Double Triangle Box

Here is the third box which resulted from the exploration which led to the Diamond Boxes. This one has a triangle on both the insides and the outsides of the end walls. Once again the box can be made from any rectangular sheet of paper folded either lengthwise or widthwise. {Is that a word?}


Here is the CP.

I have made a set of step folds but they are a little rough and I have not photographed them yet. Formal diagrams are some time away. (As usual).

Diamond Box

Although non-origami life has been over full lately, I still manage to get my fingers folding. A long plane trip was the perfect time to send myself partially insane in an attempt to find a new way to fold a one-sheet box with double thickness walls and floor from a rectangular sheet of paper. The result is the Diamond Box: a version with the diamond on the inside and a version with the diamond on the outside.

The models have been made from American Letter sized paper but any rectangle will do. The pictured models demonstrate that it is possible to fold the box lengthwise as well as from the other orientation.


Once again I apologize for providing CPs which are not easy to follow. It will definitely be easier to fold these models when I have completed traditional folding diagrams and instructions. Not this week, I'm afraid.

Both versions of the box are best folded from the colored side. The CPs reflect this. The black dotted lines over colored lines indicate that the crease changes direction during the folding process. The dotted black lines indicate that the crease has no function when the model is completed but is crucial during the manipulation stage.

The final , or near final, stage of both boxes involves either flattening the floor (the external diamond version) or tucking the bottom skin inside the walls (the internal version). Pictures of these processes would definitely help. I will endeavor to provide them later.

I will be most impressed with anyone who can provide evidence of folding these models without visual instruction. It took me several days to find a comfortable and easy method of folding them after I had invented them. My family could no doubt regale you with stories of my frustrated irritability during this time. Part of the problem was that the only American Letter sized paper that I could find with different colors on each side was absolutely terrible for origami. It cracked, split and tore under any kind of pressure. Arrgggghhhh.

Both versions can be shipped flat at a stage just prior to completion. This means that you can carry a collection around in your pocket or purse, allow your intended recipient to choose the paper of their choice and amaze them by converting the item into a box in a few seconds.

The stripped box shows the last few steps of folding the box with the diamonds on the inside. The diamond has already been formed at both ends. The side walls are carefully pulled out as the end walls are pulled up.

The orange spotted version show the final steps of the version with the diamond on the outside. In this case the diamond shape is made after the walls are pulled up and the floor is flattened.














If you want a lidded box use two sheets of paper, one about an eighth of an inch narrower and shorter than the other. Adjust this approximate measurement for thickness of paper. Make the small sheet into an internal diamond version and the larger sheet into an external diamond version. Put them together and admire.

There is a third model in this series in the pipeline. It will form the subject of a posting in the near future.

Modular Caddys

Late last year I created a modular caddy made from two sheets of American Letter sized paper or card. The divider had triangular feet which pointed forwards and were then tucked in with the skin. The skin was then swept upwards and tucked into the triangular pocket at the center top of each end.











I have been revisiting this design because a publisher wants to include it in an upcoming book.

The publisher wanted a large caddy for a photoshoot. This worked better in card weight material than it did in text weight material. Unfortunately, large sheets of decorative heavy weight material of the type the publisher wanted were hard to find. So I tried using lighter material. This was not particularly successful. The large prototype in soft wallpaper required the use of - ahem- glue to keep it from falling apart. Thanks to Paper Mojo, an internet store with a wide selection of gorgeous papers, I eventually found large sheets of paper with the required qualities that was stiff enough to use successfully. .

This was not the end of the story. The problems I had been experiencing encouraged me to explore ways to improve the original design so that it could be made with softer material. I knew that I had to make the external walls stronger and the tuck in method firmer.

Finally I came up with a model which achieved these ends. I used two large squares of paper and box pleats and some optional pieces of card to provide additional strength to the walls.

The feet, which were tucked upwards in the original series, are now tucked underneath by being inserted in the box pleats on the base of the caddy. The front flap is also tucked into these pleats instead of being tucked into the top triangle. The side skin is now tucked into pockets on the ends of the internal divider.













The pictured model was made from soft wallpaper. It works!

The central wall is strengthened with a square of heavy card. You can see this showing as a colored slit in the center of the end wall. If you don't like the look of this it can be covered by inserting a decorative square into the front pockets.

The side walls can also be strengthened by inserting squares in the side wall pockets or, better, by inserting a rectangle (two squares end on) underneath the divider floor which is tucked into the wall pockets on each side. This makes the model extremely sturdy, even when made from floppy vinyl coated wallpaper.

The plastic coating on the paper means that the model can be used in situations where it will get damp or have food dropped on it. You can wipe it clean. You can also poke pencils or pens into the pockets and not worry about the mess these will make.






Here are the crease pattens.