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These are the first steps to creating a Kawasaki Rose, an origami model invented by Japanese artist and
mathematician Toshikazu Kawasaki. This model uses a technique called iso-area folding, where the
folder creates a pattern of pre-creases while the paper is flat, then collapses the model into a 3D shape.
I will be using an 8-inch piece of origami paper because it is easy to show the steps, but any square will
do, and a square cut from an 8.5*11 sheet of paper will do very well if you don’t have any fancy paper
with you. It will be easier to follow along and harder to make mistakes if the sides are different colors,
but it is certainly not necessary.
Part 1: Pre-Crease Pattern aka “The Easy Part”
The paper I have chosen is red on the top and white on the bottom, so the rose will be red when it is all
done. Arrows indicate directions of folds, and dotted lines show where the creases will be made. Make
sure that you crease each fold very firmly using a fingernail (I use my thumbnail) or your creases might
not stay.
1.
The first step is to fold the paper in half, then
unfold it. Do this in both the vertical and
horizontal direction to divide the paper into
quarters.
2.
Next, fold both of the edges to the center
crease and unfold. Do this in both
directions to divide the paper into 16ths.
3.
Now fold each of the corners in as shown.
Do not unfold these corners.
4.
Now fold the edge of the paper up to the 3/4
mark and unfold. Repeat this step in all 4
directions. The next step shows these creases.
5.
The next step is folding a small square in
the center of the paper, with each side
half-way between the creases from the
previous step (shown in blue) and the
center creases (which divide the paper
into halves).
To do this, bend the center crease and a crease from the
previous step into 90 degree angles to make a U-shape
like the one in the picture to the right. Note that the
model is not flat at this point.
Now squish the model flat by folding the bottom of the U in half between the two sides. Line up the
bottom edges as seen in the left picture and crease the fold through the paper. The image below shows
the new creases in black, the center creases in green, and the creases from the previous step in blue.
6.
Now fold the model in half
diagonally and unfold it. Do this in
both directions.
7.
The next step is making the creases
shown to the right. Orient the paper
so that one of the corners is pointing
towards you, then fold that corner up
toward the opposite corner. The
centerline of your corner will meet
the tip of the opposite corner, and
the creases shown below in green and
black will line up. Make a crease
starting at the centerline and moving
to the left. There is a wider view of
this step on the next page.
The fold is along the blue line (only fold the paper, please). Repeat this step in all 4 directions.
8.
These creases are the next step. Fold a corner up
to the center crease. The blue line below shows
the crease, which is from the crease from the
previous step (shown in black) extending to the
right up to the edge. Do it 4 times.
9.
Now fold and unfold along the black line. The picture below shows the fold in progress. Do it 3 more
times.
10.
Now fold and unfold along this black line.
Note that this crease intersects with the
previous crease at the circle. The picture
below shows the fold in progress. Rotate the
paper by 90 degrees, then repeat this step
until symmetry is restored.
11.
Make a crease along this line. The circle marks the intersection of this crease and the creases from the
previous two steps. The picture below shows this step in progress. Ensure that this step is done a total
of 4 times.
And that is all of the pre-creasing that you have to do! Tune in next time for Part 2: Collapsing the
Model aka “The Hard Part” aka “The Fun Part”.
Bottom
Top
Part 2: Collapsing the Model
The second part of creating this model involves using the creases we made during Part 1 to
make the final flower. The following steps are not particularly difficult (except for the optional final
step), meaning they don’t use any special techniques or minute folds. However, they are fairly difficult
to communicate well, so make sure that you read the directions carefully and look hard at the pictures.
12.
Begin with the white side of the paper up, and bend
the diagonal centerline crease (black line) to about
a 90 degree angle, with the open ends pointed
away from you. The paper should look like the
picture below.
Now do the same with the centerline
crease in the other direction (black line).
This will result in a rough pyramid shape,
seen below.
Remember the small square we folded in the
center of the paper way back in step 5?
Flatten out the top of your pyramid along the
creases that make up this square. The paper
should now look like the picture below.
Bend this center square along the
centerline so that it forms a V shape, as
seen below.
Start to flatten the shape out by
following the natural direction of
the indicated creases. The next
page shows more views of this
step.
This is a view from the underside
of the former pyramid. The
creases involved are the
centerline crease and the long
crease running parallel. These
creases will naturally want to
fall into a double Z shape, seen
below.
Now, flatten the Z shapes out so
that the model sits flat.
13.
Now turn the model so that the top of the
once-pyramid is facing you, and begin to
open the shape back up into a square,
while leaving the Z shapes folded. Fold
the edges out until the shape is
symmetrical, as seen in the picture below.
Once the object is flat, go over each of the creases
shown in black with a thumbnail to make them
sharper. This helps make the model neater and hold
together better.
14.
Turn the paper over so that the colored side is facing
you. This step is very hard to explain, so you will
need to use the pictures to see what to do. Place
your fingers underneath one of the ridges that goes
from the center of the paper to the corner, and
spread it out so that it takes the shape below and to
the right. The creases that are highlighted below
will become 90 degree angles in this shape. All of
the folds in this step are done along existing creases,
so if you can’t get it at first, you may be able to get it
with a little experimentation. Keep your right thumb
positioned at the center of the square, and keep at it
until you get the correct shape.
This is what the model looks like after doing
one of the corners.
Now repeat this process on the 3
remaining corners, until you get
the shape shown below.
15.
Fold over this point. The hollow arrow is origami
notation that means “push here”, in this case, you
should push the indicated corner inward to help fold
the point over. Once you are done, it should look like
the image below.
Now flatten the shape by folding along the line
indicated to the left. It should now look like the
picture below.
Now flatten out the right side of this
shape by folding over as shown to the
right. These folds do not go all the way
along those two creases, so make sure
you only fold where it is indicated here.
The model should look like the image
below.
Now fold this corner around behind the shape, which
will sort of help to hold what you did so far in place.
When you are done, you should get something like the
picture below.
Now repeat this step 3 more times on the
other corners. I usually proceed to the right
around the model, but it doesn’t really matter.
The picture to the right shows me starting on
the next point. As you fold the other 3 points,
the points you have already done may come
apart, so after you have done all 4 points, you
may need to fold them back together. The
result of this step can be seen in the picture
below.
16.
For this step, you want to flatten out the square in the center of the flower. Cup the flower in your hand
as seen above and gently use your thumb to smooth out the inside. When you are done, it should look
like the rightmost image above.
17.
Take one of the points and fold it inside of the flower along the line shown above, then pull it back up
out of the flower. This will leave you with a crease that will be used later to seal the base of the rose.
Repeat for the 3 other points.
18.
Grab the flower by the points shown here and gently pull them apart. Then, make a crease along the
line indicated above. Repeat for the other 3 points. This step is not essential, but it loosens up the
petals and makes the flower look nicer in the end.
19.
Now fold each of the points into the center of the flower using the creases made in step 17. Proceed
around the flower in the clockwise direction, and tuck the last point under the first like you are closing a
cardboard box. The flower should look like the picture below once all 4 points are folded in. This is the
bottom of the flower.
20.
Take one of the petals along the side of the flower
and gently bend it down towards the bottom of
the flower. Do not make a crease here. Repeat
this for the other 3 side petals.
This is what the flower looks like with all 4
side petals bent down.
21.
Gently pull the flower open one petal at a time. Start by pulling a single petal out a small ways, then
move on to the next one (proceeding clockwise) once you feel any resistance. Each petal that you pull
out gives a little more space to pull out the next one, so it gets a little easier as you go along.
Once the flower is open, you can gently sculpt the petals into the final shape. There is a lot of freedom
here, so play around a little until you like how the flower looks.
And that is the Kawasaki Rose! Well done! Now try the bonus step.
Bonus Step.
This step involves curling each of the rose petals down and out to make the flower look more organic
and elegant. This step can be very difficult, depending on how small your flower is (smaller is harder),
but it is fairly self-explanatory. Just curl each of the petals down as far as it can go and try not to crease
it too hard. Play around a bit to find what looks nice and what works for you. Good Luck!