how to make an origami dodecahedron - squarespace · pdf filehow to make an origami...

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How to make an origami

dodecahedron Youwill need30pieces of squarepaper, all the same size. Post-it noteswork particularlywellbecausethestickybitshelptoholdthemodeltogetherasyouaremakingit.These30pieceswillallbefoldedinthesamewayandthenassembledtomakethefinalmodel.

Tomakeamodule:

1) Foldapieceofpaperinhalf.Nowfoldoneflapuptothemiddlecrease,andrepeatwiththeotherside.YourpapershouldbeW-shaped.(Ifusingpost-itnotes,makesurethestickystripisontheoutsideoftheWshape.)

2) Pushingtheunitflat,foldup(alllayersof)thebottomleftcornertomeetthetopedge.Thenfolddownallofthetoprightcornertomeetthebottomedge.

3) Nowmakeacreasealongthediagonalbetweenthetwotrianglesyoujustfolded.

4) Repeatthiswithalltheotherpiecesofpaper,makingsuretofollowtheexactinstructionseachtime.Youshouldget30modulesthatlooklikethis:

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5) Thetrickyparthasnowcome:assemblingthemodel!Themainthingyouneedtoknowishowtofitthreemodulestogetheratacorner.

To fit two together, open up the flap of onemodule slightly (i.e. the bottom of theWshape) and tuck the second module inside, lining up the crease of the triangle of thesecondmodulewith the longdiagonal creaseof the firstmodule. Then tuck in the thirdmoduleinasimilarway.

Continuefittingmodulestogetheruntilyougetadodecahedron,whichhas12pentagonalsides.

Thelastfewmoduleswillbeabittrickytogetin,butdon’tgiveup!

Firstm

odule

Secondmodule

Tuckthisflapinsidethefirstmoduletolineupwiththelongdiagonal.

Foranextrachallenge,tryusingthreecoloursand

fittingthemodulestogethersothreedifferentcoloursmeetateachcorner.

Openuptheflaphereslightlytotuckthesecondmoduleinside.