Origami Ball / Kusudama

You will need 30 pieces of paper: 15 of one color and 15 of another color

I’m going to use double sided paper for my ball. This means there is color on both sides of the paper. Usually one side has color/design and the other is white.

I will do the directions in regular paper. Blue and Green.

Cut all pieces in half.

You should now have 30 pieces of one color and 30 pieces of the other.

Start with one piece of paper. This will be the “flower petal.” Make sure you crease the paper really well.

Place paper colored side down.

Fold in half, per picture #1.

Unfold, per picture #2.

Take point at bottom right (A) and fold to center top (B). [Picture #1]

Take point at top left (A) and fold to center bottom (B). [Picture #2]

Your piece should look like a parallelogram. [Picture #3]

Now we are going to fold the larger triangle in half. Take the top right point (A) and fold to bottom center (B). [Picture #1]

Completed. [Picture #2]

This next part can be tricky, so take it slow. Open up your last fold to 90 degrees. You will see there is a little pocket. [Picture #1 and #2]

The top point needs to fold down to the center top, closing the pocket. It should make a square. Crease well. [Picture #2]

I usually put my finger inside the pocket, pushing down on the paper. This makes the paper open up. Then gently press down on the outside. You will see it forming a square. Make sure the top points are straight and crease.

More pictures in next step.

Here are more pictures from that last step. It can be challenging. Just take your time.

Take top layer and fold top point down to bottom of square. [Picture #1]

Unfold the fold you just made. Take the top right side of the paper. Fold diagonally with the edge along the center line. [Picture #2]

Fold down/over using the first fold. [Picture #3]

Now simply “close the book” taking the left point of the square back over to the right. [Picture #1 and #2]

Fold top point down to bottom, similar to previous step. [Picture #1]

Unfold.

Take top left side and fold down along middle line, similar to what we did before. [Picture #2]

Fold down/over like before. [Picture #3]

Take notice of the flap. [Picture #1]

Fold so it’s standing upright. [Picture #1]

You are going to stick your finger in the pocket again to open the pocket and kinda squash the front down. [Picture #2]

Make sure it stays centered. You can see the fold line in the back paper. Make sure the point you just made is lined up with that. [Picture #3]

Do the same on the other side.

I turn mine over so I’m working in a similar way as before. [Picture #1]

When you are finished it should look like this. [Picture #2]

I made one more without all the black marks for you to see. [Picture #3]

Now the easy part! This next piece is kinda like a “jacket” for the first piece.

Take your other piece of paper. Lay it color side down.

Fold in half and unfold — same as before. [Picture #1]

This time we are going to fold the top right corner down to the bottom middle. [Picture #2]

The other side — fold the bottom left corner to the top middle. [Picture #3]

Unfold both sides.

Let’s put on the “jacket.”

Take your first piece and lay it in the center of this piece, kinda at an angle along the fold lines. [Picture #1]

Simply tuck in the flaps. [Picture #2 and #3]

Place unit in front of you vertically. [Picture #1]

Fold the unit in half. [Picture #2]

Fold the top left point down to the lower right side, making a triangle. Make sure to also fold the little tab. [Picture #3]

Turn over and do the same to the other side.

Your first piece is finished!

Now make 29 more!!

Great Job – you’ve made 30 total units!

I made 3 in the green/blue color combo to show you how to assemble. [Picture #1]

I have also made 30 units in the black/red/pink combination (2 color paper) to finish the project. [Picture #2]

Let’s Assemble!

Take two of your units. Look at picture #1 to show you the pocket and the tab.

Take one of your units and place the tab into the pocket of the other one. [Picture #2]

Slide the rest of the way in.

We are going to finish the triangle shape by adding the third piece.

Lift up tab 1 and slide tab 2 into pocket 3. [Picture #1]

Finish the triangle by sliding tab 1 into pocket 5. [Picture #2]

Completed triangle. [Picture #3]

I am now going to continue with the black/red/pink units. [Picture #1]

You will notice this unit has 3 colors. The red piece has pink on the other side instead of white. This can make for a beautiful ball.

Continue adding units and making triangles. [Picture #1 and #2]

Notice the “petals.” There should be 5 for each “flower.” [Picture #3]

Keep going… you’re almost there. The ball will begin to form.

Here are some pictures while it’s progressing.

The last few pieces can be tricky – just take your time. Remember: triangle and 5 petals.

Completed!

Happy Folding!