Introduction: Unit Origami
This is a really sweet type of origami that doesn't require the intricate folding that nobody can understand.
What you'll need:
12 sheets of origami paper
Step 1: Building
Now the first step making this type of origami is to make the first unit!
1. Start with a single piece of origami paper with the color side facing down and fold it in half.
2. Next, unfold that. Then bring up the paper edge to the crease just you made in step 1 and fold that down.
3. Rotate the paper 180 degrees and repeat step 2 with the paper edge.
4. Rotate that by 90 degrees so you're looking at something like a cupboard. Open the left side door of "the cabinet" and fold up the bottom right corner up to the crease of the opened left side.
5. Undo the right triangle you made in step 4 and close up the left side of the cabinet.
6. Then rotate this by 180 degrees and open up the new left side. Then repeat step four by folding up the right hand bottom corner up to the crease of the left door to the cabinet.
7. Now instead of undoing this fold as you did before, you want to simply close up the left door of the cabinet with the right triangle still folded up inside of it.
8. Now this is probable one of the hardest steps in making this type of origami so bear with me :) Start out by lifting up the top right hand corner's "door" as far as it will go without undoing the folds. Then take the whole top left hand corner and tuck it underneath the right top flap. You want to keep pushing it in until it forms a triangle, the same as the one perpendicular to it.
9. Now take the whole shape flip it upside down and proceed to fold the white corners down over the shape for form a parallelogram without any white showing on either side.
10. Fold up the 2 points of the shape to form a square.
11. Lastly you just want to fold the square diagonally in half, along the gap between the two points you folded down in step 10. You may fold them in either direction.
That wasn't to hard now was it? Now all you got to do is go make 11 more of these :D
1. Start with a single piece of origami paper with the color side facing down and fold it in half.
2. Next, unfold that. Then bring up the paper edge to the crease just you made in step 1 and fold that down.
3. Rotate the paper 180 degrees and repeat step 2 with the paper edge.
4. Rotate that by 90 degrees so you're looking at something like a cupboard. Open the left side door of "the cabinet" and fold up the bottom right corner up to the crease of the opened left side.
5. Undo the right triangle you made in step 4 and close up the left side of the cabinet.
6. Then rotate this by 180 degrees and open up the new left side. Then repeat step four by folding up the right hand bottom corner up to the crease of the left door to the cabinet.
7. Now instead of undoing this fold as you did before, you want to simply close up the left door of the cabinet with the right triangle still folded up inside of it.
8. Now this is probable one of the hardest steps in making this type of origami so bear with me :) Start out by lifting up the top right hand corner's "door" as far as it will go without undoing the folds. Then take the whole top left hand corner and tuck it underneath the right top flap. You want to keep pushing it in until it forms a triangle, the same as the one perpendicular to it.
9. Now take the whole shape flip it upside down and proceed to fold the white corners down over the shape for form a parallelogram without any white showing on either side.
10. Fold up the 2 points of the shape to form a square.
11. Lastly you just want to fold the square diagonally in half, along the gap between the two points you folded down in step 10. You may fold them in either direction.
That wasn't to hard now was it? Now all you got to do is go make 11 more of these :D
Step 2: Putting It Together
Now that you have 12 completed units, it is now time to put them together. You're almost done now!
Notice that there are points (the two triangles that hang off of the square in the center) and there are pockets (the 4 little slots on the other side of the square). As you probable guessed you are going to put the points into the pockets. But an important thing before you begin, don't use the two "pockets" that would cover up the point of that shape if a unit was inserted into one of them.
Try experimenting to make the shape. It is kind of like a puzzle. If you get stuck try making 4 pyramids by putting 3 units together to form a 3 sided pyramid-esk shape and then put them together. Experiment!
Notice that there are points (the two triangles that hang off of the square in the center) and there are pockets (the 4 little slots on the other side of the square). As you probable guessed you are going to put the points into the pockets. But an important thing before you begin, don't use the two "pockets" that would cover up the point of that shape if a unit was inserted into one of them.
Try experimenting to make the shape. It is kind of like a puzzle. If you get stuck try making 4 pyramids by putting 3 units together to form a 3 sided pyramid-esk shape and then put them together. Experiment!
Step 3: More on Unit Origami
Unit origami is wide open for experimentation. The shapes you can create by simply knowing the basic unit are endless, the sky is the limit!
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76 Comments
2 months ago
I know I'm about 12 years late to the whole thing here, but I found a professional explanation on how to make the units, and your explanation was a lot better. Thanks for making the whole thing a world less confusing for me!
Reply 7 weeks ago
So glad to hear it!
6 years ago on Introduction
During 7th grade, I found a cube made of these modules on the floor at school, reverse-engineered it and made a larger 4x4 version of it without even knowing what it was!
7 years ago on Introduction
Spent 6 hours... good thing it looks awesome :)
8 years ago
I did this in junior high math class. It was lots of fun once I got the hang of it, but I've forgotten how to do it, so thanks for reminding me of the steps!
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
For sure! I'd actually learned it in a middle school math class as well :)
9 years ago on Introduction
It does require irritating folds that I can't understand. HELP!!!
10 years ago on Introduction
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
IT'S SO AWESOME!
10 years ago on Introduction
omg it is so simple!
oh yeah, the video was a WHOLE LOT BETTER than the written instructions.
but
I like your work.
and omg mine turned out SO AWEMAZING!(THAT'S A CROSS BETWEEN AWESOME AND AMAZING)
11 years ago on Introduction
this is soooooo easy
13 years ago on Step 2
i cant get the pyramids together... help!
Reply 11 years ago on Step 2
Me nether!
Reply 12 years ago on Step 2
It takes A LOT of wiggling and bending lol.
Reply 12 years ago on Step 2
I managed it about a week after posting that comment, but it looks great thanks!
11 years ago on Step 3
can someone plz tell me how to make the 90 unit one//
11 years ago on Step 3
I did it and it looked awesome it is so cool thanks for making it mine looks like this.
Reply 11 years ago on Step 3
dude i have no clue how to do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
It may take sum practice with other origami folding before or in my case, an epiphany cuz I'm weird like that. Trying the lazy tertrahedragsomething at http://www.origami-resource-center.com/modular.html is a good place to start :3
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
dude if you want to start off with easy origami then ckeck out my page or go to http://www.origami-fun.com/index.html
Reply 11 years ago on Step 3
o come on its easy