2 Sept 2018

Easy Origami Rose tutorial for kids

Come September...so now it is warm rather than the sun blasting its heat on the head, the grass is cooler. A new month has come, and as we try to forget the summer, here's a  new origami tutorial...yes after a long time I suppose. Well, lets say I was busy managing my summer time with some freelancing projects and there was hardly any time to pursue a hobby. But then, here I am back with a mini origami tutorial for kids. It is a paper rose made from two different sheets of paper and is a rather easy tutorial. I shall try posting more tutorials in between work, no promises though!

For now, let's learn to make an easy origami rose. It's so easy that anyone who doesn't like too many folds can also make it. 

Origami Rose Tutorial by Art Hours
You will need two square sheets - one for the rose and one for the leaf.

Procedure to make the rose flower:

Here we have used a 4" pink colored paper with one side white. Start with the white side on the top.


  • Step 01- Make a horizontal and vertical crease along the center of the paper
  • Step 02 - Now fold all the four corners to meet at the centre
  • Step 03 - Fold in the tips as shown in the figure.
  • Step 04 - Fold the four corners backwards along the hidden lines shown to give shape to the flower and that's done.
Let's make the leaf now. 

Procedure to make the leaf:
Here we have used a 3" square green color sheet.


  • Step 01 - Make a diagonal crease along the centre.
  • Step 02 - Fold the top corners to meet at the centre.
  • Step 03 - Note the crease in the picture for the next fold.
  • Step 04 - Fold the lower flaps to meet at the centre.
  • Step 05 - Fold the leaf into half.
  • Step 06 - Pocket fold along the hidden lines and the leaf is ready.
So here's how it will look like, once the two units are assembled. 
Origami Rose Flower
This is an easy flower to fold, so do give it a try.

You can use this origami flower model to decorate and make greeting cards. The options are endless, just be creative.

Hope this tutorial is helpful.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a good day.

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13 Feb 2018

Learn to make Origami Heart Clover for decoration this Valentine


Looking for last minute ideas for Handmade gifts or decorations for this Valentine's?
You have landed on the right page...Through this post today, you will learn to fold an origami Heart Clover that you can use to make decorations for cards, gift toppers and more...

Tutorial by Art Hours


Category: Modular Origami
Level of difficulty: On a scale of 5,  I would give it a 3.
Heart Clover Origami

Below is a picture tutorial, followed by a written step by step explanation, that will guide you to make this model.

Material used:
8.75cm x 8.75cm square sheets cut out from the printer paper. Requires 4 such square units. You can use any square sized sheets depending upon the requirement.

Procedure:
Steps to follow as per the picture above for making the Clover unit. 
If you are using a two-sided different colored paper, start with white side on the top and proceed with the instructions in the same way.

Heart Clover Unit 

Instructions to make the Heart Clover Unit:
  1. Fold in half along the centers to make the horizontal and vertical creases and then open it. Note the hidden lines for the fold in the next step.
  2. Fold in as shown.
  3. Turn over and note the hidden lines for the next fold.
  4. Fold along the hidden lines to meet at the centre.
  5. Turn over and note the hidden lines to make the next fold.
  6. Fold along the hidden lines.
  7. Now focus on the upper part of the unit. Squash open the folds and fold as shown.
  8. Note the hidden lines for the next fold.
  9. Fold in both the sides along the hidden lines to meet at the centre.
  10. Fold in the top triangles along the indicated hidden lines.
  11. Turn over and one heart unit is ready.
Tutorial by Art Hours
Heart Clover Model Assembly

Instructions to assemble the model:
  1. Follow the instructions above and make a total of 4 units.
  2. Insert units one by one, below each other as shown in the picture above and glue them. The heart clover model is ready.

You can use this origami model to make greeting cards or decorate the gifts by using them as gift toppers and gift them to your dear and near ones this Valentine's season. Your friends will love receiving gifts made by hand and if it is such a pretty thing, your efforts will surely be appreciated.

Hope this tutorial inspires you to make many such beautiful origami models.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a nice day ahead and... yes...wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day. 
Keep folding and spreading peace and love.

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7 Feb 2018

Origami Tutorial: Sonobe unit and a glimpse into Sonobe Variations


The last few months have been a great journey while we explored the world of 3D and modular origami. In the process, we discovered beautiful models designed by several origami artists around the world. Most popular is, of course, the Sonobe model. On digging out the internet we found that their origin is still unknown. Two of the possible creators could be Toshie Takohama and Mitsunobu Sonobe, who have published several books together and are members of the Origami Group. 

The beauty of the Sonobe unit lies in its flexibility to combine in several different combinations that can be used to build a simple triangular bipyramid, cube, trisoctahedron to many complicated polyhedrons. Origami artists around the world have experimented with this basic unit and have built several variations using the same unit. 

Here's a picture tutorial you can follow to make a Sonobe unit.
Art Hours
Sonobe Unit: Picture Tutorial by Art Hours

The model made of three units results in a triangular bipyramid. Using six units results in a cube. Using twelve Sonobe units, results in a triakis octahedron.  Using 30 units you can make a triakis icosahedron. 

Here's a picture of a bipyramid (also called a dipyramid) that was built using 3 Sonobe units. Only 3 units were used to build the bipyramid which has 6 triangular faces and hence can also be called a hexahedron.
tutorial by art hours
A Triangular Bipyramid using 3 sonobe units

Below is a picture of a cube that was built using 6 nos. of Sonobe units. This one has six square faces as visible in the picture.
tutorial by art hours
Origami Cube using 6 Sonobe units

We found several models of the Sonobe on the internet and had fun building models from different types of variations. Below is a picture of a Trisoctahedron we built using 12 units of the Sonobe unit but its a slightly different variation of the Sonobe unit. The shape that resulted is actually an octahedron with triangular pyramids added on its every face. So, it has 8 extreme ends or tips and each tip has 3 triangular faces. Totally, it has 24 triangular faces.

We used magazine paper to build the model...one way of putting magazine paper to good use instead of throwing them away, and after all, recycling is the buzzword nowadays!

Trisoctahedron made from 12 units - variation of Sonobe unit

Here are two more models using the same variation of Sonobe unit used above for the trisoctahedron. The cube was made using 6 units and the Triambic Icosahedron was made using 30 units.

Left Front: Cube using 6 units
Right Back: Triambic Icosahedron using 30 units

We tried out several other variations too. Below is something splendid we tried using other variations developed by Maria Sinayskaya. She calls it the Rose Kusudama. You will find the model diagrams on her website. By the way kusudama is a Japanese word which means medicine balls (kusuri means medicine and tama means a ball in Japanese). They were used for incense and potpourri; nowadays typically used as decorations or gifts.

The first model you see in the picture below is a yellow rose kusudama, made from 12 nos. of 1:2 rectangular sheets. The second model is a pink rose kusudama, made from 12 nos. square sheets. Personally, I loved the second model, as it turns out to be a sturdy one. 

Rose Kusudama using 12 nos. 1:2 Rectangular sheet

Rose Kusudama using 12 nos. Square sheet

We are still exploring many other origami models and designing our own variations too.

Our journey is Origami is getting interesting day by day...keep visiting us more often to learn and explore the art world. 

Stay with us, learn, like and share. Your valuable comments and feedback are welcome.

Follow us on Instagram to explore what we are working on currently: www.instagram.com/archguide16 or stop by our FB page:fb.me/arthours to explore our tutorials and student workshops.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a good day...
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27 Jan 2018

Origami Sunburst Star Tutorial


“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, sometimes you don't need darkness to see stars. Make one yourself and you will see stars even during daytime...ok...I am talking here about making one all by yourself using paper and here's where Origami comes to help you!

Now, I don't know who is the original designer of this star model but it is probably one of the easiest origami star models, you will find on the internet that comes under the category of modular. All you need is just two equally sized square sheets and follow the instructions closely and you will be able to make an 8-pointed star in just a few minutes. 


In this post, I am giving you a picture tutorial for making the origami star. Found the pictures in my archive folders...have many such pictures but time is a constraint. However, here you will find a detailed step by step tutorial showing you how to make an 8-pointed star using just two square sheets of paper. Fold along with the pictures and you will end up making a pretty star during the daytime!

Category:Modular
Level of Difficulty: Easy. On a scale of 5, I will give it a 2. 
Need to know: Pinwheel Base, Petal fold.
Materials required: 2nos. square sheet. Here we have used 10 cm square sheet for the tutorial.

Procedure: 
If you know how to make a pinwheel base, it is easy from there. However, if you don't then let's just start from the beginning. 

art hours tutorial
Steps to fold an Origami Sunburst Star

Step by Step Procedure:

  • Step 01: Start with a square sheet with white side on top. Here, we have used the same color on both sides. Apply the valley folds on the white side dividing the sheet into 16 equal parts. Also, apply valley folds along both the diagonals.
  • Step 02: Turn the sheet over and fold all the four corners of the sheet to the center. 
  • Step 03: Turn it over, follow the creases to get the pinwheel base. 
  • Step 04: Fold the corners as shown to the centre
  • Step 04b: Open the corners and squash them to four squares.
  • Step 05: Now apply the valley folds as shown one by one to every square. Also, called the petal fold.
  • Step 06: Next peel open the layers along the creases to get diamond shapes at every corner.
  • Step 07: Turn over the model.
  • Step 7b: Fold the tips down for all the four squares. One unit with four points is ready.
  • Step 08: Make one more similar unit.
  • Step 09: Place one module over another and secure the stars together by folding the tips down.
  • Step 10: The 8-pointed star is ready. 
You can make many such stars and use them for cards, decorations or as gift toppers. Try using glossy sheets to get the shining and twinkling effects if you wish to...

If you make one, do post the pictures here. Would love to see your origami models too.

Hope the tutorial is helpful.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a good day!

Note: 
We make a lot of handmade paper products customized on request by clients...Do visit our profile on instagram to view the latest on our products....www.instagram.com/archguide16. Do like, comment and share. Message us directly or write to us with your requirements to help you serve better.

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22 Jan 2018

Happy Basant Panchami 2018

Today is Vasant/Basant Panchami - a day when Indians all around the world celebrate the Spring Festival. Basant means Spring and Panchami means fifth day, as it falls on the fifth day of the month of Magh of the Hindu Calendar. 

Bengalis and many others celebrate this festival by worshipping Goddess Saraswati, representing creative energy, wisdom and power. So if you are student you will not give exams or even go to the school today without seeking the blessings of Goddess Saraswati...

Basant Panchami-
Goddess Saraswati is seated on a Lotus,
hence my offering to the deity, seeking Her blessings

It also marks the auspicious beginning of learning known as 'Vidyaarambh' for children who iniate writing for the first time. I don't remember my childhood days, but for my daughter this Vidyaarambh ceremony was done in a temple where a Pandit made her write the first alphabets (a,b,c) in English, Hindi and Bengali. He was a Pandit who knew all the three languages!

Educational institutes in India, arrange prayers or puja in the morning seeking blessings of Goddess Saraswati. While in school, I always participated in some creative activity like dance or music, and not to forget the puja celebrations by the Bengali Association in my township. We were a small community of Bengalis but we celebrated Saraswati Puja with great enthusiasm and energy. In fact, we children didn't go to schools that day but would submit our school books at the feet of the deity to seek Her blessings...we would be dressed in our best yellow dresses and would enjoy the festivity with sweets and prasad bhog (offerings made to the deity) and had lots of fun ofcourse. 

These memories are still fresh in my mind, something I regret as an expat since my daughter misses all the cultural associations and festivities...call it the woes of an expat living abroad!

Wishing you all a very Happy Basant Panchami...to all Indians who celebrate this festival around the world...May Goddess Saraswati remove all the Lethargy and Ignorance, and may She brighten our lives with knowledge and wisdom.

Have a good day...while I go ahead and make preparations for the puja at home with khichuri, labra and payesh - small offering to the Goddess from my side.

Thank you for stopping by.

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7 Jan 2018

Learn to fold an Origami Camel: Origami Tutorial

New Year begins with several new resolutions, new wishes, new hopes and new directions. And as we proceed ahead with the new beginnings, we wish to learn and explore new things and add to our knowledge and skills.

Our first origami project this year begins with an origami camel...yeah..the ship of the desert and these unique creatures are recognized by their humps. And before we begin to learn how to fold an origami camel, here are some interesting facts about a camel that I found on the internet:
  • Camels are social animals who roam the deserts in search of food and water. Also, they are known to be very peaceful animals.
  • Asian camels have two humps whereas Arabian camels only one.
  • Camels have two rows of thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from the desert dust. They can also close their nostrils and lips to keep out the dust.
  • They have a strong hearing sense.
  • A thirsty camel can drink up to 135 liters of water at a go...now that's what I call interesting!
  • In Arab culture, the Camel symbolizes patience, tolerance, and endurance. Oh, and there are over 160 words for 'camel' in the Arabic language. 

Origami Camel
This post contains a freehand sketch of the steps to fold an origami camel. Also, follows is a picture tutorial that will show how to fold the same.

For those of you who know how to fold an origami bird base, the steps to fold an origami camel is easy thereafter. However, if you still wish to learn to fold an origami square base then here the steps to fold the same. Just click on this link that will take you to the tutorial for folding the square base.

Now follows a quick freehand sketch showing steps to fold an origami camel beginning from a square base as shown in step 01. Step 3 shows the bird base and thereafter the steps to fold the origami camel follows.
Steps to fold an Origami Camel

Here is the description of the steps to fold an origami camel.
  1. Step-1 starts with a square base. Apply the folds as shown in the step-1.
  2. Open the flaps of the model and flatten to get a diamond shape as shown in step 3. Repeat the steps on the back side also.
  3. Now, fold along the creases as shown in step-3.
  4. Apply pocket folds along the dotted lines.
  5. Pocket fold on the back flap along the hidden lines shown to get the rear leg.
  6. Fold down the flaps on the front and back side to get the two front legs.
  7. Now focus on the head area. Apply pocket fold to get a beak-like shape. Then apply another pocket fold to get the final shape of the head.
  8. Also, fold along the dotted lines as shown in step 7 to shape the rear end of the model. 
The picture below shows a pictorial diagram to fold the origami camel.
Only one drawback of this model is that it has one rear leg...so it is a three-legged camel!
Steps to fold an origami camel

Finally, this is how the completed model of the camel should look like.
Origami Camel Model Completed

Hope you find the tutorial useful. In our coming posts, we hope to post more such tutorials..so keep visiting this blog to learn and explore the world of art.

Thank you for stopping by...have a good day.

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6 Jan 2018

Learn to fold Origami Square Base and Origami Bird Base

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year...here's something that origami lovers will find useful.

In this post, you will learn how to fold an origami square base; also called preliminary base. And thereafter learn to fold a bird base. Both these are basic origami bases from which many origami models can be further developed.

Below is a freehand sketch of the origami bases and steps are explained later.

tutorial and diagram by arthours
Origami Square Base - Diagram

Steps to fold an Origami Square base:
  1. Start with the colored side on the top. Apply the crease along both the diagonals as shown in the figure.
  2. Turn over, and fold into half along the center vertically.
  3. Now fold horizontally along the center.
  4. Squash fold on the two sides to get a square base
  5. You get a square base in this step.

Now proceed further to get a bird base.

Steps to fold an Origami Bird base:

    6.  Now apply the folds as shown in step 5
    7.  Open all the folds applied.
    8.  You get a square base again with all the creases ready for the next step.

diagram by art hours
Origami Bird Base - Diagram


    09. Open the top flap along the folds applied.
    10. Keep opening the flap along the crease such that the sides will start to collapse at the center.
    11. Flatten to get a diamond shape. 
   12. Turn over and apply steps 6 to 11 on the back side as well to get a diamond shape on both sides. The bird base is ready.

Hope this tutorial is helpful.

Thank you for stopping by....Have a good day.
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