Customer Reviews

Origami Ornaments: The Ultimate Kusudama Book

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't agree with the review saying there were problems. I have made the Lantern and many others without any problems. The instructions are very clear and the results are great looking! I especially like the fact that they are "pure" origami (no glue or cutting required).

However, it definately would have been nice to have actual photographs of the finished products. But this is still the best book I have found for making ornaments and/or balls. It is a lot better than "Kusudama : Ball Origami" which required glue and/or string for several of the models.

This book has very clear explanations, and nice designs. No actual photographs of the projects, except the ones in the cover, which is why I rated it 4 stars. Having photos of the actual projects would have helped a lot in the construction of these models.

Kusudams without glue: a pleasure! I made the Two-Dimesional icon ,Three-Dimensional icon, Where's up? (i very love this last) (7 squares for all). The Cube (20 squares) is wonderful because it have something as wings.The Magic cube (14 squares) look good too. The Tristar (6 squares) need a pair of tweezers but his form is very pleasant (triangle). But i had some problems with others. The Lantern and the Lightstar lantern didn't need squares the same size! This book haven't pictures inside. When i'll made others kusudamas i'll write to tell what i think of the rest.

I own both a paper hardcopy of this book and the Kindle edition, so this review is a composite review of both versions.

First of all, I absolutely love the original book. Rozelle has clear instructions and simple line illustrations for making modules which can be combined in many different ways. Most of the modules are made from a single standardized paper square size, although in some cases the square size is modified by quartering or blintzing. There's also a "Complex Base" that's made with larger squares. (If you can get a supply of ~3.5" paper memo squares, those are a great size to start with; they're also conveniently proportioned for cutting your own blintz-sized 2.5" squares or larger 5" "up-blintzed" squares, if I can make up my own jargon on the spot. 3" mini-squares of origami paper are also a good starting size.)

There are only a few fundamental module categories, but it's wonderful to see how many variations Rozelle comes up with. "Bases" are square face panels that can be modified in various decorative ways, including some that pop them up into three-sided pyramids. "Hinges" are simple blintzed quarter-squares that smoothly join two Bases along one polyhedral edge. "Clips" are more elaborate edge connectors that join two Bases with a projecting starpoint. "Joiners" connect three or more Bases around polyhedral vertices. Bases, Clips, and Joiners all have multiple variations and can be further embellished by adding contrast-color "Inserts" (usually a simple quarter-square tucked inside). All of these can be interconnected with simple folding techniques without recourse to glue; there are also instructions for incorporating string tassels and hanging loops into the folds.

The simple line drawings seem perfectly suited to the Kindle transfer, but I have to admit that I'm feeling fiercely ambivalent about the e-book version. Technically, it has all of the same main content as the original hardcopy, but I'm finding it much harder to use. The Kindle version breaks up each folding pattern to one or two elementary steps per page, so it's much harder to browse through quickly. And in what I regard as a truly serious flaw, the Kindle version truncates the Table of Contents and chops off the "Units" list summarizing all of the module variations: 13 different Bases (about half of which are Complex Bases), 4 different Clips, and 10 different Joiners. I can't just add the "Units" list to my Kindle as a typed-in note, because the original hardcopy list is indexed by page and the e-book isn't paginated. The information is still in there; it's just harder to get to.

So five stars all the way for the original hardcopy version; three stars for the Kindle version as it currently stands. I guess that kinda averages out to four stars.

Okay book if you wish to go with no glue, no staples etc. Feel overpriced in listed sources. Check with New England Fair Bookmobile, in Newton, MA. As of 1/31/09, had 4-5 copies in their remainder shelves. Good luck for those who desire acopy of this book.

This book is excellent to teach middle school students the art of origami. There are many different designs that students will enjoy. Students enjoy origami with complicated folds and this one has several ones.