Kusudamas are always a great topic and some of the people I follow create a lot of these!
A kusudama for those not familiar with the term is a modular papercraft model in the shape of a ball. The name kusudama translates to something like “Medicine Ball” in Japanese.
These models typically use 30 individually folded units joined together without the use of tape or glue. Some of the more complex kusudamas though can have a lot more units, maybe even 100+!
Kusudamas always look beautiful and you can do some very neat things depending on the colours and patterns of the paper you use to fold the units.
So in this post we’re going to take another look at some wonderfully delightful kusudamas.
First up is this blue and white one. This is folded from 30 units using just regular blue on one side, white on the other side kami paper. The mix of the white and blue in the overall design is quite nice.
Glacier Var. Designed and Folded by Masha Athanasiadi
Instructions not available
Here’s an absolutely gorgeous kusudama folded using 30 units. The overall shape is great but it looks especially awesome with that subtle rose and gold coloured paper.
Designed and Folded by Maria Sinayskaya
Instructions not available
Here’s something a bit more flowery and complex. This particular model is folded using 60 units, 30 of one size and 30 of another.
Lady Feona, Designed by Uniya Filonova and Folded by Valentina Minayeva
Instructions not available
Everything about this next one is so bright and happy. The name of this model is “Frost Crystals” but if you use bright warmer colours it’s got a completely different feel.
Frost Crystals, Designed and Folded by Natalia Romanenko
Instructions not available
This next model is designed after a type of flower called a spider lily. Do a quick Google Image search for “spider lily” or “Hymenocallis” and you’ll definitely see the resemblance.
Hymenocallis, Designed and Folded by Masha Athanasiadi
Instructions not available
Here’s an absolutely beautiful fall-themed kusudama plus some very nice stars that go quite well with it.
Star Planet Designed by Natalia Romanenko and Bitterrot Stars Designed by Ekaterina Lukasheva, Both Folded by MiharaMiyo Monterivas
Star Planet instructions available from kusudama.info
Kusudamas often look solid and packed together but some can be quite open and more “frame-like” and delicate I guess just like these next two models. Both of these are the same model but one is more curved and flowery which gives it a completely different look.
Undina Kusudama, Designed and Folded by Maria Sinayskaya
Video instructions available from Happy Folding on YouTube
Byriah Loper is famous for some pretty complex origami so it’s not a surprise that he’s designed some very complex looking kusudamas. Despite how crazy this looks it’s really just 30 units joined together like most other kusudamas.
Sarmatia Kusudama, Designed and Folded by Byriah Loper
Instructions not available
Here’s another excellent design with a fantastic choice of colours and patterns on the paper. Almost makes me think of an orange creamsicle.
Sonora Kusudama, Designed and Folded by Uniya Filonova
Instructions not available
Peter Keller took some very common sonobe units and a very common kusudama shape and gave it a bit of a twist here to make it look like a flower opening.
Embellished Sonobe, Designed and Folded by Peter Keller
Instructions not available
Here’s another really complex one that I believe is actually 2 kusudamas combined into one. This one uses 102 units all joined together!
Star Holes Designed by Francesco Mancini and Vallota Designed by Tanya Vysochina all Folded by Valentina Minayeva
Instructions not available
I’m loving pretty much everything about this next one, especially the little curls along the edges.
Designed and Folded by Natalia Romanenko
Instructions not available
“Flipper” seems like a very appropriate name for this next one which looks quite aquatic and almost marble like.
Flipper, Designed by Masha Athanasiadi and folded by uschi mitzkat
Instructions not available
This kusudama is absolutely beautiful. It’s folded using 12 units and the paper was hand dyed. It looks like some kind of exotic beautiful star stone. This may even be my all-time favourite kusudama.
Tiara Var. Designed and Folded by Ekaterina Lukasheva
Instructions not available
Next we have another very unique design that almost looks like it could be an earring or something like that. It’s definitely more spikey looking than your average kusudama and that’s pretty cool.
Metal Crystal, Designed by Ekaterina Lukasheva and Folded by Akira Nguyen
Instructions not available
Tomoaki Yano has a very unique style when it comes to kusudamas with lots of delicious looking swirl shapes.
‘Buckie’ Type Truncated Octahedron, Designed and Folded by Tomoaki Yano
Instructions not available
Here’s another really excellent hollowed out kind of design. I feel like these types must be a lot more delicate and easy to fall apart, especially if you’re not using tape or glue to hold everything together. No glue is needed for this model though.
Tulip Garden, Designed by Meenakshi Mukerji and Folded by Maria Sinayskaya
Diagrams available in Origami All Kinds: Single Sheet and Modular Designs
Here we have a rather pointy kusudama that’s been enhanced with the addition of twelve origami roses.
Stern + Twisty Roses, Designed by Paolo Bascetta and Folded by Valentina Minayeva
Stern instructions available here
The green and yellow paper used here looks absolutely delightful.
Inspiration, Designed and Folded by Masha Athanasiadi
Instructions not available
Now this is a really autumn themed one. This is a regular globe folded from simple sonobe units but with a ton of autumn leaves tucked into it. An awesome idea and awesome use of coloured paper here.
Herbst, Designed and Folded by Tine Blasek
Instructions not available
Next we have something absolutely beautiful. This kusudama is folded from some of the most unique looking translucent paper I’ve seen and lit with a light. The light mixed with those splashes of colours here looks amazing!
Tornillo – Enlightened, Designed by Paolo Bascetta and Folded by uschi mitzkat
Video instructions available from Dans Origami on YouTube
Here’s another excellent curled kusudama with a very organic almost flowery shape. When making a kusudama you can decide to curl the paper a lot, a little or keep everything straight and crisp. That’s one of the many great things about origami, you have so many different ways to bring out your own style.
Hessea Var. Designed and Folded by Masha Athanasiadi
Instructions not available
This next one almost looks like some kind of children’s toy or 3D puzzle.
Designed and Folded by Saku Saku
Instructions not available
This next one has a sort of country charm to it, almost like a table cloth you’d see in a rustic countryside home.
Easy Modular, Designed and Folded by Ekaterina Lukasheva
Instructions not available
It’s really cool how different these things can look depending on what kind of paper you use. I definitely like the paper used here which gives the whole model a more organic earthy feel.
Evangeline, Designed by Xander Perrott and Folded by Kerstin
Diagrams available in Olympiad 2016
Here we have another absolutely fantastic use of colour. It’s certainly very pearl-like.
Perlina, Designed and Folded by Uniya Filonova
Instructions not available
Our final model for this post is this absolutely gorgeous Imperial Rose Sonobe. Unless you look closely you can easily mistake this for actual roses with the paper used here and the perfect curls in the units.
Imperial Rose Sonobe, Designed and Folded by Maria Sinayskaya
Diagrams available in Zen Origami
What did you think about all these incredible origami kusudamas? Let us know in the comments!
