Modular origami: a master class for beginners

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Modular origami is the compilation of three-dimensional sculptures from small triangular modules. For their manufacture, you can use both ordinary A-4 colored or white paper, and special paper designed for this type of creativity. It can be purchased at stationery stores in the needlework department, they also sell ready-made kits with multi-colored modules and their assembly schemes.

In the article, we will consider how to make modular origami for beginners, how to fold a triangular module from a small rectangle with two corners and pockets, thanks to which various configurations and designs are assembled. It will be interesting to learn how to assemble the simplest origami, where to start, how to do DIY crafts step by step.

How to assemble the module

A large rectangular piece of A-4 paper is folded in half several times until a small rectangle of the appropriate size remains. Then the sheet is cut along all the folds. Now there is painstaking work on folding from every small detailmodular corner. It is most convenient to do this by looking at the photo below, which shows the step-by-step execution of the work.

The workpiece is folded in half so that the fold is on top. Then its corners are connected together on the center line. The paper is flipped to the other side. Below you can see hanging strips of excess paper. Their outer corners are bent inward until they are attached to the even base of the triangular part. Then the remaining parts of the strips are folded up. It remains only to fold the part in half so that the open pockets are outside. This is the basic unit of modular origami. Having made several tens or hundreds of pieces for crafts, you can begin to improve your skills in composing figures of animals, birds, vegetables or flowers. First you need to learn how to fasten modules together, forming long elements, triangles or rings.

How to assemble a triangular part

Connect the modules as follows:

• put two parts with pockets up, the corners of the third are inserted inside the nearby holes of one and the other module, thereby fastening them together;
• the fourth part is applied to the first two and again fixed with the module of the second row.

When the required width of the strip is reached, lift it up in rows. To get a triangle, in each subsequent row, cuts are made on the sides of the modules. The extreme corners of the parts remain loose.

This part can be useda craftsman in the manufacture of flower petals or a bird's wing. Consider how you can create a slice of watermelon, knowing such an elementary technique for assembling modular origami.

Slice of watermelon

To work, you will need to make modules from green, white, black and red paper. They start making crafts with a green peel, collecting the first four rows of the desired length. From the third row, a decrease in the number of green details begins. Modules are no longer put on the extreme corners.

The fifth row lays out white elements, fastening them with red details. Do not forget to leave the extreme corners uncovered in each row, thereby reducing the number of modules and creating a triangular shape for modular origami.

After the second row of red parts, black "bones" are inserted. The arrangement can be any: both symmetrical and not. The top ends only in red. The work is simple, but bright and original.

Fish

It will be easy enough for beginners to make a modular triangular fish origami, as in the sample below in the article.

So that the lonely extreme corners do not stick out to the sides, a different technique for doing the work is used. We take 1 module and insert its corners into the extreme pockets of 2 and 3 elements. Inside there are unused edges. The third row is done in the same way. First, one module is put on the extreme triangles on both sides, then an additional module is put on the internal elements sticking up. Thus, they actuntil the required body size of the fish is reached. The side fins are made by fitting the parts one on top of the other, inserting both corners into the two pockets of the lower element. It remains to make the tail, acting in a similar way. A modular origami master class and a photo of the finished work will help you easily assemble the craft.

How to make circles

Often crafts require round coasters, and many figures of animals or birds have a similar configuration of parts, so you need to be able to make rings from modules. You are already familiar with connecting modules to each other in a straight line. To form a circle, a long strip is gently bent, and in the second row, the details of the extreme modules are combined with each other.

The circular lifting of the figure in height continues.

Modular origami "Flowers"

You can fix the material covered on this flower sample, where the technique of circular connection of modules and the triangular arrangement of parts are used. They start assembling from green modules, first increasing the width of the triangle, and then decreasing it. As a result, rhombuses are obtained. For a flower, you will need 6 such parts, which are applied with even edges to each other and are connected to each other by several modules. The base for the modular origami "Flowers" is ready.

Similar work is to be done with pink elements, only the assembled rhombuses are applied side by side and fill the triangular voids from below, creating a continuous canvas. When the bottomthe base has acquired a straight line, the craft is carefully placed on the end part and the sides are connected to each other. The resulting flower fits into the center of the green part.

The yellow core is assembled from several yellow rows and is simply inserted inward between the rose petals. The Modular Origami Workshop proves that making flowers is fun and easy.

Heart of modules

As an original gift for Valentine's Day, you can make a beautiful heart to your loved one. They use not only red or pink modules, crafts with the addition of a white stripe inside will look beautiful.

Modules are assembled according to the described method for triangular parts, however, only 3-4 thin rows are made to the left and right. From above, long strips are connected together with a downward bend. A small white-red heart is assembled separately and inserted inside the craft. They attach it with just a few elements at the top and bottom in the center.

Modular origami "Dog"

It is very easy to assemble such a small toy from black and white modules. You already know how to assemble circular parts from modules, we will not repeat.

The belly and muzzle of the animal are laid out with white elements, highlighting the area of the neck and between the eyes from above with a slight decrease. Triangles of ears are laid out on the upper flat platform from opposite sides. It remains to supplement the craft with eyes and a nose cut out of paper.

On samples inThe article presents options for the simplest modular origami for masters who are just starting to master this type of creativity. Do work with us and you will definitely succeed!