MOD57 - MODULAR DIMPLED DODECAHEDRON KUSUDAMA BY RONA GURKEWITZ (USING 90 SQUARES)

Credits and Resources:

Beginner's Book of Modular Origami Polyhedra: The Platonic Solids by Rona Gurkewitz and Bennett Arnstein

Folded by Nishi Sakpal

Jump to finished model photo and description

Dedication: With special thanks to our teachers ... for your guidance, patience and for seeing possibilities beyond the obvious ...

This model consists of a total of 90 units and resembles a ball of flowers. Of these 90 units, 60 are used for the centers of the flowers, while the remaining 30 form the connectors.

In general, two colors may be used. So, if you would like the centers of your flowers to be yellow, you will need 60 yellow square sheets of paper. Color combinations such as yellow-purple, yellow-red, yellow-dark blue, and white-red look particularly attractive, although any color combination may be used according to your preference.

If you are interested in the artistic side of modular origami, this model lends itself to wonderful opportunities for experimentation with color.

For example, use two colors for the flowers and one for the connectors as follows:

Module 1 could be orange; modules 2 to 6 could be yellow; modules 7 to 11 orange again, with module 12 yellow again.

Use 30 green units as connectors.

Or for an even more colorful option, use three colors for the flowers and two colors for the leaves as follows:

Module 1 could be orange; modules 2 to 6 could be yellow; modules 7 to 11 red, with module 12 once again orange.

The connectors could either all be green or be made up of 20 green and 10 white, with the last-mentioned white units forming a highlight along the center of the kusudama.

Have fun with your own combinations.

Square paper measuring between 5 and 7 cm is recommended, although larger or smaller paper may also be used if desired.

Part 1 - Making the Flower or Pyramid Modules

A total of 60 sheets of paper will be used to make 12 modules. Each module consists of five units.

Step 1

Hold the square paper in a diamond orientation and fold it in half diagonally to form a triangle. The folded edge (hinge) should be nearest you.

Step 2

Fold the top left edge of the triangle, the front layer only, down to meet the bottom edge.

You will have created a new hinged edge that stretches from the bottom left corner right across the model to touch the right edge of the main triangle.

We will call the place where the hinge edge meets the right edge "Point X".

Step 3

Bring the left corner of the main triangle all the way upwards and to the right until it comes to rest on Point X. Make sure the tip of the newly folded flap does not extend beyond the right edge of the model.

The resulting figure is a four-sided shape (quadrilateral), although its sides are not all equal in length.

Step 4

Unfold the folds made in Steps 2 and 3. The model returns to the folded triangle, with its folded edge facing you.

Step 5

Repeat the diagonal fold made in Step 3. Since the crease is already there, it should fold easily.

The surface of your flat model will now consist of three main areas: A triangle at the top left, another triangular flap at the center and a third at the bottom right of the shape.

Step 6

Now take the right corner of the main model and fold it straight over to the left, folding the bottom triangle in half.

The newly formed triangle will align with the right edge of the middle triangle.

The overall shape of the model is now a pentagon. The bottom part of the shape is made up of two triangles that are about the same size with two single-layered triangular flaps making up the top part of the shape.

Step 7

Unfold the fold made in the previous step.

Step 8

Rotate the model very slightly to the right so that the lower-right corner is pointing directly toward you. The bottom edge of the center triangle should be horizontal.

Step 9

Take the corner of the main model that is facing you and lift it upward like a wall. Fold it over, away from you, as far as it will go, until it lies flat on top of the triangular flap mentioned above. A small triangular section at the tip of this newly folded piece will extend on the right, beyond the outer edge of the model. Make sure the newly folded flap aligns with the right edge of the main model.

Note: The small triangular tab that now extends beyond the main body of the model will later serve as a hook or locking mechanism when the units are assembled.

Step 10

Fold this small protruding triangle, which points away from you, toward the back side of the figure, so it disappears behind the model. The overall shape of the model becomes a trapezoid (four-sided shape).

Step 11

Unfold the folds made in Steps 9 and 10.

Step 12

Near the center of the model there is a folded triangular section with a pocket opening on the side facing away from you and just next to it, you will find the two single-layered loose triangular flaps mentioned earlier in Step 6. It will be helpful to first create a reference crease using the edge of the pocket as a guide, creasing both the front and back triangular flaps.

Unfold both flaps and then open this pocket and insert only the front single-layered triangle into it.

Your unit is complete.

Part 2 - Assembling 5 Units into a Flower

Once you have five completed units, you are ready to assemble them.

Step 13

In Step 12, only the front layer of the unit was inserted into its adjacent pocket, while the back layer remained untouched. This back layer will be referred to as the tab.

Position Unit 1 so that the tab points directly away from you. On the surface of the model, you will see a pocket with its opening to the right.

Step 14

Coming from the right, insert the tab of Unit 2 into the pocket of Unit 1.

Step 15

Unit 2 is now resting on top of Unit 1. The hook or small locking tab of Unit 1, described in Step 9 above, is protruding on the outside of the model and is pointing almost directly toward you.

This tiny tab should be folded around the edge of Unit 2, acting as a loose hook that catches and holds Unit 2 in place.

Step 16

Insert the tab of Unit 3 into the pocket of Unit 2.

Step 17

Lift Unit 3 very slightly. As before, fold the small triangular tab over along its existing crease.

Step 18

Lower Unit 3 back into its original position.

Step 19

Rotate the model very slightly to the right. You will once again find another hook pointing toward you. As in the previous steps, simply fold this hook over along its existing crease.

Step 20

Insert the triangular tab of Unit 4 into the pocket of Unit 3.

Step 21

Fold the hook over along its existing crease, just as before, and then insert the tab of Unit 5 into the pocket of Unit 4.

Step 22

Again, fold the hook along its existing crease.

Step 23

While gently pushing all the units together, insert the tab of Unit 1 into the pocket of Unit 5. The model will begin to resemble a bowl with the bottom, the part touching the table, forming a pointed tip.

Step 24

Run your fingers around the outside edge of the bowl. You will notice that it is not yet completely locked together. To fully lock the bowl, push the hook belonging to Unit 5 into the nearby pocket. Rotate the bowl in your hands and inspect it. If any hooks are still sticking out, tuck them into their corresponding pockets. You do not need to unfold the bowl to do this. The finished result should be a five-sided bowl with pockets on the outside surfaces and a pointed bottom.

Make a total of 12 of these bowls.

Part 3 - Making the Connectors

A total of 30 square papers of the same color will be used as connectors for the 12 flower modules.

Use squares of the same size as those used for the flower modules. It will be to your benefit to make sure you have completed all connecting pieces before moving on to the assembly.

Step 25

Fold the square paper that you are holding in a diamond orientation into a triangle shape with the newly formed crease facing toward you.

Step 26

Fold the top right edge of the triangle, the front layer only, down to meet the bottom edge of the model. Crease well and leave folded.

Step 27

Fold the top left edge of the back layer of the paper away from you to meet the bottom edge of the model. This is a mountain fold.

If you trace around the outer edge of the model now, it will have five sides: Nearest you will be the original hinged edge, furthest away you will notice two triangles forming a zigzag pattern. If we think of these triangles as mountains, the one on the left of the figure will now be nearest us, with a short slope upwards from the left and then a long slope going all the way down to the right corner of the model.

The mountain on the right will seem to lie behind the one on the left. We can only feel a part of this mountain if looking from above or from the front of the model, but this mountain also has a short slope on the right and a much longer slope on the left, going behind the left mountain and all the way to the left corner of the entire shape.

We are going to focus on the two outer, short slopes of our two mountains now.

Step 28

Start on the left slope of the left mountain and fold it down towards you so it meets the bottom hinged edge of the model. Crease well and leave folded.

Step 29

Likewise, take the right slope of the right mountain and fold it away from you so it meets the bottom hinged edge as well. This will be a mountain fold. Crease well and leave folded.

Result: The newly formed shape is a long, narrow triangle. We could say the two high mountains will now look like one, flatter mountain with a loose flap nearest you on the left and another loose flap on the right, at the back of the model.

Step 30

Next, open the model flat by bringing the nearest edge towards you. You will have a long, flat diamond shape with a smooth surface flat on the table. The folds made in Steps 28 and 29 will remain folded between the table and the model.

Step 31

Flip the figure over so the back side is facing up and fold the right point over to the left to close the shape.

Make a strong vertical crease. The goal is to ensure that a vertical line is formed in the center of the diamond.

This two-layered piece with a triangular shape is the connector. The outer surface of the triangle is smooth.

Part 4 - Assembling the Pieces

Note that each connector has two layers or triangular flaps connected by a hinge fold. To start, one pointy end of five connectors will be inserted into the 5 pockets of one module. The other half of the connectors dangling in free space will be connected to other flowers.

The pointy ends will thus be hidden on the inside of the model with the hinged parts of the connectors visible on the outside of the flower modules.

There are actually many ways to assemble this model, so the method presented here is just one of them.

We can think of the construction of this model in terms of circles or rows where we will start forming the first row with one flower module on the table, then adding new modules and connectors in layers until the round shape is completed with one last flower module.

You may find that, especially in the beginning, the pieces may slip out of one another. Do not worry. Put them back in place or secure them with a paperclip. The construction will become more sturdy as the units combine, and when finished, a wonderful flower ball is formed.

Row 1

In this first row we would like to insert one pointy end of each connector into the five pockets on the outside of the first flower module.

Step 32

So, hold your first flower so that its closed end points toward you, while holding the connecting piece so that its hinge faces away from you. Put in another way, you want to hold the flower so you have access to the pockets that are situated on the five outside sides of the module.

Insert the sharp tip of the connector furthest away from you into one of the pockets of the flower module. Push it in as far as it can go.

Make sure the point does not poke out. It should be completely hidden. You will notice that a small part of the connector will protrude above the rim of the flower bowl. This is what will show on the outside of the model as a different color surrounding each flower.

Step 33

Moving to the right, find the next open pocket on the outside of the flower and, using the same method, insert the sharp tip of a second connecting piece into the pocket in question.

Step 34

Insert three more connecting pieces into the remaining three pockets of the flower in the same manner.

Result: Row one will consist of one flower module with five connectors attached to it.

We will call this first flower module the central unit.

Row 2

As you add modules and connectors in this row, take care to always add new flower modules and connectors on the right. The central flower module and the connectors should provide a fairly stable surface for you to build in this row, as long as you rotate the model slowly and carefully.

Step 35

Choose any one of the free connectors and insert its remaining tip into the pocket of a new flower.

Step 36

Rotate the model slightly to the right so the next connector is in front of you and add another flower module.

Step 37

Use a new connector to secure the two flower modules to each other sideways.

Step 38

Repeat steps 36 and 37 twice more and then add one last connector piece to join the fifth flower to the first.

Result: In this row you will have added five more flower modules using five new connectors.

You will have the central module with five modules secured to it and sideways to each other now.

Row 3

Step 39

Very gently turn the assembly so the central flower will now touch the table with the five added modules forming a circle around it. Try to press the circle very gently with the palms of your hands so the five surrounding flowers are slightly lifted from the surface of the table.

Step 40

Now, first take one new flower and insert two connectors next to each other into two of its pockets.

Step 41

With one hand, find the dip or valley on your assembly where two flower modules are touching each other, while with the other, rotate the new flower so the two connectors are facing away from you.

Step 42

Insert one connector into the flower on the left and the other into the flower on the right.

Step 43

Move to the right and repeat the previous steps four more times, until you have added five new flowers and ten new connectors for this row.

Row 4

You will notice that our last five flowers still need to be connected to each other.

Step 44

Use five connectors to join all the flowers to each other sideways.

Row 5

There will now be a space at the center of the assembly where you will be able to nestle your twelfth and last flower module.

Step 45

Secure the last five connectors to the five existing flower modules.

Step 46

Place the last module down into the center of the assembly and insert the loose, pointy ends of the last five connectors into each of its five pockets.

Step 47

Inspect your model to make sure all units and connectors are in their proper places. If any of the connectors have slipped out or have shifted out of alignment, gently press the pieces into place. If you have used paper clips, take care to remove all of them. Your Dimpled Dodecahedron kusudama is completed.

Making origami accessible through text-based tutorials.

For non-commercial use only.

Compiled: August 2026