A weird name yes, but it’s because it’s a modular unit from which you can assemble anything you want. Courtesy of Charles Esseltine. I gave some examples of what you can assemble with the TSU, but there’s more. I made a total of 16 modules, you can assemble in any way you like from 3 modules to infinity. I’d recommend 4 or 5 units for starters. You can find some examples from Anniefolds website.
Diagrams here and video with some pictures after the break.
After Dman’s request here’s the origami football (or soccer ball) by Mark Leonard. It’s made from 20 white pieces and 12 black pieces. Unfortunately it’s not very sturdy because of the pentagons having 2 flaps and 3 pockets for every module, this lets some gaps in the model. Other than that it’s great and looks like a traditional football.
I made the white hexagons from A6 format paper (that is an A4 cut in half twice). The black pentagons were a bit more difficult, 10.5cm in height (half an A4 in length) and 6.8cm in width, this is to make sure the hexagons’ and pentagons’ sides match.
In my model I used a thicker paper for the pentagons, this might be why it’s not very sturdy. Either way don’t try to kick it. The assembly has to be made in a specific way because of the pentagons, sometimes you’ll have to rotate a module to make others fit in, there are no extra flaps.
Diagrams here and video after the break.
A ball-like modular origami by Mio Tsugawa. It’s made form 30 pieces, I recommend using normal paper since thicker would make it impossible to assemble and thinner wouldn’t hold together. There are many variations of this models based on the length of the module paper, I used a 2:1 ratio, but you can go from square to whatever you want, some variations can be seen on the authors website.
On this model I used 20 yellow modules and 10 green to make a “stripe” on it, the modules I used were 9 by 4.5cm.
Diagrams on the authors website and video after the break.
Posted in: Diagrams, Intermediate, Modular, Origami, Video
The Yin-yang paper box is made of 2 circular pieces. It cannot be called origami since it requires cutting, but I thought it looked really nice and would fit in the paper craft category. The credit goes to the Philip Chapman-Bell who came up with this nice design. I made the crease patter myself instead of printing it out and used thicker paper than normal printing paper. The circle I made had a 10cm radius.
Crease pattern on the Fitful Flog’s website and video after the break.
Posted in: Intermediate, Paper craft
This amazing modular origami is brought to us by Jorge Lucero. It’s an intermediate model if you have good spatial view, but it can get very tricky with the last square. Just when I thought I had finished it I had to open some of the connections which weren’t made right, on the video you can see that the 5th square wasn’t tucked in right.
With this model you have to cut the paper exactly to 5:11 ratio for the modules. I cut 5cm by 11cm rectangles and got 9 out of an A4 paper, you need a total of 24, that’s why there are only 3 colors on my model. I used a thicker paper than normal printing paper, but that’s not necessarily better, I’m doing one in my classes with normal paper and it’s easier to fold.
When assembling the modules don’t tuck one of them all the way in, the other module won’t be able to lock to the first, instead push little by little on each one (see the video).
Posted in: Diagrams, Intermediate, Modular, Origami, Strip origami, Video
Following a request here’s a squishy blob, sure to drive your teachers nuts. It’s an action model since it acts like a trampoline when you poke it on the top square. A complicated, but not so difficult origami by Jeremy Shafer, according to whom its primary function is finger exercising. Diagrams straight from the authors website and the video and an additional picture after the break.
Also from now on I’m going to upload my videos to Metacafe, having to speed up my videos to keep them under 10 minutes (youtube limit) not only annoys me, but all those who watch them. So if you wish to stay informed about the new videos you can either subscribe to the RSS of this blog or at Metacafe.
Posted in: Diagrams, Fun, Intermediate, Origami, Video
An origami that is not so simple, but easy compared to the normal flasher. Model made by Jeremy Shafer. The flasher basically expands and contracts automatically as you fold or unfold it. It’s a great way to fold maps, but the center will get used very quickly.
This model can also be wetfolded: once it’s ready put a rubber band around to hold it and then dunk it in water, once it dries it will retain its compact form and spring close itself when opened.
Diagrams on Jeremy’s website and the Video and a picture after the break.
Posted in: Diagrams, Fun, Intermediate, Origami, Video
Another strip origami, by Heinz Strobl. All it needs is strips of paper and time. It’s actually not hard to make, but very time consuming. The individual pentagons are easy to make, but you must be careful to not fold them in the wrong way or you’ll have to undo the last move.
What’s nice about it is the circles and stars it makes with its shadow. I used 1cm width paper for the strips. I found the diagrams on Orihouse, you can either make the stars like I did or circles and then knot them together. You’ll probably have to use scissors to cut the ends of the strips, but then again you’re just adjusting the length of the strips (may I remind you that on normal origami scissors are strictly forbidden). Check out the 10 minute video of the making of after the break.
Posted in: Intermediate, Modular, Origami, Strip origami, Video
Never mind the no-videos-till-next-year post, I discovered that the iSight on my MacBook could do the thing, but it’s very uncomfortable. This is a planar origami by Francis Ow, it should look like there’s 3 diamonds intersecting each other in every axis’s. The modules have to be perfectly folded or the outcome will be catastrophic, as you can see on the picture. The diagrams are here (2 pages) and the video after the break.
Posted in: Diagrams, Intermediate, Modular, Origami, Video
After a long time of absence, again, I’m hereby presenting another six pointed star. This is a modular composed of 12 pieces, very easy to fold, but a bit frustrating to assemble. When connecting the last module to the first I didn’t bother locking them because I would have torn the whole thing apart and it was sturdy enough as it was. A stellar origami by Carmen Sprung.
Diagrams over here and video after the break as usual.
