Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Stellated Icosahedron

Modular origami is just right for me. You make many small pieces and then slip them together to make your shape (no tape - no glue). Give me a folding diagram for a panda and you'll get a very wrinkly piece of paper that is vaguely anthropomorphic and perhaps could be a panda, if pandas constantly tipped forwards to rest on their faces. But give me a simple Sonobe module to fold - have me fold thirty of them - and have me slip them together into a stellated icosahedron - and you get one neato ball of fun.

An icosahedron is a twenty sided polyhedron. Stellated refers to the pyramids that are on each of the twenty faces. It took me about a week to be able to say the word icosahedron without stuttering. Here is a great webpage that talks about them and how to make them. I didn't use his version of the module - the one I used was even simpler to fold.

It takes me almost an hour to make one of these. Perfect for lunch breaks where I want to unwind a little. I have four of these lovely polyhedra in black and blue that sit on either side of candles in our guest bathroom. Someday I would like to make a bazillion in big and little sizes and hang them from the ceiling over the bed. Four is a good start. :)
10 Comments leave a comment


Kuky said ...
Oooh how pretty. Now I want to make them. They remind me of little pastel folded stars my cousins used to keep in clear jars...so pretty.

March 02, 2006 2:06 AM
10/6/2006 11:38 PM

Anonymous said ...
Nice folding. We are curently doing those in class right now. I can be slight know-it-all because I've done it before.
2/3/2007 6:42 PM

Lu-Lu said ...
Woah! I'd love to know how to make one!
6/2/2008 3:27 AM

jessica said ...
beutiful!
which version did you use?
plese email me. thanks.
jessica,
jtanyu@aol.com
7/4/2008 10:10 AM

Linda Jeter said ...
Alice,
I have been to many blogs and this one is just fantastic,, especially this origami module... would you please send me the directions/instructions for the easy way like you made..
With five daughters, these would make great gifts for their friends and teachers and we would have great quality time together making these. I tried teaching them to take fabric and fold them origami style flowers.. they enjoyed making the flowers,, but takes so long, need an easy peasy project.
Please, Please, Please,
Linda J
VA

7/21/2009 6:48 AM

futuregirl said ...
Linda ... This is a great, easy project. Follow the link in the post to find instructions on making them. :)
7/21/2009 5:48 PM

Linda Jeter said ...
Hi Alice,
OK, I followed the link, now my next ? is,, is your's made out of paper or fabric... if paper where would I find the kind that you used. (senior/blonde moment here) if fabric it would need to be stiffened.
Thanks bunches for your help and timely responses,
Linda J
VA
7/23/2009 2:20 AM

futuregirl said ...
Linda ... Happy to help! Only paper would work. Thinner is better. Just cut it into squares. If you can find origami paper, that would be best. You can find that at any craft store or Chinatown. :)
7/23/2009 7:35 AM

Kai said ...
Heyy
So this is just fabulous, and am unfortunately really rushed for time.
The link you gave, and other similar posts on this polyhedron all involve the same method of folding.
I'm actually using images and that method ruins the point.
Could you show me what you used to achieve the simpler design you have where every triangle has only one... texture? Hard to explain, but I hope you understand.
Thank you!
3/8/2010 11:11 PM
 
futuregirl replied ...
Kai ... I will try to answer your question. :) Each point is made of three different folded pieces, so it's impossible to have each point made from a different style of paper. For the ones pictured above, I used blue printed paper and black paper and alternated what I used, but as you see, each point is part black and part blue.
3/8/2010 11:28 PM

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