Designer/Creator: Paolo Bascetta
Text-only Instructions - Copyright 2024 by Lindy van der Merwe
accessorigami.com
Text instructions are also available from the Aveuglami website at aveuglami.fr, the home of The Aveuglami Project by Michel Lucas.
English text - copyright Michel Lucas
French text - copyright Michel Lucas
Note that there are likely to be different stars by other designers also with Roulette as part of their name and that there may be more than one variation of, or models similar to, this star.
Steps: 20
Description and more information:
This model, meaning "little wheel" in French, is a sturdy eight-pointed star-like creation, but it can also be considered a windmill since its 3D structure will let it spin quite easily.
You can place it flat on a table and it will spin if you blow on it. Alternatively, it can be mounted as a decorative windmill or to perform the work of a windsock.
It will also make a great decoration for the Christmas tree or for any other festive occasion.
Apart from the last fold for the unit, which involves an outside reverse fold, the folding and assembly is fairly easy.
Instructions:
Phase 1: Folding the first unit
Step 1
Place a square down in the diamond orientation, with the points facing up and down, left and right.
Step 2
Fold in half by bringing the bottom point to meet the top point.
Make a strong crease and leave folded so you have a two-layered triangle.
Step 3
Bring the top right edge of the front layer down to meet the bottom, folded edge of the model.
Crease and leave folded.
Step 4
Now, repeat this fold with the top left edge, also bringing it down to meet the bottom, folded edge.
The second fold will cover part of the first fold now.
Step 5
Flip the shape over from left to right.
Step 6
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 on this side of the shape, but start with the top left edge of the triangle, followed by the top right edge.
The result is a multi-layered, skinny triangle.
Step 7
Rotate the shape so that its raw edges are on the right with the smaller triangle furthest away from you.
Step 8
Using the horizontal line that divides the model in two, fold the bottom point towards the top.
The points will not meet since the horizontal fold line is lying at a sight angle.
Once folded, the points will look vaguely like the ears of a cat.
Unfold and then fold the bottom point along this same line, but now using a mountain fold.
Crease and unfold again.
Step 9
We are going to open two layers of our triangle.
Start with the smaller flap furthest away from you, opening it to the left.
Then do the same with the longer flap nearest you.
Step 10
Notice that there is a long valley fold, starting from the top center of the model, extending down along the left side of the shape.
We would like to reinforce and extend this long valley fold.
To do this, grasp the top left edge of the model and close the flap again, starting from the top point of the shape and make a straight, diagonal crease all the way down the left side of the figure.
You will now no longer have two flaps, but only one side flap with various creases on it.
Leave this flap folded.
Step 11
Flip the shape over from right to left.
Step 12
Repeat Steps 9 and 10 on this side of the figure.
You will now also have only one folded flap on this side.
Step 13
Next, we will open the figure into a kite shape and flip it over from left to right so we have a smooth surface.
Make sure that the long, skinny point of the kite is pointing away from you.
The point nearest you will be wider and single-layered.
Step 14
The final step of the module involves an outside reverse fold. To accomplish this successfully, we need to note where the valley and mountain creases are on our shape and then, by placing pressure and reversing a fold, we will be able to transform our flat kite shape into the finished module.
Locate the following creases:
First, a long vertical valley fold, dividing the kite into a left and a right half;
Second, two shorter valley creases near the top of the shape. They extend from the outer edges to meet each other at the vertical center crease.
Thirdly, nearest you, there are two longer mountain folds. They also start at the outer edges, stretching all the way down to the bottom point of the shape, nearest you.
To do the collapse:
Locate the diagonal, shorter valley creases near the top and using them as your fold line, lift up the point near you so it is standing at a 90 degree angle to the folding surface. You should have a slender triangle flat on the table and upright, in front of you like a screen, there will be a five-sided shape with two loose flaps nearest you.
All you need to do, is to bring the left and right points of this five-sided shape towards you until the sides meet, just like you would close a book.
With this motion, you are turning the original vertical valley fold into a mountain fold, fascilitating the outside reverse fold we need to make.
The slender triangle that was on the table will rise up and also fold itself closed.
Once you have pressed the sides together, turn the figure sideways so the sides you have just closed are on the right, with the slender triangle on the left.
Reinforce the mountain fold you have just created and notice that there are two remaining mountain crease lines on the front and back of your finished unit. They divide the right part of the unit in half. They will be used to lock our units together shortly.
Result: Finally, you want the unit to end up being a shape with a multi-layered left pointy triangle and on the right, a two-layered figure, resembling a kite. The kite shape should look as if it is originating from within the pointy triangle on the left.
This completes the basic unit.
PHASE 2: FOLD MORE SIMILAR UNITS
Repeat steps 1 to 14 7 more times so you have 8 similarly shaped units to work with.
Make sure you follow the instructions for all the squares precisely since all units should be alike in order for the modular pieces to fit.
You can place the units on top of each other to make sure they are all alike.
Explanation:
Think of each unit as being divided into two parts:
The sharp, narrow, multi-layered point should be on the left.
The wider, two-layered kite-like point should be on the right.
In the instructions that follow, you will be working on both the front and back of the units.
PHASE 3: ASSEMBLING YOUR MODEL
Step 15
Take your first two pieces and place them side by side, oriented as in the explanation above.
Step 16
Open the right side of unit 1 and slide unit 2 so it disappears halfway inside unit 1.
Slide it as far as it will go and line up the bottom points as well as the two narrow top points.
Unit 1 will now cover the left part of unit 2 on both the back and front of the assembly.
Step 17
To lock our two units on the front, find the right edge of unit 1 and tuck it around unit 2, using the mountain crease that has been mentioned earlier.
The fold will already be there, so you only have to tuck in the paper to the inside, enclosing unit 2.
Step 18
This same locking step will also be done at the back of the assembly.
You can thus either flip the entire figure over and make your fold, and then turn it back, or you can just lift the figure up and do the fold without turning the shape over.
The second option will perhaps be easier since you are not creating new folds in this assembly, but only using the existing mountain folds to join the units.
Step 19
Repeat the Process, joining new Pieces from the right, each time rotating the assembly to the left, so you have the last unit in front of you.
Step 20
Join units 8 and 1 in exactly the same way as you have been doing with the rest of the modules.
Once you have connected the first and last units, your circle will be securely closed.
Make sure that your mountain folds have been done for all units on both the back and front of the assembly.
You can now appreciate the beautiful, slightly 3D shape of the Roulette Star.
Making origami accessible through text-only instructions.
For non-commercial use only.
Compiled by Lindy van der Merwe - October 2024
This text copyright 2024 by accessorigami.com
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