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Last updated 6/12/2025

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There is a separtae page for Modular Designs (ie multiple sheet geometric designs made from compact paper shapes, which self-integrate into a stable design without needing to be sewn, glued or taped together)

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Folded Paper Kusudama - 1954 onwards

Kusudama were originally bags of cloth containing herbs. At some point - and I do not know when - the word kusudama also began to be used to describe hanging balls of flowers made from folded paper, which are glued or sewn together.

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1937

Diagrams for a Japanese Ornamental Ball appear in Margaret Campbell's 'Paper Toy Making', which was published by Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd in London, probably in 1937. According to the text 'The Japanese make six of these (blintzed bird bases), and sew them together at the points until a complete ball is made. ... A coloured bead finishes off each corner.'

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1956

'Paper Magic' by Robert Harbin, which was published by Oldbourne in London in 1956, contains a design called Harbin's 'Christmas Star Decoration' which is made by sewing together six Outer Space Ships.

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1964

'Secrets of Origami Old and New: The Japanese Art of Paper- Folding', which was published by Oldbourne Book Company in London in 1964, contained a design by George Rhoads titled 'Rhoad's Ornament' which was made by glueing together six folded units.

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1968

'Origami Polyhedra' by Bennett Arnstein was self-published through the vanity publisher Exposition Press in New York in 1968. In the Introduction the author describes the work as explaining 'how to make three-dimensional geometric models by sticking together folded pieces of paper with adhesive cellophane tape'.

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1969

Vol 9 issue 4 of the Origamian for Winter 1969 contains diagrams for Rae Cooker's Christmas Tree made from Robert Harbin's 'unbasic form'.

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