The Origami Forum

Recently, I got Lew Rozelle's book "Origami Ornaments".

I have had a lot of trouble getting the three-dimensional ornaments to stay locked. More specifically, I have had a lot of trouble getting them to stay locked when i use wrapping paper.

I tried the half-dressed cube with origami paper, and it worked well. When I shifted to trying it with wrapping paper, I could not get the different components to stay together.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what I might be doing wrong? The book says that it is intended for use with wrapping paper, so I do not qite understand what is going wrong.

I don't own this book in particular nor have I folded any of the ornaments. Yet I do know some of the physics of modulars, which I assume these ornaments are. When modulars don't stick together, you'll want to look at what kind of locking mechanism keeps the modules of paper together. Is the lock mechanical or friction-based? Most origami locks are friction-based, and for these the texture of the paper is often very important. You'll want a texture that provides ample friction. The recommendation of wrapping paper is likely a recommendation of the kind of wrapping paper that is not shiny and not very, very smooth. That would be my two cents

In conclusion, it is most likely the paper's fault that the ornaments won't stay locked together!

Thank you.

It works as follows. You fold certain things that create a kind of triangular pocket. You insert the corner of something into the pocket, and then fold the pocket over. That is supposed to lock things in.

It does sound like this would depend on friction to some extent. How do you check for the non-shiny wrapping paper, given that it tends to come in plastic wrap?