Modular origami

Modular origami means folding several identical units, then assembling them into a single object: a star, a box, a flower, a cube or a Christmas bauble. You will find kusudamas, those decorative balls, and polyhedra such as the rhombic dodecahedron. Depending on the tutorial, the pieces hold together without glue, as with the diamond, or need a little glue or tape, as with the traditional kusudama.

One piece of advice: be patient. Each unit is easy to fold, but putting them together is harder, especially the last piece. For a first try, take the clematis, which needs only 7 small squares.

As for paper, use squares of the same size. Choose two-coloured paper when both sides show, as with the diamond. And for some models, such as the "Curler Units" cuboctahedron, printer paper works better than origami paper: it holds its shape better.