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Modular Origami

Modular Origami
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Make a stellated octahedron, a stellated icosahedron , or a simple cube using only paper.

Sorry for bad quality pictures!

Thanks to xavtek for the project cover.
 
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Step 1Materials

Materials
All you need is paper.

Make sure you have several square pieces of the same size. If you are gonna make the cube, you need 6 pieces. For the octahedron, you need 12, and 30 for the icosahedron.

Also make sure you have a lot of patience and free time.
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70 comments
1-40 of 70next »
Oct 9, 2011. 8:32 PMandiesasser says:
I have done 5 times smaller size on the modular. it took forever to fold and put it together, but I lost it in the move. It was fun to do.
Aug 27, 2011. 11:25 AMPuzzleJenn says:
I love using Christmas cards (buy a bunch of boxes the day after Christmas for really cheap), cut the picture out in squares, make the units, make the 8 unit stellated octahedron, put a string on it and hang it on your Christmas tree.

I bet these would be awesome folded in tracing paper as shown above, and pushed over the Christmas tree lights.... :)
Aug 24, 2011. 9:12 PMjoel263 says:
i cant see shir
Dec 8, 2008. 4:44 PMjaredarm says:
I used a different module but it folds to the same size in the end. I made mine out of tracing paper and then put an LED in it! Thank you for the inspiration. This instructable got me interested in finding out more and then making one. :D
Feb 18, 2011. 8:49 AMyvettedq says:
yeah really? it sure looks very polished...
Mar 19, 2009. 4:31 PMprincessbunnyrooroo says:
ohhhhh I love the LED inside idea.
Dec 16, 2010. 9:09 PMdragon0305 says:
Everyone i know how to make this so if you have any quetions ask me
Jan 25, 2011. 11:18 AMRunnynose12 says:
can you use notebook paper if i were 2 cut them all the same size???
Jan 25, 2011. 7:09 PMdragon0305 says:
The paper has to be square
Nov 15, 2008. 10:03 AMBlue Mist says:
So sweet i used 16 instead of 12 but i couldnt do it and i got this it rules i may even post an instructable about it
Jan 25, 2011. 11:45 AMRunnynose12 says:
nice job looks like a book lol
Dec 18, 2010. 8:25 AMHALOPLAYER101 says:
Where can u buy origami pieces of paper?
Sep 4, 2010. 3:43 PMkog103 says:
I've been making these for a good while now, and they are oh so much fun to do. 90 unit Dodecahedral especially. Just thought I'd post saying that your instructions are really good, and are a good way to help people get into it. Here's a Icosahedral I made today actually
Jul 16, 2010. 6:25 PMgertth says:
too hard to understand, make a video
Apr 6, 2009. 5:51 AMMasterOfNone says:
Nice job on your Instructable. A slightly different module, along with video instructions, may be found http://www.danallan.com/2009/01/. I like the module at the linked site better because it locks together (unless I messed up following your instructions).
Feb 1, 2010. 4:17 PMorigamianything says:
umm, it looks like this one wont, but you just have to find the right pocket. the other one is locking because u see the pocket. that's ur problem.
Jun 20, 2009. 10:32 PMBraisedDuck says:
There is also the 270-unit Buckyball, 210-unit Snub Dodecahedron and 135-unit Wreath of Cuboctahedra, 150-unit Snub Dodecahedron; 180 and 120-unit Rhombicosidodecahedra, 120-unit Icosidodecahedra, 90-unit Dodecahedra, 84-unit Truncated Octahedra, 60-unit Snub Cube, 60-unit Icosidodecahedron, 48-unit Rhombicuboctahedron, 48-unit Cuboctahedron, 42-unit Truncated Hexahedron, and finally, the 30 unit Icosahedron. And they are ALL made from the same module.
Dec 27, 2009. 7:50 PMBen The Builder says:
 You can also take 3 and make a hexahedron, it's like a smashed square type pyramid
Nov 14, 2009. 2:38 PMorigamianything says:
Hey. You can make an even BIGGER (yes, i said bigger) ball with about 270 pieces of paper. A.K.A. the epcot ball. The one that's like a buckyball, with 12 pentagons and lots of hexagons. try making it by putting together a pentagon, then surround it with 2 lines of hexagons and add s'more pentagons. be careful though, because if it's put together wrong, it won't close up.
Jul 16, 2008. 5:18 PMawsome_guy27 says:
Your Instructable is amasing. I love origami, but I do think you could have been a little bit more specific in step three on how to finish it. I would tell you how to put notes on if I could but I just joined and don't know how either.
Jul 18, 2009. 12:10 AMben_da_builder says:
yer i no wat u mean it says to clik n drag on the pic but it doesnt work.... : ( any way i have a programe with origami in it and this specific design is in it and i cant find all the steps so it doesnt make sense to me so thankyou for completing the steps for me... :D
Apr 15, 2009. 1:03 PMpskim333 says:
I used this module for the basis of my final project (in architecture school). Ultimately it was the "mistakes" that were made in previous comments that became the most useful models.
May 18, 2008. 9:04 AMurbosssez says:
sooo awesome! here are mine
Jun 22, 2008. 4:40 PMPixel_Master says:
Can someone please send me a video on how to put together those things in the post I replyed to? Cuz mine turned out to be more of a "Stelated and leaning to the left side Cylinder" than these. :(
Apr 6, 2009. 5:52 AMMasterOfNone says:
Check out this website for a video:
http://www.danallan.com/2009/01/.
Nov 13, 2008. 6:28 PMnightninja87 says:
one thing to remember is that the biggest one has five points and one hole between them all that helped me out i hope it helps you out too
Nov 14, 2008. 3:19 PMPixel_Master says:
Thanks!
Nov 14, 2008. 8:58 PMnightninja87 says:
your welcome put a picture up when your finsh so i could see it
Mar 21, 2009. 11:42 PMdeeifrost says:
I finally made it!!! thanks for this Instructable, I just finished my icosahedron. First I made the octahedron, but I didn't really like how it looks, so I went for something bigger. (and I'm glad of It, 'cause it's pretty cool) I also used different module, but the final shape is exactly the same, and you were right, there's no strategy for setting it up, it's just a matter of time and patience.
Nov 29, 2008. 8:13 PMceciliaa says:
nossa muito muito bom seu trabalho consegui fazer sem quebrar muito a cabeça so paciencia mesmo *-* valeu (y)
Nov 28, 2008. 2:32 PMfatking says:
lol i've made the boxes b4 and i made like 11 wif different sized paper and i put the smaller ones into the bigger ones... i would post a pic of all my boxes but i lost them ages ago and forgot how to make the boxes... thanx for this instructable =]
Oct 6, 2007. 4:33 PMjonathan111 says:
MINE
Aug 28, 2008. 3:32 PMknexsuperbuilderfreak says:
ive bult the boxes before
Feb 9, 2008. 10:22 AMUchihaFan123 says:
too hard 2 connect make a video
May 17, 2008. 5:58 AMbowow0807 says:
yes
Feb 24, 2008. 1:33 AMdarius3 says:
I like very much this kind of sonobe modul...3papers A4 and you can realise something really atracttive ...great job indeed!Thanks!
Feb 11, 2008. 3:44 PMUchihaFan123 says:
i olny know how 2 make da cube
Feb 9, 2008. 6:26 PMUchihaFan123 says:
da pics r 2 blurry
Feb 7, 2008. 5:18 PMunbentcrayfish says:
redo the pictures, they are hard to see what you realy did...
Jan 17, 2008. 6:32 PMkenny94 says:
I made a 30 unit stellated isoscahedron and an inverted 12 piece stellated octahedron
1-40 of 70next »

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