Using only paper and your hands, create a unique piece of art that can be displayed on your desk, mantelpiece, window sill - you decide! No glue, no scissors; no mess.

The Japanese Brocade is a great piece of modular origami. Modular Origami is technically not true origami as it is made from several pieces of paper or modules. True origami is where the models are made from a single piece of square paper. In modular origami, the model is made from a number of smaller modules which are usually identical and made from one piece of paper. The models are often patterned after 3D geometric shapes called polyhedra.

This piece of modular origami is called the Japanese Brocade. Originally by Minako Ishibashi.

Step 1: Materials

6 square pieces of paper ( 2 squares each of 3 different colours)

Step 2: Folding

Begin by folding the square in half to establish a creased centre line. Fold upper and lower edges to meet this crease.

Step 3: Folding

Fold the right vertical edge up to lie along the upper edge and fold the left vertical edge down to lie along the lower edge, forming a parallelogram.

Unfold the paper completely.

Step 4: Folding

Fold all the four corners inwards so that one of their edges lies along the horizontal quarter crease that were made in Step 1.

Step 5: Folding

Fold in the upper and lower edges so that they lie along the horizontal quarter creases.

Step 6: Folding

Fold the lower right flap inwards to lie along the upper horizontal quarter crease.

Step 7: Folding

Peel back the inner vertical edge of the flap folded in step 6, while at the same time, folding up the lower edge.

Step 8: Folding

Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the upper left flap

Step 9: Folding

Pull out the lower border and tuck in the flap made in step 8

Step 10: Folding

Turn the model over and fold back both points. Then allow the flaps to unfold slightly so that they rest at right angles to the central square shape.

Step 11: Folding

Complete previous steps with the other pieces of paper to make 6 identical units in total.

Step 12: Assembly

First, Slide the point of a unit under the central section of another unit.

Then, Add a third unit and continue assembling the central cube piece by piece.

If you are folding with three different colours, units should be added so that the same colours are opposite each other

Step 13: Completion

Finally squeeze together the four flaps that appear on each of the cube's faces allowing them to project upward and form circular bands around the model.