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About site

This is non-comercial website about kusudamas, modular origrami and paper art. On our website you can find modular origami works of Lukasheva Ekaterina, origami diagrams & tutorials.

Author

How I started origami

As I was a pupil I knew origami only in a sense of folding paper airplanes. I knew only one model that flew well. When I was 14, I was very fond of gluing paper models of buildings in my school. One day, around 2001, our mathematics teacher brought us origami magazine, that contained kusudamas. With my friend we tried to fold some of the balls. There were mostly traditional ones. We folded few of them for a school contest and were granted some positive notes for geometry. I need to say here, that I had been a lazy pupil and I didn’t make my homework. These positive notes rescued me from total fail with geometry notes. Now I joke, it was the fact that has bound me with kusudamas tightly. It made a positive reflex.

The hard times came then. I had to enter the university, so I spent 2 years to learning mathematics and geometry for the entrance exams. After three years I was able to remember this hobby. It was the time, when I got an access to internet, so I could find more models to fold. I got to know Sonobe unit at that time. I was totally stunned by the models that require neither glue nor thread to hold together. I thought I would never be able to create something as genius as Sonobe unit.

I was born in the family of scientists, so from the cradle I got the feeling, that man must create something new. It’s a natural feeling for me. And I tried to make some “my own” things. Actually my own creations were rare, ugly and paper-consuming. And usually required glue. Origami had to compete with my other hobbies: drawing, photographing, modeling and computer strategy games (I’m a fan of Transport Tycoon and Civilization).

In 2008 I discovered my first glue-less unit. I talked to my chef and was playing with a note paper. An suddenly I understood that it can be turned to an origami module! It was simple and elegant! It was a breakthrough to me, cause I understood, that it was easy! So easy! This understanding guides me when I create new models. Indeed, it’s easy, when you have the right mood.

Interviews with me

Some funny facts about me

  • I was born in 1986 in Moscow, Russia
  • I always liked solving conundrums and playing with construction sets (the very bad thing about them is that you never have enough parts!)
  • My parents forbade me playing with puzzle and Tetris (they think it’s too silly). I first played these games when I was around 20 years old…
  • When I was a child, I liked to read the book “entertaining math”, architecture catalogs and art encyclopedias
  • I always dreamed to become an architect, but I became a mathematician. Is it the fate?
  • I graduated in 2008 with honors from Moscow state Lomonosov university as a mathematician an programmer
  • I had to marry the man, who designed the “kusudama.me” internet site ;-)
  • So I’m married
  • I grow cactuses and dream to move to some sunny warm region, so that my cactuses feel themselves better (and me too :). I envy the people who live in South America. They don’t have problems with growing cactuses! ;-)
  • From time to time I’m busy with: mountain skis, yoga, drawing, origami or lawn mower :)
  • I do not drink, smoke and I never tried drugs(except Coffee and Coca-Cola)

Developer

Site development by Boris Pavlovic boris@pavlovic.me

Terms of use

All content from this site: photographs, diagrams and text can be copied for personal use only. No commercial usage without special permission! If you want to use it commercial contact me: art@kusudama.me

 

Frequently asked questions

Q: I want to make a video-tutorial for your origami model. Is it ok?
A: Please, contact me first.

Q: Can I post your origami works in my blog / homepage / fb account?
A: You can post several photographs in your blog, but the link to kusudama.me is obligatory. And I am strongly against reposting my diagrams. You can always make the link to them.

Q: Can I remove the copyright signs from the pictures?
A: No. It’s prohibited by international copyright laws.

Q: Can I copy or print origami diagrams for educational purposes?
A: Yes, if it’s a non-commercial usage. For any commercial usage contact me first.

Q: Does this site include everything you have ever composed?
A: Not all actually. I try to update the site with my newest works, but it’s not easy to do it often. For the some of freshest models you can visit my flickr photostream.

Q: There’s a model on the site, which I want to fold, but there’s no diagrams. Is it possible to obtain instructions?
A: If there’s no diagram, that means that it either don’t exist or is offered for sale. If you want to buy the diagrams, please contact me.

Q: Can you make the diagrams for that pretty model? I want it soo…
A: Yes, if you want to pay me. To make all the diagrams that anybody ever asked me to make I should give my work up and draw all the time…

Q: May I link to the site?
A: Yes, of course.

Q: What should I do, if I want to publish these pictures or to use them commercially?
A: Contact me for the permission.

Q: Where can I learn more about origami and copyright policy?
A: Here are several useful articles on origami copyright.

 

Terms of use

All content from this site: photographs, diagrams and text can be copied for personal use only. No commercial usage without special permission! If you want to use it commercial contact me.

 

The kusudama is a paper model that I usually created by connecting multiple units together. The individual pieces may be glued, sewed or connected with themselves. The complete kusudama may be decorated with tassels, beads, feathers and anything you can imagine.

Kusudama originate from ancient Japanese culture, where they were used for incense like a talismans against evil. It's possible that they were originally the bunches of flowers and herbs. The word kusudama itself is a combination of two Japanese words kusuri, Medicine, and tama — Ball.

Nowadays kusudama has become a beautiful gift and an interesting hobby. For me kusudama is a shape to catch my inspiration. I adore ornamental things and they become even more expressive in a spherical forms and polyhedrons, because the sphere has no beginning and no end. Some kind of eternal origami ornament. Modular origami constructions open new possibilities for decoration that would be impossible in traditional single-sheet origami. Kusudamas are easy to fold and very impressive. Welcome to my kusudama world!

All models are rather simple if you follow the diagram. There are some international symbols in origami, that are used in diagrams.

http://kusudama.me/imgs_tutorial/HowTo/Instruction.png

Fish curler is a modular origami construction, that consists of twirled fish origami bases. It's a very simple and breathtaking construction. It has a dense middle and spiny twirls radiating from it. You can prepare 30 fish bases, curl them and assemble like shown on the picture. That is all! Engoy this easy kusudama!

/imgs_tutorial/Curler/Curler.jpg
/imgs_tutorial/Curler/Diagram.png

To obtain this exotic but very simple kusudama you will need 30 paper sheets with proportion 1:2. You can also take a different sheet proportion paper, but for the first time I'd recommend to take 1:2. Such papers can be achieved by cutting square note-papers. You also need the long stick for opening of the modules.

/imgs_tutorial/Merengue/Merengue.jpg

Even a novice in origami can fold this simple module: it's very simple. The only task is then to blow it. Try this action on a single unit to train it. For this action put the stick into the module and begin to open it. Then push with your finger to the center of the module. It deforms and blows! When you've trained this skill well, you can assemble 30 units to the kusudama. Assemble not puffed out modules. Only after the construction of icosahedron (it may look rather unpleasant on this step) puff the modules up. After blowing up it would become beautiful and lightweight. Enjoy!

/imgs_tutorial/Merengue/Diagram.png

You will need thread, a piece of paper, crochet hook and scissors

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_01.jpg

Take a piece of paper or a cardboard and start to spool the thread

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_02.jpg

You can use your own fingers instead of cardboard

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_03.jpg

As soon as you've spooled enough to make the tassel thick, cut the thread

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_04.jpg

You have a lot of spooled thread

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_05.jpg

Lock the hank with two or more knots

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_06.jpg
/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_07.jpg

You can make additional knots

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_08.jpg

Make the hank more tassel-like

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_09.jpg

Take the second thread and make a knot

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_10.jpg

You can make multiple knots

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_11.jpg

Spool the thread over the hank

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_12.jpg

You can change the direction and continue spooling

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_13.jpg

As soon as you finished spooling, take the crocket hook and hide the end of the thread underneath

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_14.jpg

Repeat if necessary

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_15.jpg
/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_16.jpg

Cut the lose end

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_17.jpg

Cut the lower loops and make the tassel regular

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_18.jpg

The tassel is complete!

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_19.jpg

Take a long needle

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_20.jpg
/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_21.jpg

Decorate the thread with beads and knots and pass it through your kusudama

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_22.jpg

Decorate the upper part of the thread and form the loop for hanging

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_23.jpg

Cut unused thread

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_24.jpg

Tassel-decorated kusudama is complete!

/imgs_tutorial/Tassel/Tassel_25.jpg