The image shows the completed Sen Star.
It is folded from yellow paper and presented on a dark background.
Credits and Resources:
Designer/Creator: Madhura Gupta
Website: madhura-gupta.com
Instagram: @tinnifolds
Text-Only Instructions: Nishi Sakpal, Mumbai, India
With thankful acknowledgement to Madhura Gupta for teaching this model - January 2024
Folder: Nishi Sakpal
For any questions, comments or suggestions, email accessorigami@gmail.com
Description and more information:
This is the Sen Star designed by Madhura Gupta.
This Star is folded and assembled by joining 8 units folded from 4 right angle triangles which are obtained from 2 squares folded into diagonals, and then by cutting along the creases.
The star has eight points, each being divided in half by a vertical crease. The front of the star has a prominent swirling motif since the arms seem as if they have been placed on top of one another. At the center of this star, there is a fairly small, 3D flower-like structure, once again exhibiting the swirling pattern of the large star.
The back of the star is smooth.
This is a beautiful model to display or use as an ornament for any festive occasion.
For convenience, I will be dividing this tutorial into three parts.
Part 1 - How to make the triangles;
Part 2 - Folding the units; and
Part 3 - Assembling the star.
Part 1 - Making the triangles
Step 1
Place a square on a hard surface in the diamond orientation with its points on the top, bottom, left and right.
Step 2
Make a diagonal fold by bringing the bottom point to the top point.
Crease well.
Now you will have a triangle with two loose points at the top and the folded horizontal edge at the bottom.
Step 3
Without disturbing the orientation of the triangle, bring the left point to meet the right point and make a strong fold and unfold.
You will feel a vertical crease line running along the center of this triangle.
Step 4
Gently cut/tear the triangle along this vertical crease from bottom to top.
You can cut the triangles in whichever way you prefer.
A pair of scissors or a paper cutting knife can be used.
If you are used to it, you can tear paper very well with your fingers.
For this, your creases have to be very strong and accurate.
Once you have finish cutting or tearing the triangle along the center, you will have two two-layered triangles.
Step 5
Now, take one triangle and open it like a book.
Orient it so the point of the triangle is facing away from you, and the horizontal edge is nearest you.
You will feel a vertical crease line running along the center of this triangle.
As before, cut or tear this triangle along the center crease.
Your triangle will now be divided into two single-layered triangles.
Step 6
Repeat this process with the other two-layered triangle and you should have four triangles ready.
Step 7
Take another square and prepare four more triangles so that you have eight in total.
Part 2 - Folding the units
Step 1
Place a triangle on a hard surface with its point facing away from you and the long edge nearest you.
Step 2
Fold the triangle in half vertically by folding the right bottom point over to meet the left bottom point.
Crease well and leave folded.
Step 3
Fold the left edge, the top layer only, to the right and downwards, to meet the folded right edge.
The left point will fold towards you, past the bottom edge of the triangle, creating a very long, skinny shape.
The right side of the unit will now have three layers.
Step 4
Keeping the long, skinny shape folded, flip it over to the right.
The surface of the model will now be smooth, except for a vertical crease line and a small triangular tail peaking out on the bottom right.
Step 5
Repeat Step 3 with the remaining left point of the model, also folding it downwards and to the right along the center crease of the figure.
Crease well and leave folded.
You will have a kite-shaped unit, with two two-layered long triangles at the top and two single-layered tails nearest you.
Step 6
We are now going to work with the single-layered tail on the right.
Start at the very bottom point of the tail and fold it in half towards the left. You are aiming with this fold not only to fold the tail in half, but also to bring the right corner of the figure straight over to the left.
The result after this fold should be a kind of "curved" pocket or hook on the bottom right of the unit.
The single-layered tail on the right is now folded in half to form an even skinnier point, made of two layers.
If you start at the bottom and move along the right side of the shape, you will find a diagonal fold. This is the top edge of the hook, which we will use in the assembly that follows.
If you continue to move upwards, you will find a fairly small triangle making up the right side of the unit.
The left side will be one, smooth, long, two-layered triangle.
Step 7
Flip the unit over from left to right.
On this side, we are going to work with the two tails at the bottom only.
We will call the small tail on the left, the skinny tail and the large one on the right, the large tail.
Step 8
Start with the large tail on the right and fold it straight up as far as it will go. It will be stopped by the fold above it.
Press it flat and leave it folded.
Step 9
Gently do the same with the skinny tail on the left, making sure to fold it so it is in line with the bottom edge that you have already created on the right.
If you feel carefully, there should be a small space on the left and right of the skinny tail once it has been folded upwards.
You are aiming here to make the entire bottom edge of the figure as straight as possible.
Leave the skinny tail folded.
Your unit is ready.
Step 10
Fold 7 more similar units.
Part 3 - Assembling the star
Notes:
1 For the assembly, turn all units so their long points are facing away from you and so the two tails we formed earlier are facing the table.
2 Notice the following two areas on the surface of your units.
2.1 On the bottom right, there will be a two-layered lopsided flap, which we will call the hook.
2.2 Running vertically along the entire unit, you will find a slit or pocket that can be accessed from the right.
We will call this the long pocket.
3 During the assembly, units will always be added from the right.
Step 1
Place your first unit with its point facing away from you, hook on the right.
Step 2
Place unit 2 in exactly the same position, just to the right of unit 1.
Step 3
Slide unit 2 to the left, at a 45 degree angle so it disappears inside the long pocket of unit 1.
The angle will occur naturally
Make sure you slide it in as far as it will go.
Step 4
We are now going to lock the two units together.
To do this,
4.1 Feel on the right bottom corner of the unit that is facing the ceiling.
You should notice the hook and just behind it, on the back of the unit, a skinny tail.
Gently grab the paper near the hook and lift it and bend it just a little bit to the left, so the hook and the skinny tail is out of your way.
Hold the unit bent for the moment, using your left hand.
4.2 With your right hand, you want to find two structures: the large tail, that is hidden deeper within the folds of the paper, behind the top unit and just to the right of the large tail, you will encounter another hook.
Lift this hook up just slightly and make sure it covers the large tail that will be just above or next to it.
Your first two units are now joined.
Step 5
Rotate the model to the left, so that the unit that is facing the ceiling is positioned with its long pocket vertically in front of you.
Step 6
Follow Steps 3 to 5 above to insert the next 6 units until you have joined all eight units.
Step 7
To join unit 8 to unit 1, first make sure that the left point of unit 1 is on top of the hook of unit 8.
Step 8
Slide the point of unit 1 so it is just inside the long pocket of unit 8.
Step 9
Now, feel behind the star for the single-layered large tail of unit 1 and the hook of unit 8.
Slide the tail under the hook exactly as you have been doing for all the previous units.
Step 10
Lastly, if needed, slide the point of unit 1 all the way into unit 8.
Result: Your units are now all joined together.
Note that there may be some small movement of the arms of your star.
It is important to check the star for cymmetry at this point.
All the arms should be spaced evenly. If some of the arms are close together, gently move them apart until the spaces between the points of the star are all even.
Be careful not to dislodge the units in the process.
To check and countthe the arms of your star, use both hands and start to count from the two points furthest away from you.
Put in another way, starting together at the point furthest away from you, your left hand will move along the left side of the circle and your right hand along the right side of the circle, carefully counting and checking the spaces between the units, until you find that you have arrived at the two points nearest you.
Step 11
Flip the model over so you can work on the front side now.
Step 12
We are going to work with the very small, sharp points or spikes that you will notice at the very center of the star.
We would like to gently lift these long spikes up from the folding surface to make a beautiful 3D flower.
You will notice that the spikes are lieing flat and are hooked into each other in a swirling pattern.
To lift them, take one of the points furthest away from you, lift it towards you and slightly bend it to the side.
You want to "unhook" it, by pulling it from underneath the adjacent spike that is holding it down.
Step 13
Unhook all eight long spikes. Feel free to keep the model still or turn it in a way so you can unhook all the spikes.
Check between the folds of the star for spikes that may be hiding there.
Let the spikes just stand straight up until you have freed all eight of them.
Step 14
Lastly, gently bring all the end points of the spikes together so they stand straight up.
Then take a finger and, approaching from above, insert it into the very center of the flower, pressing down slightly. You want to press all the little spikes so they stand away from each other, at a similar angle of 45 degrees in relation to the folding surface.
If all went well, you will now have a beautiful eight-pointed star with a 3D flower at its very center.
The back of the star will be smooth.
Making origami accessible to visually impaired people through text-only instructions.
for non-commercial use only.
Compiled by Nishi Sakpal and Lindy van der Merwe, January 2024
This text copyright by accessorigami.com 2024
Comments
Post a Comment