Kusudama flower balls, consisting of modules, are one of the directions of origami. Scissors are not used in this craft, the figures are folded only due to the peculiarities of the material.
Materials and tools
To create kusudama flower balls, you will need rectangles of paper of two colors, 10x5 cm in size, 30 pieces of each color. Glue is not used in classic kusudama, but for the first few times it can nevertheless come in handy. Paper is found already cut for such products, but you can prepare it yourself using ordinary scissors or a paper cutter. The size of the kusudama made according to this scheme will be 15 cm.
Work process
The rectangle is folded in half, the fold is carefully ironed. To do this, you can use the rounded end of a ruler or knife. Then each corner is alternately bent towards the central part, the folds are also ironed well. The rectangle is folded in half along the long side, marking the fold. Then the paper is turned over and the operations are repeated, bending along the same lines in the opposite direction. Having unfolded the paper, you need to clearly see all the fold lines.
The next step is to fold the part along all lines, excluding the central rhombus. It turns out a multi-layered square. Having marked a part of a different color in the same way, it is not bent, but the first paper rhombus is placed in it in the center when folded. Then, at the part of the second color, it is folded along the corner from opposite sides: on one side from above, and on the other - from below. The corners are tucked into the first color part.
The corners are folded again and the combined part of the two is folded in half. This is a ready-made module from which kusudama is assembled. Each module has a pocket and a corner, and at first they are assembled in three, fastened in a circle. From three modules, something looks like a pyramid. The pyramids are carefully folded together, and a ball assembled from paper modules is obtained.
A half-bead or paper flower can be glued to the center of each module. The finished kusudama is hung on a string from the ceiling or in a doorway, trees are decorated with it, and hung on lamps. The variety of colors in which kusudama can be performed is very large. Additionally, kusudams were decorated with silk or paper tassels.
This is not the only way to fold the kusudama, but it is one of the easiest. Such paper crafts are good for celebrating the New Year, since their production does not require high costs and special skills, but at the same time kusudama can be very effective thanks to well-chosen shades. These balls, consisting of paper modules, are also called medicinal, since they are believed to cleanse the space.
