Introduction: Origami Egg

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This instructable will teach you how to turn 96 triangles into an egg. Just to warn you, this instructable is very tedious and will take a lot of time, but its result will be very rewarding.

This model and instructions for creating it were first published in the book "3D Geometric Origami: Modular Polyhedra" Gurkewitz and Arnstein, Dover 1996. The module is by Lewis Simon, the model is by Rona Gurkewitz and Bennett Arnstein. These instructions are for personal use, permission: Rona Gurkewitz.

Step 1: Materials

Materials

  • 96 equilateral paper triangles!!! (for egg)
  • 12 triangles (for stand) (optional)

Tools:

  • Scissors (optional)l
  • Glue (optional but recommended)

Other:

  • Patience, and lots of it.
  • Time, at least 5 daysweeksmonthsyearsdecadescenturiesmillenia hours

Step 2: Getting the Triangles

Now, this may be the hardest part of this ible, getting 96 paper triangles but there are several options of doing so...

  • Buying a bunch of paper triangles
  • Printing/ Drawing out 96 paper triangles and cutting them out
  • Using this ible, though it will take a very long time.
  • Using a die cut (what I did)
  • Using a laser cutter (an option for those at HQ)
  • Some other random things that are impossible.

If you pick the second and third choices (which are the most convenient yet tedious) you have a very long way ahead of you. Once you are done getting the triangles go to the next step.

Step 3: Making the Units

The egg in this instructable requires 48 units that look like the ones below, the next few steps will show you how to make them. First, though, you have to divide the triangles up, one will be subunit A and the other will be subunit B.

Step 4: Subunit A

Subunit A is a triangular pyramid with the colored side out.

First, create mountain folds that go from each corner to the center of the opposite side. Just fold from corner to corner on all of the corners.

Then, push the centers of all of the sides in and try to get a pyramid shape.

Step 5: Subunit B

Now to make the second subunit, just make subunit A with white on the outside. Then lay it on the table and push down on the tip to invert it to make subunit B.

Step 6: Making the Unit

Now take subunit B and place it over subunit A and fold subunit B's corners under subunit A, make sure you tightly fold the corners over the edge of subunit A.

Now make all 48 of these units and then go to the next step.

Step 7: A Square

Start by making a square out of 4 of the units.

Step 8: One More Layer

Add one more unit to each of the corners of the square.

Step 9: Finish Off the Hexagons

Add one unit to each of the exposed branches (there are 8), then connect adjacent pieces to create 4 hexagons that match up with the sides of the square.

Step 10: Create Pentagons

Add some more units to the new exposed corners (8 again) and connect adjacent ones again to create 4 pentagons and some more exposed edges.

Step 11: Half Way There

So now you are halfway done with the egg. Think abouth how much you have done with this egg and decide is it worth it. If you say yes, you have two options.

  • Go back to step 7 and create another half egg and stick them together.

To connect two halves, just simply rotate one half 45 degrees and match up the branches.

  • Continue on through step 14

If you do that you will just continue on working up the egg.

The choice is yours.

Step 12: More Hexagons

Now just repeat what we have been doing the last few steps, just add units onto the exposed branches and link adjacent units, and this time it will make more hexagons.

Step 13: A Few More Hexagons

Add units to exposed branches again, more hexagons.

Step 14: The Last Few Pentagons

This is where things get harder. Now take 4 units and use them to cap the four pentagons. The next step will be the hardest in the building part of this ible.

Step 15: Cap It Off With Another Square.

This will be the hardest step and this is the reason why I gave you the option of making the two halves and them placing them together. In this step you can either make a square and then attach it to the top or add pieces to the top one by one. Your egg will most likely partially fall apart but do not worry it is easy to fix.

Step 16: The Finished Egg

Congratulations, you have finished the egg. Be proud, you have patience and determination. Now the question is, what to do with this egg? You could use glue when assembling the units and joining them together to make it more permanent and you could give it to someone you like or use it as a centerpiece at your table. You could also assemble many different shapes using this unit and make some sort of mobile that you could hang in your room. It could also be used as a Christmas ornament or if you make the pieces the right size, each side of the triangle is around 17/22 inches, you could make it so that a chicken egg could fit snugly inside it.

These next few steps are optional and are just additions to/ variations of the egg.

Step 17: Base

To make a base, simply take six units (12 triangles) and make a hexagon out of them. The exposed teeth will keep the egg from falling.

Step 18: My Challenge

My challenge for all of you who make this egg is to make this egg with six colors of paper with 16 triangles of each color and to make the egg so that no hexagon/pentagon/square has two of the same color in it. I challenge all of you to do this.

Also anyone who can make an egg will have their egg featured in this step.

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