I won’t invent a story to explain what kusudama is, but I’ll quote:
Kusudama is a type of origami. This is the oldest traditional Japanese art of making paper balls. Balls are a variety of spheres consisting of paper flowers, rosettes or paper parts collected together different shapes. These individual parts are called modules.
The word "kusudama" translated from Japanese consists of two parts: "kusuri" - means "medicine", "tama" - "ball". Therefore, the word "kusudama" can be translated as "medicine ball". The Japanese hung such a ball filled with medicinal herbs over the patient’s bed and believed that it radiated positive energy. Kusudama were also used by the Japanese during the Shinto religious Kagura mysteries. This was the name of the rituals that developed on the basis of the magical solar cult. The sun was symbolized by huge bright red balls, the surface of which was created by the heads of paper carnations tightly pressed to each other. The balls were located at the corners of a quadrangular area. From balls to different sides multi-meter poles with flowers strung on them stuck out. And today, not a single Japanese holiday on the street, in a temple, or in a house is complete without kusudama.
According to another version, "kusudama" - from the Japanese kusu - camphor, from kusunoki - camphor tree. The age of the surviving trees is from 800 to 1000 years, the fruits are spherical - this explains the other half of the word. Kusudama is a camphor ball whose aroma is medicinal properties. In Japan, by the 8th-12th centuries, an aesthetic attitude towards smells had already been developed. Probably, camphor balls were placed in the inner container of a paper ball, and this is how the flavored kusudama ball came into being.
Kusuda requires a lot of time and dozens of modules to make. Now kusudama can serve as a wonderful decoration for any interior; you just need to hang the ball by a thread, cord or thin colored rope from the ceiling or lamp.
(from here)
And how did I come to live like this? :)
Very simple. The idea of decorating the tree and the house with origami was at first timidly realized in a Christmas ring and wreath, which now hang on my front door along with one of the stars.
Ring (Christy Butzen).
8 modules, no glue.
Then I fell ill with the stars and created a whole new galaxy from them :)
And then she added different toys and Christmas tree pendants.
Stars and pendants are good, of course, but what about a Christmas tree without balls?
One day I saw one kusudama on the Internet and said to myself - well, if it suddenly occurs to me to make a paper ball, then this is exactly what I will do. Kusudama was called Sweet Spring, I admired it and forgot for a year and a half.
Looking on the Internet for some distinct Christmas kusudama for the role Christmas ball, I came across such a miracle, reminiscent of a blooming poinsettia and... immediately began to make this miracle.
30 squares and 60 rectangles, glue.
But something scratched me and gave me no rest. Splinter. Deja vu.
I immersed myself in the Internet and found the very kusudama that I once liked so much. And it turned out that I marked the same thing twice - Christmas kusudama turned out to be Sweet Spring by Natalia Romanenko.
And I made it in the second - spring - version, because it’s just beautiful :)
Kusudama Sweet Spring (Natalia Romanenko)
The “petals” and “leaves” are bent slightly differently, and the poinsettia turns into daffodils. Or rather, on the contrary, narcissists winter holiday turned into a poinsettia :)
You can compare them in the first photo where they are side by side.
But my second kusudama was not the spring Sweet Spring, but a simple traditional kusudama of six modules, more like a cube. I didn’t even have beads to decorate it then, so I glued small buttons, even used ones.
And I made the third kusudama for a flash mob " Winter garden» - make topiary from kusudama - in the thematic community.
Remember that same collar from Teffi’s story, which demanded a new blouse, skirt, shoes, etc.? Here. This is my topic :)
First I bought a bucket.
I didn’t know anything about the “Winter Garden” at that time, and “topiary” for me was the word on the price tag in the store “ Interesting gifts" And then suddenly - a flash mob. And I already have a bucket. Which in no way fits a Christmas tree hung with origami - because it’s made of tin. And the old Czech beads fell apart. And suddenly I got carried away with the pieces. Everything is one to one. But first there was a bucket :)
Honestly, I once saw the idea - a pseudo-Christmas tree with balls - on the internet.
I don’t remember what kind of trick it was, of course. Some kind of spiky one.
Due to the fact that the sheets of paper had the same backside, but different face, it was necessary to choose a model with completely identical tips.
30 modules, rectangles, without glue.
You've already seen it on my New Year's card.
Rose unit (Tomoko Fuse)
Supporting cast:
Santa Claus (Marcela Brina)
flor de origami sakura (Toshikazu Kawasaki)
one hashi
pebbles from the beaches of Primorye
champagne corks
Japanese candy
Kusudama translated from Japanese means “medicine ball” (kusuri - medicine, tama - ball).
What is kusudama?
These are a variety of balls consisting of paper flowers or other parts collected together. These individual parts are called modules.
In ancient times, the Japanese filled such balls with medicinal herbs and believed that they emitted positive energy.
The art of kusudama comes from an ancient Japanese tradition where kusudama was used during Shinto religious rituals based on magical solar cults. The sun was symbolized by huge bright red balls consisting of paper carnations. The balls were located at the four corners of the court. And today, not a single Japanese holiday on the street, in a temple, or in a house is complete without kusudama.
There is another legend about the origin of the word “kusudama”. In ancient times, back in the 7th - 12th centuries, the Japanese put the fruits of the camphor tree - camphor balls - into paper figures. These are long-lived trees, their age now exceeds 800-1000 years. Camphor balls have healing properties. Figurines with them were laid out or hung in the bedroom, exuded a pleasant aroma and had a beneficial effect on the health of the people in it.
Thus, it turns out that the word “kusudama” comes from the Japanese “kusu”, which translates as camphor.
Folding kusuda can be roughly divided into three parts.
The first is folding modules. The better and neater the modules are, the better the kusudama will look. The modules will be easier to nest into each other, and there will be no gaps in the model.
The second part is assembling a ball from modules.
The third part is for those who want to hang kusudama, then a cord, thread or thin colored rope is attached to it. You can attach a tassel of floss threads or colored beads to the bottom for decoration.
Kusudama is an important part of origami. It was initially seen as a predecessor to modular origami, rather than a subsection of modular origami. The fact is that in many models, the elements that make up kusudama are sewn or glued together, and not nested into each other, as suggested modular origami. However, modern origami artists such as Tomoko Fuse are creating new kusudama designs that are completely assembled without glue or thread.
According to tradition, you can fill the ball with incense, herbs or flower petals.
It has long been confirmed in Japan and Europe that kusudama helps improve memory, attention, and has a good effect on the well-being of adults and children.
Master class “Ball-lily”
The master class includes 36 flowers - lilies, which are sewn into a ball using threads. Lilies can be made of one color, but a ball made of paper of three colors looks more interesting. You can make a “tail” for the ball from any thread.
To work you will need:
Thick paper;
Threads, needle;
Ribbon, beads.
First we will make the main element - the lily. To do this, take a square sheet of 9/9 cm. Bend the sheet lengthwise. Ironed it with your hands.
Press the middle of the sheet and fold the paper so that you get a “double square”.
This is how the “double square” turned out.
We must straighten and iron each side of the square, as in the photo, and so on 4 times (4 corners).
We ended up with this figure:
We bend the corners to the center of our figure.
We straighten the “pocket” by bending the lower part of the “pocket” upward. And so 4 times.
We bend the “tail” of the unfolded figure upwards.
Turn the workpiece over so that it has a flat side. We bend the corners of the figure towards the center.
We straighten the petals, bend each petal down.
We straighten and curl the petals with scissors. Lily is ready.
Next you need to make 36 such lilies. Take a thread and a needle and sew 3 lilies together, then the next 3 flowers, and so on. Leave a long thread, it will be needed at the end of the work. In conclusion, we tie all 12 groups of lilies together. You can sew a ribbon or ribbon with a tassel to the “center” of the kusudama.
Master class “Icicles”
Master class “Blooming icicles”
The beginning of the folding of the modules is exactly the same as in Icicles, but at the final stage in this version they are given greater openness. A very beautiful and lively decoration option! You can also choose a suitable pendant to match the colors of the paper and attach it to one of the ends - this will visually lengthen the ball and add new colors.
Master class “Little Roses”
Master class “Clover”
The origami technique is multifaceted, it includes not only addition various models from a sheet of paper, but also modular figures, which involve the production of identical elements and their subsequent combination into one whole. It is by this principle that kusudama is made, which is the name given to flower balls created from individual elements.
The Japanese word "kusudama" translates to "medicine ball". Previously, the Japanese placed various medicinal herbs inside kusudama and stirred it over the patient’s bed. And these days these magic balls are used simply for decoration and decoration of premises.
Kusudama - photos and diagrams of how to make
In this master class I will show 5 options - how to make kusudama from paper with step by step photos with your own hands.
Openwork paper ball
These paper balls with a brush can be used for indoor decoration or hung on a Christmas tree. It all depends on your imagination. The openwork ball turns out to be very original and beautiful.
To create it you will need the following materials:
- stripes white– 30 pieces (size 4.5x9 cm);
- blue stripes - 30 pieces (size 4.5x9 cm);
- PVA glue;
- strong knitting thread.
Stages of work:
Take a blue strip of paper and fold it in half from left to right.
Then return to the starting position. Thus, the middle of the strip is visible.
Bend the upper left corner of the strip up to the middle.
Do the same with the second corner, that is, the right one. You just need to bend it from top to bottom.
Now bend the upper left corner down and the right corner up to the center line.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 again.
Now carefully unfold everything to the initial position of the leaf.
Take a white piece of paper and fold it in half.
Then step back about 0.5 - 0.7 mm down and bend again.
Carefully fold the leaf to the middle like an accordion.
At the end, there is no need to bend the corrugation one last time; there should be a protrusion.
Do the same with the second side of the workpiece. In the end it should look like this.
Now you need to bend the lower left and upper right corner.
WITH reverse side the workpiece looks like this.
Then bend on both sides along the marked lines.
We bend the entire part along the lines of the blue blank. In the end it comes out like this.
The white center must be glued using PVA glue.
There should be 30 such blanks.
Now assembling the ball. Take one module and coat the pocket near the corrugation with glue.
Glue the second module in the same way as in the photo.
So glue 5 blanks together.
Continue gluing the side modules in a circle until a ball is formed.
At the end, make a brush and attach it to the ball.
This is such a beautiful and original openwork paper ball. It can be used simply for interior decoration.
In addition, this craft can be done with children and involve them in creativity.
Sonobe ball
This kusudama is perfect for a beginner. It consists of only 30 modules, which are very easy to fold.
To work, you will need 30 paper squares with a side of 8 to 10 cm. It is very convenient to use leaves from writing blocks, but you can cut squares from colored paper. In this version, 8.5 cm squares are taken in five different colors.
Let's start folding the module. Take a square of paper and fold it in half.
Unfold and fold the edges again towards the midline.
From opposite sides we bend the corners to the first horizontal line.
Bend the corners again.
Fold the sides towards the center of the square.
Make two diagonal folds.
We repeat the action in the other direction to get this pattern of lines.
We turn over one side of the workpiece and put a corner there.
We return the bend to its place.
On the other side, we tuck the edge of the paper into the resulting pocket to create a diamond shape.
Fold the rhombus in half.
We fold the triangle towards the center of the module.
We do the same with the other edge. The module is ready.
When all 30 pieces have been collected, we begin assembling the kusudama. We push the corner of one part into the pocket of another.
We form a pyramid of three modules.
In the future, when assembling, we focus on the “star” of five pyramids. This is what the correctly assembled side of the kusudama should look like.
We continue to collect. If the modules were made carefully, then everything will turn out smoothly and without glue. The last 2-3 modules are difficult to insert. Make sure your creation doesn't fall apart.
Our kusudama is ready.
You can decorate it with a ribbon or tassel and attach a loop for hanging. Or you can leave it like that.
Kusudama flower ball "Bells"
Bells are very beautiful flowers. They can be easily made from paper and shaped like a ball. A little-known technique called kusudama will help with this. At first glance, it may seem that the craft is very complicated, but it is not so. If you strictly follow the instructions, you can make such a ball quickly and easily.
Required materials:
- paper squares measuring 8x8 cm - 60 pcs.;
- PVA glue;
- paper clips;
- knitting thread;
- big bead.
Step-by-step diagram for making a kusudama ball
01. Take one piece, that is, a square and place it with an acute angle upward to form a rhombus.
2. Now bend the workpiece from bottom to top horizontally.
4. Then bend the left half in half from top to bottom.
5. Bend the right half of the workpiece down. Then bend it in half.
6. Now fold the left corner of the module towards the right so that they do not overlap each other, but simply touch.
7. Hide the right corner of the module as shown in the photo.
8. Bend the upper triangle, which extends beyond the workpiece lines, down.
10. It is necessary to make 60 such blanks.
11. Each flower consists of five modules. They need to be glued in a circle. In order for them to be fixed, they must be fastened with paper clips.
12. There should be 12 flowers in total.
13. All bell blanks also need to be glued together with glue and secured with paper clips.
14. Glue the remaining flowers in a circle and form a ball.
15. Make a brush from knitting thread.
16. After the ball has dried and the parts are holding tightly, remove the paper clips and pull a brush through any hole in the ball and secure with a large bead. Kusudama ball “Bells” is ready.
This is the kind of beauty you can make with your own hands. This ball can be hung on a window or on a wall in a room. They can also be used to decorate Christmas tree. It all depends on your imagination and preferences.
Master class on making such a bright kusudama flower from paper.
To work, you will need a colored sheet of paper, some object for drawing circles, a pencil, scissors, and PVA glue.
Draw six identical circles on paper and cut them out.
Fold one of the circles in half.
Let's unfold it, after which you need to make a fold in the middle on one of the halves.
Turn the workpiece over to the other side and form small indentations in the upper part.
Apply a little PVA glue to one fourth of the circle from the edge.
Let's connect this part of the circle, and then apply glue to the other quarter of the circle.
Let's glue it together, our workpiece takes on the following form.
This is what one of the petals looks like from the front side.
Using the same principle, we make 5 more petals.
We begin to glue these elements together. Apply a strip of glue to one of them.
Let's connect this petal to another.
Let's continue gluing them together, and in the end we get a flower.
The flower using the kusudama technique is ready!
Video lesson “Kusudama superball”
The origami technique is becoming more and more popular every day. And this is not surprising. After all, with its help you can create masterpieces from paper. This process is so exciting that it cannot even be put into words. Of course, creating crafts requires a lot of time and materials. But such work brings pleasure, including aesthetic pleasure.
To make a small cute Christmas tree, one piece of paper is enough. The model will turn out more interesting if you use double-sided colored paper. General list necessary materials small.
To work with crafts using the kusudama technique, you must first stock up on:
- thick paper;
- scissors;
- marker or pencil.
Video master class. Christmas tree kusudama
The whole process takes place in several steps:
- Cut a square from a prepared paper sheet; for a Christmas tree, green is better, but it can be anything. The dimensions of the tree will match its dimensions.
- Form the lines of future folds. To do this, the paper should be folded diagonally twice.
- Fold a new transverse square.
- Using the marked fold lines, fold the square again. You should have two pockets with folded side flaps. In the final form, the figure will look like a flower.
- Next, you need to bend the corner parts of the workpiece and cut off the protruding corners.
The resulting triangle is again folded into pockets to increase the number of layers. Using a pencil or marker, small lines indicate the locations of future cuts. It is important that they do not reach the central fold and are not connected to each other.
After the cuts are made, the triangle must be straightened. It will already turn out to be something like a toy Christmas tree. The craft will turn out smooth if the folds are at the same distance from each other.
The piece of paper must be folded in the same direction. The fold lines should follow the cuts, at the ends of each of which you will get small triangles. That's it, the craft is ready!
If you want the tree to be larger, you can use whatman paper. The main secret is to take a thinner sheet so that it does not burst in the area of the fold lines.
White paper can be pre-painted with bright watercolors, not necessarily monochromatic. And if you spare the strokes of green finger paints, you will get excellent stains, similar to malachite ones. This double coloring turns out to be very beautiful.
