This Christmas Lantern is one of my older designs. It came about as I was twiddling with the assembly of units for my Tripoli flower. The beautiful thing about modular origami is that one can always find variations in the assembly to challenge oneself.
This design uses a preliminary base to start with and incorporates a sink in the folding sequence. The rest of the folds are simple, and with a good choice of paper, one can have some pretty Christmas ornaments this year.
To fold this model, I have used foil paper measuring six inches. However, various other sizes can be experimented with to change the overall size of the model. A good idea is to use festive wrapping paper cut down to size. To curl the edges of each unit, I used a pencil and simply wrapped the ends of the unit over it. This is easier with foil paper as it is more flexible.
To hang this lantern ornament on your tree, before you complete assembly of all 7 units, place a loop of ribbon or twine long enough to extend below the bottom of the ornament in the center of the lantern (from the inside). To make sure the twine or ribbon holds in place, tie a knot at the bottom, or string a bead through and then knot. You can also glue it in place, if desired.
