Description by: Be My AI from Be My Eyes at bemyeyes.com
Text Instructions - Nishi Sakpal, Mumbai, India
Designer/Creator: Unknown/Traditional
Steps: 26
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Description and more information:
This star is assembled from 16 units folded from square paper.
All units start by folding the square or preliminary base.
The first eight units add only 3 steps to the Square Base, while eight more units are then folded into the Bird Base.
To assemble the star, what we will call a Smooth Square unit is inserted into a Bird Base unit and the units are then alternated to form a ring of 16 modules.
The result is a large, flat or 2D, complex-looking modular star that is not only beautiful, but holds together well with no glue and makes a beautiful decoration or display.
Paper to be used: Speciality origami paper or colored paper of a medium thickness is recommended.
You can use alternating colors if preferred, make your star from only one color or go to the other extreme and create a multi-colored star, as long as the squares you choose are all the same size.
Summary Explanation:
To help orient yourself, please read this section before starting to fold.
The folding of this star is divided into 4 phases:
Phase 1 will explain how to fold the Preliminary or Square Base (you will fold 16 units).
Phase 2 will show you how to fold a Smooth Square unit (you will need 8 of these units and they will form Group a).
Phase 3 will show you how to fold a Bird Base unit (you will need 8 of these units and they will form Group B).
Phase 4 will describe the assembly of the 16 units into the Diamond Star.
Try to focus on one phase of the folding sequence at a time. This will make things easier to follow and understand.
Instructions:
All folds should be made as valley folds.
Phase 1 - The Square or Preliminary Base
If you are using two-sided paper, make sure that the side you want for the outside of the star is facing down before you start to fold.
Step 1
To fold your first unit, place a square down so that it forms a diamond shape.
Step 2
Bring the left point over to meet the right point. Crease and unfold.
Step 3
Bring the top point down to meet the bottom point. Crease and unfold.
Step 4
Turn the square over and position it so that its edges are facing up and down, left and right.
Step 5
Bring the left edge over to meet the right edge. Crease and unfold.
Step 6
Bring the top edge down to meet the bottom edge. Crease and leave folded.
Step 7
Grasp the left and right points of the resulting rectangle, pick the model up from your folding surface and push inward. The model should collapse along the pre-existing folds.
The result will be a square or diamond-shaped model, with four flaps one each to the left and right, front and back.
Step 8
Fold the front flap to the left and fold the back flap to the right so that your model will lie flat. The model will have one open end.
This completes the first unit folded into the Square or Preliminary Base, the starting unit for this star.
Fold 15 more of these units and divide them into two groups of 8 units, which we will call Group A and Group B.
Phase 2 - Folding 8 Smooth Square units
Step 9
Take one of the units from Group A, as mentioned above, and position it so that the open end is pointing toward you.
Step 10
Bring the lower left edge of the model's top layer over to meet the vertical center crease. Leave folded.
Repeat with the lower right edge.
Step 11
Now flip the right folded flap over to the left so you have a smooth surface.
Step 12
Flip the entire unit over from left to right and repeat the previous 2 steps.
Your Smooth Square \base unit is completed. It will be a diamond-shaped unit with smooth surfaces on the outside and 4 folded flaps on the inside of the diamond.
Make 7 more of these units and set them aside.
Remember that these 8 Smooth Square units will form Group A.
Phase 3 - Folding 8 Bird Base units
Step 9
Take one of the units from Group B, as mentioned above, and position it so that the open end is pointing toward you.
Step 10
Bring the lower left edge of the model's top layer over to meet the vertical center crease. Leave folded.
Repeat with the lower right edge.
Step 11
Fold the top point down as far as it will go, so the triangular shape at the top of the diamond will cover the already-folded flaps beneath.
Make a strong horizontal crease along the top edge of the model.
Step 12
Unfold the top point and both the left and right triangular flaps.
Step 13
Pull the bottom point of the model (top layer only) up toward the top point. The top layer should collapse along the existing crease lines as you move upward and you should be able to take the bottom point up an over to lay flat on the work surface.
The result will be a long, skinny diamond shape sitting on top of the diamond-shaped bottom layer.
Step 14
Turn the model over from left to right.
Step 15
Repeat Steps 10 to 13 on the other side of the figure.
Your Bird Base unit is completed. It will be a long, skinny diamond shape that will now be cymmetrical and multi-layered.
Make 7 more of these units and set them aside.
Remember that these 8 Bird Base units will form Group B.
Phase 4 - Assembly
Explanation
Before moving on to assembly of your Diamond Star, make sure you have two groups of units: 8 units folded into a Smooth Square Base as Group A and another 8 units folded into the Bird Base, as Group B.
* Alternating units
You will be alternating units from the two groups, meaning that you will start with a unit from Group A, connect it to a nunit of Group B, then take a second unit from Group A and repeat this sequence until you have connected all 16 units into a closed star shape.
* The Smooth Square unit
Although the unit is smooth on the outside, the flaps you will use for the assembly of this star is on the inside of the module.
To find them, place the unit with its open end facing away from you and notice that the module is divided by a vertical line running from the top to the bottom.
If you lift one of the side points gently, you will notice that one side of each unit is divided into 4 triangular parts. ,
The flap facing the ceiling, a flap behind the first, another just beneath, and a fourth flap that is facing the table
If we imagine these flaps to be numbered from A to D, we will be using the two flaps on the inside, namely B and C, and just to help us identify them clearly when assembling our star, we will call them the wide flaps.
* The Bird Base unit
Notice that the Bird Base unit is a long, skinny shape with a vertical opening dividing the figure in half with what could be called long, narrow pockets that have formed on the back and front of the module.
These pockets will accept the flaps of the Smooth Square units in order to assemble your star.
One of the ends of the Bird Base seems to be floppy due to the fact that the long points can move freely and independently. We will call these points the legs. You will be placing down your Bird Base units with the legs facing away from you. They will form the long, outer points of your star.
Step 16
Place your first Bird Base unit flat with the legs facing left and locate the two long, narrow pockets just mentioned. They will be horizontal at this point. You should be able to gently lift them up or away from your folding surface.
Step 17
Now, place your first Smooth Square Base unit just above the Bird Base unit or furthest away from you. It should also lay flat on your folding surface with its open point to the left.
Step 18
Bring the two units together with the Smooth Square unit overlapping the Bird Base unit slightly. You are aiming to insert the inside flap of the Smooth Square unit into the nearest pocket of the Bird Base unit.
To do this, you will need to lift the top layer of the Smooth Square unit in order to locate Flap B, which should be unfolded and tucked inside the nearest pocket of the Bird Base unit.
You might have to move the units a little so that their right ends align. This means that the Bird Base unit will be a longer shape, sticking out to the left at this point.
Step 19
You have now made your first connection, but this takes care of only one side of your star.
Flip the two units gently from left to right so that you can now work on the back of the units.
Step 20
Repeat tucking in the Smooth Square unit's flap into the pocket of the Bird Base unit in the same way you did previously.
Step 21
Make sure the flap is tucked in securely and the Bird Base pressed nice and flat, before turning your figure over from right to left again.
Step 22
It is now time to connect a second Smooth Square unit to the first Bird Base unit.
This time, you will place the Smooth Square unit nearest you and open its top layer to locate Flap B, unfold it a little and tuck it into the remaining pocket of the first Bird Base unit.
Step 23
Flip the figure with the three connected units over once again, completing the connection on the back side.
Step 24
Flip to the front again and notice that your first Bird Base unit now is flanked by two Smooth Square units. The Bird Base unit has four pockets altogether, two on the front and two on the back.
Step 25
Now, continue adding units, alternating from units in Group A and B, each time taking care to connect the units on both the front and back of the modular figure.
You can either work with the units nearest you, or adding them at a point furthest away from you. The outcome will be the same, namely that a circular shape should start to form as new units are added.
Once the first two or three units are connected, you can gently move the star in order to make it easier to insert the new units.
Make sure that you insert the units from Group A and B so they all come together at the center of the star. They should be pulled in a tight circle as you tuck in the flaps into the pockets and press the folds flat.
You will notice the Bird Base units extending past the Smooth Square units, forming the points of the star.
Step 26
To complete the star, attach the last two units together exactly as you did with the first two.
Do a final check on both sides of the star to make sure you have all the units added and inserted properly.
If all went well, you will have a beautiful origami creation that should stay together with no glu. ... The Diamond Star!
Making origami accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired.
for non-commercial use only.
Compiled by Nishi Sakpal and Lindy van der Merwe, June 2023
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