Designer/Creator: Lindy van der Merwe/Unknown/Traditional
Text-Only Instructions - Copyright 2025 by Lindy van der Merwe
accessorigami.com
With thankful acknowledgement to Annette Carr for folding and feedback.
If you are aware of any other source where this model or similar might be listed, please let me know so I can reference it under this heading.
Dedication: This flower is for a friend.
Origami has brightened our world with fragrant flowers that always bloom and stars that shine beyond this finite time and space.
Paper to be used: 8 Squares; speciality origami paper or colored paper of a medium thickness is recommended.
Folding level: Easy/Intermediate
Steps: 27
Description and more information:
This flower is assembled from 8 units that are all folded in a similar way.
The model is a fairly large, flat or 2D modular flower with eight petals. On one side, the model features large petals that seem to swirl in a diagonal pattern, while the back of the flower has a relatively plain, smooth surface.
The flower holds together well with no glue and can make a nice decoration or display.
You can use alternating colors if preferred, make your flower from only one color or go to the other extreme and create a multi-colored flower, as long as the squares you choose are all the same size.
Remarks:
Flowers are always beautiful to fold for many different occasions, or just for fun throughout the year.
Use bright colors to make table decorations like placemats or coasters, garlands or wall displays.
Use on cards or as decorations on gifts.
Make as a project with children and decorate with glitter, sequence or any other embellishments if preferred.
For any questions, comments or suggestions, please email accessorigami@gmail.com
Note that, in the instructions below, the correct positioning of the model during the folding process is very important, so take extra care to orient your paper correctly for each step.
Phase 1 - Folding the module
NOTE: This model starts from the Waterbomb or Balloon Base.
If you are able to achieve this without instructions, fold the base, then go to Step 9.
You can also learn about the Waterbomb and other origami bases at the following link:
Most-Used Bases in Origami
Step 1
Position a square of paper on your work surface so that its edges are facing up and down, left and right.
Step 2
Bring the left edge over to meet the right edge. Crease and unfold.
Step 3
Bring the top edge down to meet the bottom edge. Crease and unfold.
Step 4
Turn the paper over and position the square so that its points are facing up and down, left and right.
Step 5
Bring the left point over to meet the right point. Crease and unfold.
Step 6
Bring the top point down to meet the bottom point. Crease and leave folded.
Step 7
Grasp the resulting triangle at its left and right sides and push inward. The folds you made previously should allow the model to collapse into a triangular shape with one folded flap sticking out towards the front of the model and one sticking out towards the 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, which will be facing you.
Step 9
Rotate the model sideways, so that its closed point is to the left with 2 of its flaps pointing up and 2 down.
Consider that the Waterbomb Base will have 2 wings that will be touching the table. We will not be folding these wings. They will be used during the assembly.
We will only be folding the two wings that are facing the ceiling.
Step 10
Working with the wing or flap nearest you, fold it upwards and to the right, so the left, closed edge meets the horizontal center of the model.
Starting at the left, closed point, make a nice, even crease to form a long, skinny triangle that will extend beyond the right edge of the shape.
Unfold.
Step 11
Using the crease you have just created, take the same point and, using a mountain fold, tuck it under, away from you and to the right.
Press flat.
The closed edge of the flap nearest us will now be hidden within the layers of the paper, while a small triangle will poke out beyond the long, right edge of the shape.
Step 12
Now, working with the wing or flap furthest away from us, take its top point and fold it downwards and to the left, so the right,open edge meets the horizontal center of the model.
Make a crease and then unfold.
Step 13
Now, using the crease you have just created, take the same point and, using a mountain fold, tuck it away from you and to the left, so the point is hidden.
Press flat.
The flap furthest away from you will be folded in half, lying with its point facing away from you.
Result: The central part of your model will now have been formed into an irregular, four-sided shape with a smooth surface that is lying on top of the unfolded wings of the Waterbomb Base. There will also still be a small two-layered triangle, extending beyond the raw edges on the right side of the overall triangular shape.
Step 14
Rotate the figure so its closed point is nearest you. The small triangle will now be poking out above the long, top edge of the triangular unit.
Your unit is finished. You can set it aside as is or for extra neatness, place it under a heavy book.
Phase 2 - Folding more modules.
Make 7 more of these units.
Explanation
Before moving on to assembly of your flower, make sure you have 8 modules that are all folded in the same way.
With the closed point of the unit nearest you, note the following for each unit:
- The center of the unit is made up of an irregular four-sided structure with sides that are, more or less, diagonal.
- Behind this structure, there are two large triangles, like wings, one on the left and one on the right.
- The small triangle mentioned earlier will now be poking out from the top, long edge of the shape.
- To do our assembly, we will be using the left and right wings and the small, lone triangle just mentioned.
- Don't worry, it will make sense once you start doing the assembly.
Phase 3 - Assembly
Step 15
Make sure your first unit is placed with its closed point facing you and the folded four-sided shape is facing up.
Step 16
Orient your second unit in exactly the same way and place it just to the right of unit 1.
Joining
Step 17
Now, gently open the right side of unit 1 by lifting the right triangular section of the irregular shape on Unit 1.
At the same time, also open the left side of unit 2, by lifting the left triangular section of the irregular shape on Unit 2.
Once unit 1 is opened in this way, we can think of it as having two layers now, that are forming a pocket. You would like for the large left wing of unit 2 to slide in between the two layers of unit 1.
Step 18
So, slide the wing of unit 2 to the left all the way, until it is stopped by unit 1.
The folded edge of the left wing of Unit 2 will end up against the center vertical crease of Unit 1 underneath the tall skinny triangle.
Ensure that the bottom points of the units meet nearest you.
Furthest away, the small triangle that extends from Unit 1 and the tip of the left wing of unit 2 will also meet. You can confirm this by checking the outer edge of the assembly. Where the units join, these two small triangular points will line up perfectly on top of each other
Make sure that, when you press the overlapping layers of the units flat again, you first return the top layer of unit 1, followed by the top layer of unit 2.
The units are joined now, with unit 2 partly covering the right side of unit 1.
Make sure you always join your units in this way.
Locking
Step 19
Explanation
For the following steps, make sure to hold down and anchor the units at their closed points, which will be nearest you.
This will ensure that you form a neat, tight, closed circle as you add units to your assembly.
If you investigate the edge of the figure furthest away from you, you will notice there seems to be various triangular points and many layers of paper.
You don't have to worry about them all. For locking the units together, we are only working with the 3 small points that protrude above the outer or top edge of the assembly.
Starting on the left, the first triangles we will encounter are the two points mentioned in Step 19 above.
Since these two triangles are lined up, one behind the other, we will treat them as one for doing our assembly.
If we move to the right, there are two more triangles just next to each other. We will fold the left one only, leaving the right one for adding to a new unit.
Step 20
So, holding the two small top triangles on the left together as one, fold them away from you and tuck them over the single-layered edge so they disappear into the large pocket just behind them.
Check that you fold down these small points neatly, making strong creases once they are tucked down.
Step 21
Move to the right to find the first point you encounter. Fold this point towards you over the single-layered edge just in front of it and tuck it inside the layers of the assembly. It should not be visible from the front.
It will be helpful to fold the point just to the right toward you and out of the way. This will give you space to tuck the point on the left in properly.
You can now check your units by gently trying to pull them apart. If they have been joined and locked, they will not move.
Step 22
Turn the assembly of the 2 units slightly to the left, so you have unit 2 positioned in front of you, ready to add unit 3 from the right.
Step 23
You can now add unit 3 in the same way as you did unit 2, each time following the joining and locking steps above, and remembering to turn the figure to the left and adding the new units on the right.
Step 24
Continue like this until you have united unit 8 with unit 1, always making sure that you slide the new unit in all the way and securing the points along the outer edge of the assembly.
Step 25
A rounded shape will start to form as you add units.
Note that you might have to bring unit 1 from underneath unit 8 in order for the two to be joined.
Once the last unit is joined to the first, the circle will be closed.
Step 26
Once all folds have been completed on this side of your flower, make sure all flaps are symmetrical and all points neatly tucked in around the entire shape.
Your Modular Flower is done.
You can now pick it up without it falling apart.
Step 27
As mentioned above, for a neat appearance and a model that holds well together, place your units and/or the finished modular creation under a heavy book for a few hours.
Alternatively, you can also lift the loose petals of the flower in one direction, so they lean at about a 45 degree angle, which will create a slight 3D effect.
Feel free to experiment with variations of these units and different ways of assembly.
It will give you an excellent start if you would like to design your own models.
Making origami accessible through text-only instructions.
For non-commercial use only.
Compiled by Lindy van der Merwe, May 2025
This text copyright 2025 by accessorigami.com
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