This super cute pyramid box is easy to make and looks different from the traditional square or rectangle boxes. This looks especially cute when the box and the lock are done in contrasting colours. It would make an ideal gift box for presenting chocolates and other small things. Just add a string/loop at the top and you have a lovely box that can be hung from a Christmas tree perhaps.

A possible variation for the lock is Tomoko Fuse's stopper from the variety of stoppers from the book 'Home Decorating with Origami'. I have used the heart shaped stopper.

Model Details:

Model: Pyramid Box 

Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Square

Tutorial: Youtube 

Michael LaFosse is known for his origami butterflies and I think this Alexander Swallowtail Butterfly is by far the most beautiful of his designs. His website features quite a few of his designs. In addition, the tutorial for this butterfly is also available there.

Though I am a beginner origamist, I found the tutorial to be very useful and in spite of the design being of the intermediate level of complexity, I was able to complete it quite easily, thanks to the detailed tutorial.

The butterfly can be done in a large number of sizes, from 2-3 inches square to 6 inches squares. Duo coloured paper works best, as it brings out the change in colour in the body of the butterfly.

If you are fascinated with origami butteflies, then the book, 'Michael LaFosse's Origami Butterflies is a great find. The book describes Michael LaFosse's system for folding an unlimited variety of origami butterflies. It is an absolutely fascinating book that starts by describing the variations for creating your own unique butterfly design and ends with the diagrams for some of LaFosse's beautiful butterflies including the Alexander Swallowtail and Alexander Aztec butterflies.

Model Details:

Model: Alexander Swallowtail Butterfly

Creator: Michael LaFosse

Book: Origami Butterflies
 
Authors: Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander
 
Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 5 inches

Model Size: ~5 inches in diameter

Tutorial: PEM Origami. To reach the tutorial, just go to the link -> Fold more models -> Origami Now! -> Butterflys. 

The bird base rose, created by James Sakoda, is an easy rose to make, comparatively speaking :) Turns out quite well. I think the rose looks best when the paper size is around 4-5 inches. I first tried it with a 6 inch paper and it turned out a bit too big.

As the name says, the model starts with a bird base, which is the starting point for folding origami birds such as the crane and the flapping bird. The bird base rose is an extension of the bird base.

Model Details:

Model: Bird Base Rose 

Creator: James Sakoda

Book: Origami Flowers

Author: James Sakoda

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4-6 inches

Tutorial: Youtube 

Assembling 8 units of Tung Ken Lam's jitterbug modules results in cubactohedron. I like the paper I have used for this model - 8 pieces of printed origami paper, 3 inches square. But overall, I did not like the outcome. I just was not able to get crisp sides, no matter how well I creased.

As far as stability goes, the model is quite stable. 4 units are made with 2 corners folded in and 4 with 1 corner folded in. The folded in part forms the pocket. The corners slot into the pockets very well and the connections are very strong. So I used no glue.

Model Details:

Model: Jitterbug Cuboctahedron

Creator: Tung Ken Lam (creator of jitterbug units)

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper size: 3 inches

Number of modules: 8

Tutorial: Origaminut.com

The origami gyroscope, created by Lewis Simon, is actually an octahedron skeleton with a cube-shaped opening in the center. It is an easy modular origami and can be attempted by those new to origami.. It is made up of 6 square bases and 6 waterbomb bases. The square bases are placed over the waterbomb bases and connected together.

And by the way, the square bases are the only ones that are visible in the completed gyroscope. The waterbomb bases are not visible at all. When I had made it for the first time, I thought that both the bases will be visible and had used contrasting paper for them. And after assembling a couple of units, I realised that the waterbombs are not going to be seen at all! So you might want to just use white paper for creating the waterbombs :)

Model Details:

Model: Gyroscope

Creator: Lewis Simon

Book: Modular Origami Polyhedra

Authors: Lewis Simon, Bennett Arnstein, Rona Gurkewitz

Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4 inches

Number of Modules: 12

Tutorial: Youtube

I have been trying out more of the star earrings.. Those are the easiest earrings to make I think and I love making these tiny little stars! :)

When we were kids, we used to make these bracelets and use them as Friendship bracelets. Unfortunately we didn't have access to colourful paper, so we used to make do with paper torn out of our notebooks (very naughty I know!), or paper from comic digests or magazines that we managed to get hold of.

So anyway, after many, many years, now my daughter wanted me to make something for her friends. There are 3 of them in her gang and these 3 are very close, even though they are all of 4 years old! So when she wanted me to make something for her friends, I thought of these bracelets :) I needed to really wrack my brains to get going, I had more or less forgotten how to make them! But I finally managed to do that. And made some really colourful bracelets for her friends, in their favourite colours too!! I am not their favourite mom-of-friend! :D

Since I needed to put in a lot of effort to recollect the instructions for making the bracelet, I figured it made sense to make a tutorial, so that later on if my daughter wanted to make them, she could give it a go. So, stick around.. A tutorial coming your way soon!! :) And my first too..

Model Details:

Model: Paper Bracelets

Origin: Traditional

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate