Kusudama (薬玉; lit. medicine ball) a paper model formed by sewing or gluing units together. Some origami artists dislike the use  of papercutting and gluing, but I like them since they make lovely decorations. For ‘true’ modular origami, the artist Tomoko Fuse comes to mind.

Kusudama balls (as they are commonly known as, even though the translation comes out wrong) are the most common form of modular origami there is. I’ve made plenty in the past, before I started my venture in ‘true’ modular origami. (I even did a tutorial on how to make a single flower if you’ve never made one before, although it was done in an older format.) Here’s some tips to make your average kusudama stand out.

Firstly, create your twelve units! Pretty paper is the best choice, I used floral. And opt for two, or six colours. Not three… It’s hard to coordinate.

Get some superglue out and attach some nice buttons to the middle of the flower. I chose plain white, I had too many lying around.

Start gluing units together. Simple PVA glue does the job well, when used with a paintbrush.

String up the kusudama. I coordinated coloured twine, beads and cranes.

Remember to glue the thread down to keep it in place.

Keep assembling until full, as per usual.

To finish, add some beads maybe, and tie up with a double knot.

Isn’t it pretty? Hope you have other methods of making the average kusudama stand out.