Design: copyright 2026 by Annette Carr
Text Tutorial: copyright 2026 by Annette Carr and Lindy van der Merwe
https://www.accessorigami.com
These modulars can be used as wall or table decor since they have a flat back with a rounded, decorative front part facing upwards or outwards.
If placed flat, their cavities can be used to hold small sweets or pieces of candy or even greenery or flowers.
Part 1 - Base Units
Fold 17 Waterbomb Base units for Variation 1 or 16 for Variation 2.
Part 2 - Assembly
2.1 How to connect 2 units:
(A) Placement
• Position the closed points of the Waterbomb Base units towards you.
• Arrange the arms of unit 1 so three are pointing to the left and one is pointing to the right.
• Arrange the arms of unit 2 so three are pointing to the right and one is pointing to the left.
• Place unit 2 to the right of unit 1.
• Move units 1 and 2 towards each other so that the single arm of unit 2 lays on top of the single arm of unit 1.
• Be sure the closed points of the 2 units are touching each other, and that the closed creased edge of the arm is up against the center crease of the other unit.
• Once the single arms of Unit 1 and unit 2 are correctly aligned together, there will be two small triangles that are pointing away from you.
• The point of the unit 1 arm will stick out beyond the raw edge of the unit 2 arm, and the point of the unit 2 arm will stick out past the raw edge of the unit 1 arm.
• This next step can be done in the air or started on the table and then completed in the air or flipped over.
• No matter how you do this, you must ensure the arms do not slip out of alignment with each other.
(B) Folding and tucking in the points:
• Method 1
With the units properly aligned flat on the table, press down with a finger near their overlapping closed points.
Lifting the edge of the model slightly, fold the small triangle of the unit 2 arm (on the left) away from you using the raw edge of the unit 1 arm as your guide. Then fold the unit 1 arm (on the right) towards you as far as it will go.
• Method 2
Holding the two arms firmly together so they do not get out of alignment with each other, pick up the model.
Then tuck in the points as described in Method 1.
• Method 3
You can also do the first fold as described above, then turn the model over from left to right. Repeat folding the point that will now be on the left, away from you.
• Ensure everything is aligned. The closed points of the two units should be touching each other; the creased edges of the arms should be up against the center crease of the other unit; and the small triangles should be folded down exactly along the raw edge of the other arm. If needed, adjust the fold of the small triangles to ensure a tight fit.
• Tuck the small triangles inside the pocket of the arm of the other unit. This will lock the 2 units together.
(Note: You could tuck the small triangles into the pocket right after folding it. I wait and tuck them in after folding both of them so that I can make any adjustments if needed.)
2.2 Forming a flat disk:
Use the connection method described above to create a flat disc or base for your model, using eight units to form a closed circle.
To do this, mentally label the arms of each unit as A, B, C and D, and connect arm D of unit 1 with arm A of unit 2, arms B and C will point to the ceiling.
Once the circle is closed, you should have a flat disc with a total of 16 loose flaps arranged in 8 pairs on top of it.
2.3 Adding 8 more units
We will now add eight more units to make a triangular pyramid cavity on top of each of the eight segments of the disk.
• Pick a starting point on your 8-segment disk and consider the connection to be made with unit 1 and unit 2.
You will be connecting unit 9 to unit 1 and unit 9 to unit 2 as follows:
◦ Connect unit 1 arm C to unit 9 arm A.
◦ Connect unit 2 arm B to unit 9 arm D.
• One triangular pyramid cavity created.
• Repeat with unit 2 arm C, unit 10 arms A and D, and unit 3 arm B.
• Repeat for the remaining six segments of the disk and units 11-16.
• When complete, there should be eight triangular pyramid cavities, with two arms pointing towards the ceiling from each triangular pyramid cavity.
2 .4 Making connections:
• Pick a spot on the model to be the two loose arms of unit 9, and the two loose arms of unit 10.
On both units the loose arms are B and C.
• Connect unit 9 arm C with unit 10 arm B.
• Do not make a connection between units 10 and 11.
• Make a connection between unit 11 arm C and unit 12 arm B.
• Skip the connection between units 12 and 13.
• Make the connection between units 13 and 14, as well as between units 15 and 16.
• When you are done you will have eight triangular pyramid cavities with a corner that points up and an arm pointing up to the ceiling for a total of eight loose arms; four triangular pyramid cavities with a corner pointing down; and four gaps.
2.5 Closing the gaps:
• Pick one of the gap areas of the model.
• Pinch together the sides of the triangular pyramid cavities that make up the gap.
• Carefully untuck the small triangles that are tucked into the outer pocket. Then tuck those same small triangles into the inner pockets of the other triangular pyramid cavity you are pinching. This will close up the gap and make the triangular pyramid cavities share a wall with another triangular pyramid cavity. I place a paperclip on this connection.
• Repeat the above instructions for the remaining three gaps.
• You will now have a total of 12 triangular pyramid cavities; and four pairs of arms pointing up to the ceiling.
• Make sure the pairs of loose arms are nested together so they look like one multi-layered arm.
Part 3 - Completion
To complete the model, you may choose between the two variations below, or make both for a nice set.
HALF ORB DECORATION - VARIATION 1
• Use unit 17 to connect each of its arms to a pair of arms with the same tucking of small triangles into pockets as before.
• Treat the multi-layer arms as a single arm.
• You will have created four more triangles.
• You should have a total of 16 triangular pyramid cavities that create a half orb.
HALF ORB DECORATION - VARIATION 2
• Follow all the steps for the Half Orb - Variation 1, except for adding unit 17.
• Instead of adding this unit, hold together two flaps and fold them towards the right, tucking their points under so they disappear within the layers on the edge of the model.
• Repeat with the remaining three pairs of flaps.
• This will form a fairly flat, bowl-like top for the half orb decoration.
This text tutorial is copyright 2026 by accessorigami.com and the authors.
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