Saturday, January 30, 2010

ROSITA'S STAR


I have been working on several kusudamas lately. More about them when they are completed. The problem with kusudamas is that they can take a long time to complete, especially when they have 60 or more pieces. So I get bored and fiddle with other foldings. This is one such fiddle.

I am not sure whether this is an original creation or whether someone else has discovered it already. It is not particularly completed, as stars go, although there are a couple of surprise moves towards the end.

The pink star is made from 20 lb copy paper. The two images show the front and the back.









The photos featuring blue paper are a rather messy step fold sequence which may provide the reader with enough information to help them try out the star on their own.





1. Begin by folding a square in half lengthwise and diagonally. Turn the paper over.










2. Halve the angles.








3. Collapse the creases to form diamonds, as shown.





4. Turn to a face with a full diamond. Fold the sides in to the center at the top. Repeat on the four faces showing a full diamond.



5. Unfold and collapse these creases inwards.




6. Turn to a face with a truncated diamond. Fold the bottom tip up to the top edge of the partial diamond. Fold the bottom part in half again. Repeat on each of the four faces.

7. Collapse upwards and inwards.






















































8. Turn to a face with the flat top. Crease the right side of the bottom section as shown. Repeat on the four faces.

9. Gently push the model flat. Ease the creased sections down.

10. Slowly fold down the remaining four flaps, easing them so that they sit flat and are equidistant between the contiguous folded sections.

Enjoy!




















UPDATE:

Svetlana Kovac from Serbia has folded one of these stars. You will find it here on her "lyraorigami" blog. http://lyraorigami.blogspot.com/2010/02/rozitina-zvezda-rositas-star-rosemary.html

I like her choice of paper.

Very nicely done, Svetlana!


Wednesday, January 20, 2010

THE DECO TOP BOX



This box is made from two or three squares of paper: one for the decorative lid and one or two for the base.


The base has two versions. The plain version has the hem turned inwards, folding from left to right. The decorative version has the hem folded outwards and tucked under to form triangular projections on the corners.

The two versions can be combined by slipping the plain version under the triangle projections.

The plain base, which is folded inwards, is made from a square which is about a quarter inch smaller than the lid, depending on paper size and thickness. The decorative base, which is folded outwards, is made from a square which is about a half inch smaller than the lid. For the combined version the plain version is made from a square which is the same size as the decorative version. That is, both versions are made from squares about a half inch smaller than the lid. This allows the plain base to slip over the white part and under the corner triangles of the decorative base.





Here are the crease patterns.


There are no folding diagrams at this time.