After trying Yuri Shumakov's vase yesterday, I decided to try out the next vase - or rather, box - by Katrin Shumakov.

The Bonsai Box is a popular origami box, designed by Katrin Shumakov. As boxes go, this is a complex origami, one that I have always been scared of trying, thinking that it will be too complex for me.

Now that I finally tried it out, I realised that it wasn't as complex as I feared! The best part of the box is that, unlike the other boxes/vases from Oriland, this has a good, wide mouth, that makes it a very convenient box to hold little things that are always scattered around my house.

Model Details:

Model: Bonsai Box 

Creator: Katrin Shumakov

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 8 inches

Tutorial: Youtube

Yuri Shumakov's origami vase is folded from a single sheet of paper and has a very realistic look to it. A good amount of pre-creasing is required before the vase is folded into shape. Though it is challenging, it a good origami to do.

I used a 80 gsm A4 sheet cut into a square. So the size was roughly 8.2 inches square. The model works best with thick paper - but not too thick though, since there is a lot of creasing to do. 80 gsm is ideal I thought. Regular 60 gsm origami paper might not be sturdy enough, once completed.

Model Details:

Model: Vase

Creator: Yuri Shumakov

Difficulty Level: High Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 8.2 inches

Model Size: 3.75 inches in height and 2.25 inches diameter

Instructions: Oriland

This modular wreath is a great project for beginner origamist who are just starting off with modular origami. It is a traditional design and quite simple.

I love how eye-catching the end result is! I had placed this at my desk in office and everyone who passed by, had a couple of remarks to make on the star :)

Model Details:

Model: Spiky Wreath 

Origin: Traditional

Difficulty Level: Simple

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 2 inch squares

No of Modules: 16

Tutorial: Youtube

Instructions: Tavin's Origami

The TUVWXYZ star is a complex modular planar model, designed by the amazing Meenakshi Mukerji.

The model consists of 7 intersecting stars, each star made of 6 arms. All the stars meet at the centre of the model. A total of 42 modules are required for the star, 7 colours and 6 modules in each colour. Folding the modules is quite simple, though time consuming.

Assembling the star is a good puzzle! I had trouble in understanding when to start adding the 7th colour, since you actually start with 6 colours. I eventually did figure it out :) The 7th star is the first one to get completed. In the picture, this was the orange coloured one.

Model Details:

Model: TUVWXYZ Star

Creator: Meenakshi Mukerji

Book: Ornamental Origami

Author: Meenakshi Mukerji

Difficulty Level: Complex

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 4 inches

Instructions: http://britishorigami.info/academic/davidpetty/origamiemporium/images/mm_tuvwxyz.gif

Number of Modules: 42

Robin Glynn's 6-sided star box turned out to be quite interesting! I rather liked the way the 2D module is turned into a 3D piece. The modules link well together. The lock for the base is slightly difficult to do, but it ensures that no glue is required.

The box should be done using stiff paper. Else it doesn't hold the shape well. Solid colours, in alternate colours, would be better for the box I think. But I can never forgo a chance to use wrapper paper, so that is what I used :)

Model Details:

Model: Star Box 

Creator: Robin Glynn

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square

Paper Size: 5 inch squares

Modules: 12

Tutorial: Youtube (Base and Lid)

Diagram: Origami Diagram

I have previously made triangular boxes from 3 modules and wanted to try out one from a single sheet of paper. And found out Thoki Yenn's triangular box, where both the box and the lid are made from a single sheet of A4 size paper.

I love how economical the box and lid is! The box is made from half the A4 paper and the lid from half a square from the same sheet. The instructions sound quite complex, but making these boxes is actually quite simple.

Model Details:

Model: Triangular Boxes

Creator: Thoki Yenn

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: A4

Instructions: Erik Demaine

I like making boxes from single sheets of paper. For one thing, they are quite economical and for another, you can just grab a piece of paper and start working on the box!

This pentagonal box is designed by Rikki Donachie and is made from a single A4 sheet of paper. It is quite easy to fold. I folded the base such that the height was a little more than the lid. Otherwise, both base and lid were the same.

Model Details:

Model: Pentagonal Boxes

Creator: Rikki Donachie

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: A4

Paper Size: 7 inches

Tutorial: Youtube