator: Jo Nakashima

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle

Paper Size: 6 * 3 inches

Model Size: ~4.5 inches long by 1 inch heart

Tutorial: Youtube

I am quite fascinated with Tomoko Fuse's book 'Floral Origami Globes' and after completing the Butterfly Kusudama, I didn't waste much time, working on the next kusudama.

This kusudama is the Chrysanthemum Globe Kusudama, assembled from 60 rectangles. Each unit is assembled from 2 rectangles - a base and the chrysanthemum, inserted into the base.

The kusudama assembly is the basic sonobe assembly for 30-unit icosahedrons, but with a small difference. While the sonobe assembly is in a clock-wise direction (the pockets open to the right and the tabs go into these pockets), the chrysanthemum assembly is anti-clockwise - that is, the tabs are inserted into pockets that open to the left.

The chrysanthemum unit has multiple layers of paper in the central petal, so thin paper works better. I have used regular copy paper and had to be extra careful when folding it so that it did not tear in the middle.

Model Details:

Model: Chrysanthemum Globe Kusudama 

Creator: Tomoko Fuse

Book: Floral Origami Globes
 
Author: Tomoko Fuse
 
Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 4 inches by 2 inches

Model Size: ~5 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Tutorial: Youtube 

It has been quite a while since I folded modular origami and even longer since I folded any of Tomoko Fuse's amazing creations. This modular kusudama is the Butterfly Kusudama (Type III) and is from the book 'Floral Origami Globes'.

The model is made from 30 units and each unit is made from 2 rectangles. The fan-like section is folded into a base section to form 1 unit. I have glued the two parts of the fan, but as per the instructions, they are left as-is to represent the 2 wings of the butterfly.

Model Details:

Model: Butterfly Kusudama 

Creator: Tomoko Fuse

Book: Floral Origami Globes
 
Author: Tomoko Fuse
 
Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in the ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches by 1.5 inches

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

The Dodecaedro Traforato or Perforated Dodecahedron is a modular origami by Silvana Betti Mamino. Like most modular origami, the modules are pretty easy to fold. They are folded from a A4 sheet. Well, the A4 is actually cut into 4 rectangles horizontally. I felt A4 strips would be too big, so worked with A5 sheet cut into 4 rectangles. Worked perfectly well :) I used printer paper - 5 colours and 6 strips in each colour.

Folding printer paper wasn't that easy - 80 gsm paper requires more effort to fold than 60 gsm, doesn't it? Assembling for me, was the most challenging part. The reason was because of the colours. I wanted to ensure that there was some kind of uniformity in the assembly and after 3 attempts, I finally managed it I think.

The modules hold together without glue once fully assembled. But I didn't find it terribly stable, so if you will be moving it about, then a little glue helps. If you are assembling without glue, ensure you have a whole bunch of paper clips to hold the modules in place.

Model Details:

Model: Dodecaedro Traforato

Creator: Silvana Betti Mamino

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangles from A5

Paper Size: 2.1 inches by 5.8 inches

Model Size: 4.5 inches diameter

Number of Modules: 30

Instruction: Modulandia.it

The origami lotus is yet another traditional, modular model and one that I had tried out recently. The assembly for the lotus is different from what I had done till date.

After folding the individual modules (there are a total of 8 modules for the flower and 4 for the leaves), we assemble the modules in sets of 3 (2 flower modules and 1 leaf module) and tie them together. Once everything is held tight in place, then we start forming the petals and leaves.

The beauty of the flower lies in the way the petals are shaped. The inner petals can be closed into the centre to give the appearance of a flower just starting to bloom. I think mine has the look of a fully opened flower.

Altogether, an interesting and ingenious model to fold.

Model Details:

Model: Lotus

Origin: Traditional

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle

Paper Size: 5.5 inches * 3.5 inches

Model Size: ~4 inches

Modules: 12

Tutorial: Youtube 

As I had mentioned in my previous post, I tried out the modular cube variation, this one in orange. The assembly is the same as the modular cube. The only change, in fact, is the way the initial fold is done, so that the reverse of the paper becomes visible. So it is a good idea to use paper coloured on both sides, in contrasting colours. I preferred using single-sided orange coloured paper. I think it has turned out quite well :)

But in reality, folding the modules turned out to be an unexpected challenge! I had used the same paper size as in my previous cube (1.25 by 3.5 inches). Unfortunately, this model had a couple of additional folds, resulting in really thin strips. And folding those thin strips in such a small paper turned out to be painful!! I used a ruler to ensure that I got the folds right. Thankfully the paper was quite strong, I am sure I would have ended up tearing quite a few modules otherwise!

Model Details:

Model: Modular Box Variation 

Creator: Bennett Arnstein

Book: Modular Origami Polyhedra
 
Author: Lewis Simon, Bennett Arnstein, Rona Gurkewitz
 
Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 1.25 by 3.5 inches

Model Size: Square cube with approximate side of 1.25 inches

Modules: 12

The decoration and modular boxes from the book 'Modular Origami Polyhedra' are beautiful and very tempting! The boxes are all cubes made from 12 modular units. They are quite easy to make as well. And I love the little windows in the cubes.

I had previously tried out the original decoration box and was quite pleased with the results. This time, I tried out the first of the modular cubes, which is actually a variation of Lewis Simon's decoration box.

This turns out to be much more economical than the decoration box too, since it is made from 12 rectangles in 1:2 ratio (a square cut in two). The decoration box, on the other hand, is made from squares. So you can make 2 of these modular cubes for each of the decoration boxes :) Naturally, the size of the cube is also smaller than the decoration box.

While folding the cubes, the one issue I faced was that, the backside of the paper (white in my case), can be seen peeking out in quite a few places! No matter how I folded it, the white was visible :( I guess paper coloured the same on both sides would have been better.

Well, I will be folding a few more of these cubes. The next variation of the decoration box is the next on my list, followed probably by the Ninja Star cube.

Model Details:

Model: Modular Box 

Creator: Bennett Arnstein

Book: Modular Origami Polyhedra
 
Author: Lewis Simon, Bennett Arnstein, Rona Gurkewitz
 
Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 1.25 by 3.5 inches

Model Size: Square cube with approximate side of 1.25 inches

Modules: 12

The Santiago Flower Ball is an origami model by Mette Pederson, the well-known creator of the Mette Rings. I must say I love this model! It looks rather like modern art I think. Little Miss insists that it looks like a lantern and has been using it as one! If you hold the model by one of the flowers, it actually does resemble a lantern :)

I had used printer paper, which was perfect for folding it. There aren't a lot of folds, so making the individual units was quite simple. 4 units are assembled together to form the flower (blue and peach in the picture). 6 such flowers are needed. Then the 6 flowers are held together with 12 strips.

The paper size I have used is 3 inch squares for the flowers and 3 * 6 inches strips for the connector units. The resulting model is roughly 6 inches in diameter.

Model Details:

Model: Santiago Flower Ball

Creator: Mette Pederson

Book: Mette Units 7

Author: Mette Pederson

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square / Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches squares and 3 * 6 inches rectangles

Model Size: ~ 6 inches in diameter

Modules: 36

Update: The design is also found in the Origami Tanteidan 10th convention book.

The Ari Jigoku or Ant Lion’s Nest is a modular origami, designed by Silvana Betti Mamino. The units are made from rectangles in the ratio 1:2. A total of 30 units are required. The curls should be completed before the assembly. The completed kusudam is very sturdy and does not require any glue.

The origami looks best in solid duo coloured paper. I also tried one with wrapper paper but unfortunately, the curls do not show up very well, so it wasn’t much of a success.

Model Details:

Model: Ari Jigoku

Creator: Silvana Betti Mamino

Book: Unit Origami Fantasy

Author: Tomoko Fuse

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangular in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches * 1.5 inches

Number of Modules: 30

Tutorial: Stranamasterov.ru

After Meenakshi Mukerji's Cube variations, I gave some other cubes a try. The one in this is by Kunihiko Kasahara and is formed from 8 corner modules and 6 linking modules. The modules are quite simple to make and are made from half a square. So a total of 7 squares of paper are required to complete the 8 + 6 modules required for the model.Steps are clearly presented in his book 'Amazing Origami'.

I thought that this model would make good photo holder when made in the right size. Each face could hold a photo and the corner modules will hold them in place :)

Model Details:

Model: Cube from Corner Modules 

Creator: Kunihiko Kasahara

Book: Amazing Origami
 
Author: Kunihiko Kasahara
 
Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ration 1:2

Paper Size: 3 * 1.5 inches squares

Modules: 14

The Kawasaki butterfly is yet another easy butterfly, made from half a square - economical and pretty! The creator is the amazing Toshikazu Kawasaki, better known for his origami rose. The butterfly can be found in his book 'Origami Dream World - Flowers and Animals'. 

Model Details:

Model: Butterfly 

Creator: Toshikazu Kawasaki

Book: Origami Dream World - Flowers and Animals
 
Author: Toshikazu Kawasaki
 
Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches by 1.5 inches

Tutorial: Youtube

The Sham, designed by Mio Tsugawa, is a ball-like modular origami made from 30 units. The modules aren't very complicated to make and the assembly is also fairly easy. The model does not require glue to hold it together, but I did add some, so that it does not fall apart easily.

My model was supposed to be done entirely in purple but then I decided to add a band of modules in another colour. I love this combination of purple and pink. I had used a rectangle of size 6 inches by 3 inches and the resulting ball measured about 12 inches in diameter, a bit too big for my liking.

A note on the paper: I have used handmade paper for this model. This is not the best paper to use, since it does not crease well or hold shapes accurately. Hence the use of glue! But origami paper in the size 4:2 inches should result in an excellent Sham.

Model Details:

Model: Sham 

Creator: Mio Tsugawa

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 6 inches * 3 inches

Model Size: ~12 inches in diameter

Modules: 30

Tutorial: Youtube

Instructions: Origamio.com

I have been trying out one of Tomoko Fuse's designs from her book, 'Floral Origami Globes'. And it has taken me quite some time to complete it, five days to be precise! Not something that should be attempted if you wish to complete your origami quickly.

The model is made from 60 rectangles, 30 for making the pyramid units and 30 for the bows that are seen in between those little pyramids. After making these, the bows are placed inside the pyramid units so that only the bows are seen. Then they are assembled as one unit. It looks best when the pyramid units and the bows are in different colours, so that the bows are more clearly seen.

The model isn't really difficult to make. Making the units is quite easy though it takes some time. Assemling has to be done carefully. Care should be taken that there are 5 pyramids at each meeting point.

6 of these units can also be assembled into a model, which is what I plan on doing next. I intend to convert this into a hanging ornament; you can see the thread that I had added before completing the assembly. So I will be combing this with the 6 unit model and making it into an ornament.

Model Details:

Model: Floral Origami Kusudama with Covered Bows 

Creator: Tomoko Fuse

Book: Floral Origami Globes

Author: Tomoko Fuse

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square and Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 5 inches by 2.5 inches and 5 inch squares

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

The Scaled Octahedron is yet another modular origami that I have had the pleasure to work on, in recent days. It is not the easiest piece that I have made, mainly because of all the different size square that are needed.

The one that I have made required a total of 24 squares and 12 rectangles. The 24 squares were converted into 6 pyramids of 4 levels each. The number of levels in the pyramids can be changed as desired - in multiples of 4. So instead of 4 levels, one can also do the same with 5 per pyramid or even with just 3 levels per pyramid. The number of rectangles remain the same - these are the units needed to connect the various pyramids together.

The size of square paper for making the pyramidal modules change for each level. If we assume 'x' is the side of the smallest level, then the side of the next level is 1.5x. Followed by 2x, 2.5x and so on. So in my case, I started with 2 inches squares, 3 inches, 4 inches and 5 inches. The rectangular connectors have one side that is the same as the largest square (5 inches in my case), the other size is a quarter of this side. For me, this was 1.25 inches. A total of 12 rectangles are needed.

Folding the individual modules is fairly easy. Assembly is a little more challenging. It is better to use printer or copy paper for this model. For one - it is firmer which makes assembly a lot easier. And for another, the back of the paper is also visible, which means the white part of single-sided paper will be seen and that is not a very pretty sight for this model.

Model Details:

Model: Scaled Octahedron 

Creator: Laura Azcoaga

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Squares and Rectangles

Paper Size: 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches and 5 inches squares + 5 inches * 1.25 inches rectangles

Model Size: ~8 inches across

Modules: 36

Instructions: Origami Modular en Argentina

Tutorial: Youtube