1) Modular and non-modular origami -- what's the difference?
 
In traditional origami, an object is created by folding a single sheet of paper. This approach is also called non-modular origami. A well-known example of non-modular origami is the Traditional Japanese Crane, shown at right.
 
In modular origami (also called unit origami), an object is created by assembling two or more modules (or units). The multiple units are then joined together cleverly without tape or glue, usually by inserting a tab-like part of one unit into a pocket-like part of another.
 
All of the kusudama and wreaths featured on this site, and most of the other items, are modular. However, you will also find a few non-modular items, such as chopstick wrappers and bird ornaments.
 
A modular project may entail a large number of units or only a few. For example, most of the kusudama featured on this site were assembled from 30 units. However, some kusudama required only 12, 18, or 24 units.
 

Most of the wreaths featured on this site required between 8 and 18 units. The modular stars required between 4 and 8 units.
 
The modular approach to origami greatly expands the creative possibilities of this hobby, since several different types of paper can be combined in one item. Basic units can be tweaked slightly to produce new styles, or they can be assembled in a different manner to produce new shapes.
 
The eight-pointed Robin Star shown at left, which was designed by Maria Sinayskaya, is a good example of how paper sheets with different colors and patterns can be combined when using the modular approach.
 
For an example of how the same basic unit can be used to make different shapes, compare these two hanging ornaments:
the Triangle Edge Tetrahedron and the Triangle Edge Octahedron. Both are assembled from the Triangle Edge Module, designed by Lewis Simon and Bennett Arnstein.

A literal translation of the Japanese word kusudama is "medicine ball." In ancient Japanese culture, kusudama contained herbs or other plants thought to have health-giving properties. They might also be filled with incense or potpourri. In more recent times, kusudama have become very popular as holiday decorations and gifts.
 
Sometimes you may see kusudama referred to as flower balls, floral globes, or decorative polyhedra. By any name, they are beautiful to look at, fascinating to study, and challenging to construct.
 
Kusudama are made by folding multiple sheets of paper into stylized flowers or other attractive components (units) and then joining those together in some manner to create a three-dimensional model.
 

The older, traditional way of assembling a kusudama is still practiced by many crafters today. It involves sewing the units together so that they form a spherical shape -- often with a tassel hanging from the bottom. Some crafters prefer to use glue instead of sewing.
 
An example of a sewn-together kusudama is the Aurora Kusudama shown at left, made from a kit.
 
A more modern approach to creating kusudama involves using modular origami techniques for joining the units together without sewing or glue. An example is shown at right. Designed by Ekaterina Lukasheva, this lovely kusudama is called Passiflora Delicata.
 
It was assembled from 30 units, with each unit having a tab-like part and a pocket-like part. The finished structure resulted from inserting tabs into pockets according to a specific plan.
 

A few of the kusudama shown on this site have been sewn together, but most were made using modular origami techniques. Occasionally, a little glue has been used to strengthen an otherwise fragile kusudama, but the vast majority were made without any glue, tape, or other adhesives.

In the 1960's, Mitsunobu Sonobe created a design for an origami unit which could be connected with other units of the same type in order to assemble a variety of three-dimensional shapes. His new unit became known as a Sonobe Unit and shapes constructed with it were often called Sonobes.
 
Since then, many other origami designers have created variations on the basic Sonobe Unit and its use has become widespread in the origami world.
 
Maria Sinayskaya's Imperial Rose Sonobe, shown at right, is a good example of how the simple Sonobe unit can be tweaked to produce an elaborate ornament.
 
This web site includes many 12-unit and 30-unit Sonobes. They have been grouped together with other types of floral globes and decorative polyhedra, all under the general title of Kusudama.

Sometimes each module (unit) for a kusudama is made by combining two components: a face and a base. One small sheet of paper is folded to create a base and another sheet is folded to create a face. After the face is inserted into the base, there may be additional folds required to complete the unit.
 
This technique allows for the use of two different types of paper in each unit, greatly expanding the variety of patterns and color combinations which can be achieved in the finished model.
 
The 30-unit Chrysanthemums kusudama at left, designed by Tomoko Fuse, is a good example. The face component of each unit was made from Yuzen Chiyogami Washi with a traditional pattern, while the base component was made from solid color craft paper.
 
Tomoko Fuse has designed a huge variety of beautiful kusudama using the face-and-base approach. This site features 20+ different Fuse models of that type.

 
5) What is an origami polyhedron?
 
In geometry, a polyhedron (plural = polyhedra) is a three-dimensional shape with flat polygonal faces, straight edges, and sharp corners or vertices. Polygonal faces include faces shaped like triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, and octagons.
 
The most familiar of all the polyhedra is the simple cube with its six square faces. Other polyhedra are more complex and less familiar: the tetrahedron, octahedron, cuboctadedron, icosahedron, and dodecahedron. Some polyhedra are extremely complex and even less familiar: the icosidodecahedron, rhombicuboctahedron, and rhombicosidodecahredron.

Origami Polyhedron: Icosahedron

Modern origami masters have created hundreds of different designs for turning flat sheets of paper into all of these three-dimensional shapes. The beautiful 30-unit Patterned Icosahedron shown at left, designed by Meenakshi Mukerji, is a good example.
 
Most of the kusudama and sonobe models featured on this web site were assembled with icosahedral symmetry, but you will also find quite a few models where the underlying geometry is different.
 
Appreciating the beauty of an origami polyhedron does not require a deep understanding of geometry. However, knowing a bit more about geometry will lead to a greater appreciation of the origami designer's ingenuity and the folder's skill/patience.
 
Use this link to learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyhedron*

Clicking on the image for any origami item featured on this site will provide you with many details about that item, including the name of the individual who originally designed the origami model. In most cases, you will also see information about where Teresa found the design -- a book or kit, a PDF on the web, or a video on the web.
 
Most of the kusudama shown on this site were designed by Tomoko Fuse, Maria Sinayskaya, Meenakshi Mukerji, Ekaterina Lukasheva, and Masha Athanasiadi. Diagrams and instructions can be found in these books/kits:

• Floral Origami Globes by Tomoko Fuse (Japan Publications Trading Co., Ltd., 2017)
• Zen Origami: 20 Modular Forms for Meditation and Calm by Maria Sinayskaya (Race Point Publishing, 2016) - kit including paper
• Ornamental Origami: Exploring 3D Geometric Designs by Meenakshi Mukerji (A K Peters, Ltd., 2009)
• Exquisite Modular Origami by Meenakshi Mukerji (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011)
• Kusudama Origami by Ekaterina Lukasheva (Dover Publications, Inc., 2014)
• Floral Origami by Ekaterina Lukasheva (New Origami Publishing, 2018)
• Kusudama Bouquet: Book 1 by Masha Athanasiadi (Smartframes Audiovisuals Limited, 2018)
• Kusudama Bouquet: Book 4 by Masha Athanasiadi (Smartframes Audiovisuals Limited, 2018)

 
Some of the kusudama on this site were made from designs by Bennett Arnstein and Rona Gurkewitz, Krystyna Burczyk, Enrica Dray, El*ke, Faye E. Goldman, Kankichi, Miyuki Kawamura, Toshikazu Kawasaki, Isa Klein, Silvana Betti Mamino, Valentina Minayeva, David Mitchell, Yoshihide Momotani, Nobuko Okabe, Christine Pape and Till Dursch, Anzhelika Pas'ko, Lew Rozelle, Katrin and Yuri Shumakov, Sansanee Termtanasombat (PrwOrigami), Herman Van Goubergen, and David Martinez Venezolano.

By clicking on the image of any item displayed on this site, you can access detailed information about the type of paper used to make that particular item. In most cases, you will also find a link to an online source for that paper. (Note our External Links Disclaimer)
 
Kami and Duo Kami, Japanese washi (kozo) and momigami, foil, TANT, rice paper, Nepalese lokta and other mulberry papers, craft paper, letterpress paper, scrapbooking paper, gift wrap, money, old calendars -- Teresa has folded them all!  Double-sided paper has almost always been used for those origami models which reveal both sides of the paper.
 
The quality of the paper used ranges from inexpensive machine-made origami paper, purchased in value packs from craft stores, to expensive sheets of silk-screened Yuzen Chiyogami Washi, imported from Japan and ordered online from specialty paper sellers.
 
For an excellent but quick guide to different types of origami paper, visit: https://origami.me/paper/*
 
For a more detailed discussion of paper used in origami, read this article by Robert J. Lang: https://langorigami.com/article/paper/* You will also find more links to articles/guides about paper on our General Links Page*

Often an origami designer will recommend a specific sheet size in his or her instructions, but it may be possible to use smaller or larger sheets of paper, thus changing the dimensions of the finished model, as shown in the image at left.
 
The sheet sizes used here, moving left to right, were: 15.2 cm (6 in), 12 cm (about 4 3/4 in), 10 cm (about 4 in), and 7.6 cm (3 in).
 
Experimenting with different sheet sizes can be fun. However, when a rectangular sheet is required, be careful to maintain the specified height-width ratio.
 
For example, if a 6 cm by 12 cm rectangle is specified, the ratio is 1:2. You could safely use a 5 cm by 10 cm sheet or a 7.5 cm by 15 cm sheet.

 
11) What did Teresa do with all these kusudama, ornaments, and accesssories? Where did they end up?
 
Some of the items shown on this site were given to Teresa's relatives and friends as gifts. Some are still being used in her home, especially at the holidays.
 
The vast majority of Teresa's kusudama, ornaments, and accessories were sold at small craft fairs to raise funds for non-profit organizations. Some of the groups to which Teresa has donated her fundraiser proceeds include:

• All Hands and Hearts (For victims of Hurricane Michael in FL)
• Rebuild 850 (Post-hurricane assistance in FL)
• Fund for Victims and Families (Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Parkland, FL)
• Sebring Strong Survivors' Fund (SunTrust Bank shooting, Sebring, FL)
• Peace River K-9 Search and Rescue (FL non-profit)
• Support Surfside (For victims of tower collapse in FL)

Back to Top
 

Teresa enjoys using her skills to fold and assemble many different types of origami models.
 
She especially likes to make boxes, bowls, and other containers -- both modular and non-modular -- in every size, shape, color, and design imaginable. To share this aspect of her origami hobby, Teresa has created a web site which currently features over 1,700 items!
 
Click here to see Teresa's origami boxes, bowls, and other containers

 
13) Has Teresa ever won any awards for her origami?
 
Teresa frequently exhibits her origami items at the Charlotte County Fair in Florida. She has earned numerous Blue Ribbons, as well as a Best in Show Ribbon.
 
Click here for more details about awards

Back to Top
 

 
14) Does Teresa ever teach any origami classes?
 
Teresa has taught beginner-level origami workshops at The Cultural Center in Port Charlotte, FL.
 
Unfortunately, The Cultural Center ceased operations and closed all of its facilities in late 2021 (learn more about that here*)
 
Teresa has recently started teaching a beginner-level origami class at the North Port Public Library in North Port, FL. Click here to learn more or register*