Some of my earlier well-known origami like WXYZ and Blintz Icosidodecahedron belong to the genre of planar modular origami. These were inspired by work by earlier folders like Robert Neale‘s Skeletal Octahedron (mid 1960s), ED Sullivan‘s XYZ (1976) and Philip Shen‘s Omega Star (1976). Meenakshi Mukerji (2003) observed that one family of planar modular origami […]
This is adapted from an article published in British Origami, 352, June 2025. I recently came across “Toy Fights: A Boyhood” (Faber, 2023), a memoir by Don Paterson (1), and was drawn to its chapter on his adolescent obsession with origami, “Donald Is Seeking Fellow Paper-Folders”: The day before the British Origami Society newsletter turned […]
Star 8 Octad is a simple modular origami model made from eight units: only four folds used on each unit and two for assembly. Diagrams are here: Star 8 Octad Changing the angles used, the number of units and the proportion of the paper creates different versions of this model. This Geogebra construction shows some […]
One of the joys of life is finding things by accident. Planning is wise but so too is being open to the possibilities that happen by chance. So on a trip to Barcelona I was surprised to see a large sculpture of two parajitas on the way to my accommodation. I was not in Huesca, so why were these pajaritas here?
Text and diagram instructions are at https://archive.bridgesmathart.org/2024/bridges2024-553.pdf and a video tutorial is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVQRYI-qCSs Here are some extra tips for success Make sure all units have the same orientation, i.e. do not mix left- and right-handed modules Keep adding units the same assembly, i.e. do not make and join separate subassemblies As you make you […]
Updated versions of these notes are at https://www.foldworks.net/mathsconf33 Session description: Folding paper is an accessible entry to many aspects of mathematics. In this practical workshop, we’ll explore fractions, angles, symmetry and proof. Here are some of the ideas that we might explore: Proof of the angle sum of a triangle by folding and the area […]
Introduction A good overview of the origins of modular origami is at The Public Paperfolding History Project: Modular Origami: http://www.origamiheaven.com/historyofmodularorigami.htm The same site also has the Modular Origami Design Encyclopaedia. Origami to make Here is a selection of modular origami to make. How could you develop your own ideas from these? Curler Unit by Herman […]
Recent advances in AI (artificial intelligence) systems have made them more powerful than previous systems. “Text-to-image” AI can convert a text prompt like “origami elephant” into a picture within a few minutes. Current systems include Midjourney, DALL-E, Craiyon and Stable Diffusion. The Good The elephant in the picture did not existed before: the creation is […]
Origami and Mathematics As well being a delightful and enjoyable activity, paperfolding has a world of mathematics hiding inside the folds. This masterclass will give you a taste of why origami has captivated mathematicians, scientists and engineers at all levels as well as artists, magicians and educators. Starter activity A square is divided into a […]
Here are links to instructions for some of the origami models for the session. Hexagonal Envelope http://www.origamiheaven.com/historyofthehexagonalsachet.htm Modular Origami Stars If you are a beginner, start with Star 4 first which has detailed assembly instructions. All of these stars use A paper except Octagram Wreath which use 1:2 rectangles. They make large stars from the […]