Month: November 2005

Spongebob Squarepants Papercraft Models

Some fun papercraft models here for any fans of Nickleodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants – a model of Spongebob himself, and a jumbo-size Pineapple house that is in scale with him when assembled

Nickleodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants' Pineapple house

That’s not all though, there are plenty more models [available for download from the same place](http://www.homespunmagixx.com/downloads.asp), including Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants’ bestest buddy), and Squidward’s tiki house, which is a fun model even if you’re not a fan of Spongebob.

Patrick Star from Nickleodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants
Squidward's Tiki house from SpongeBob SquarePants

Go and visit the site to [download Spongebob and the pineapple house](http://www.homespunmagixx.com/downloads.asp), and to read up on the assembly instructions.

Working Papercraft V8 Engine

Working papercraft v-8 engine

This is a [fantastic model of a V8 engine](http://www.yeesjob.com/v8engine.htm), made almost entirely from paper – except for “a motor, a battery holder, a few plastic tubes and electrical wires”.

> Handcrafted with ruler, white glue and X-acto knife. It took approximately one year to design and construct.

Fantastic work here, it’s an amazing functional work of art. There’s even a DIY kit in the works if you’d like to make your own.

More pictures and videos are [available at the maker’s site](http://www.yeesjob.com/v8engine.htm).

[Spotted on TechEBlog](http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/functional-paper-v8-engine) | [Via Make:blog](http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/11/functional_paper_v8_engine.html)

How to Make an Origami Ninja Star

The ninja star, or “shuriken“, is an ancient ninja weapon. It’s also a great origami model!

Modular Origami Ninja Star

Let’s take a look at how to make an origami ninja star…

Book Review – Modular Origami Polyhedra

### Modular Origami Polyhedra
**Lewis Simon, Bennett Arnstein, Rona Gurkewitz**

Cover - Modular Origami Polyhedra

Modular origami involves folding several ‘modules’ that are individually quite simple, then joining them together to form a larger origami model that is much more complex. Usually the modules are identical, but even more complexity can be added by varying folds in the modules or mixing different types together.

Modular origami - a wide selection

When it comes to getting started with modular origami, this book is one of the best available. Covering how to build over 35 origami models, there’s plenty for everyone from beginner to expert. There are plenty of illustrations and photos of completed models to make it easy to follow the instructions.

In the introduction, along with the usual legend and terminology, are several useful bits of advice about resizing paper, and details of how to create your own specially shaped sheets. After the basics, there are three main styles of model covered in detail:

**Sonobe modules**

A very simple and satisfying module that produces solid models.

3 Sonobe Modules - Toshie Takahama's Jewel

**Decoration box system**

Very similar folds produce boxes with wildly different appearances, such as this ‘Ninja Star’ cube, with star-shaped holes on each side.

Decoration box variant - 12 module Ninja Star Cube

**Gyroscope modules**

Three- or four-pointed pyramid-like modules that create endlessly complex models. The design shown below isn’t featured in the book, but it’s easy to expand on the basics by combining the modules in different ways.

A complex model made from gyroscope modules

For each style of model, there are many well-illustrated instructions, starting from the basic unit and working up to intricately folded modules that create complex patterns when joined together. At the end of the book there are a few other models that don’t really fit into the previous sections, although they are all fun to fold and look good when completed.

One of the best parts of the book is that it’s essentially open-ended – several of the modules can be joined together in many different ways, and can be combined in big numbers to create incredibly detailed models. Adorning the cover of the book is a chain of 14 linked boxes that form a loop, a very impressive model that requires only simple folds to build.

As I mentioned earlier, there’s something for everyone here, although all models require some precision in your folding, most are quite forgiving of slight misalignments. With a bit of assistance in the assembly stage, quite a few of the designs would be fun to make with children, since the finished model looks much more difficult than it actually is.

More information on Modular Origami Polyhedra at Amazon.com [.co.uk]

Excellent paper robots

The Readymech site has several PDFs of simple papercraft models that you can download and print off.

Some are more complicated than others, but they all look really good when assembled, and are fun to make.

Skeletron papercraft robot

The skeletron model is one of the simplest, but there is still good attention to detail, with an inner box that continues the design from the outside.

Inside view of Skeletron papercraft robot

Skeletron papercraft robots

I’m going to be making more of these little papercraft robots, so watch out for future updates.

Thanks to Make: Blog for the idea!

Origami Paper from Muji

Like many people who practice origami, I’ve tried lots of different types of paper, from leaflets that I’ve picked up, to copier paper, to fancy papers from craft shops.

One thing I always wanted was ‘real’ origami paper, with only one side coloured. Every time I came across some in shops, it was always so costly that I didn’t want to use it in case I made a mistake.

That all changed one day when I visited my local branch of Muji – they sell packs of origami paper for less than £1 each, and you get enough in each pack that you don’t need to worry about wasting it – all those modular origami models become very cheap to try out.

Muji plain origami paper - packet

The large size is 15cm square, and you get 80 sheets in 27 different colours. One of the great features about this paper – apart from its cost – is that the sheets are perfectly square – you can fold away without having any trouble with alignment.

Muji plain origami paper - colours

Muji plain origami paper - colours

Simple but Beautiful Origami Model

A Paper Folding Project

This is a really simple model, but it looks really good when completed.

I’ve made a slightly more complex version using patterned origami paper, it really shows off the interplay of light and shade:

Overview of the model

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