How to Make a Modular Origami Cube Box

By
Chrissy Pk
Chrissy Pk
Chrissy Pk
Chrissy Pushkin, also known as Chrissy Pk, is an origami and paper craft expert and writer with 15 years of experience. Chrissy founded the popular website and YouTube channel, Paper Kawaii, where she creates tutorials, templates, printable origami paper, and handmade crafts.
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Updated on 05/25/20
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The Spruce / Chrissy Pk

How to Make a Modular Origami Cube Box

No one knows who first created the Sonobe Unit, so it is now considered "Traditional Origami".

There are many different shapes you can make with Sonobe units. This time you will learn how to make the units and then assemble a simple cube with them.

You'll need six sheets of square paper. It's useful to use two or more different colored sheets.

Beginning Folds

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The Spruce / Chrissy Pk

Start with your paper white side up if it has one.

  1. Fold your paper in half from left to right and unfold. You now have a central crease.
  2. Fold the left and right edges to the central crease and unfold.
  3. Fold the top left corner and bottom right corner inwards, aligning with the two previous creases.
  4. Fold the left and right edges back to the central crease.

Make Diagonal Folds, Rotate, and Repeat

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The Spruce / Chrissy Pk
  1. Fold the lower-left section diagonally up to the right along the diagonal flap that is in the right section.
  2. Tuck the flap you just created underneath the right section.
  3. Rotate the paper and fold the lower-left corner up in the same way as before.

Connect Your Sonobe Units

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The Spruce / Chrissy Pk
  1. Insert the flap underneath the lower right section.
  2. Flip the model over to the other side, left to right.
  3. Fold the lower-left corner up to the lower point of the right edge.
  4. Fold the topmost point down and to the left.
  5. You now need to have six of these "Sonobe" units.
  6. Start by taking one unit with its flap on the top and bottom. Then take two more, place them on the left and right of the first one. The two on either side have their flaps out to the right and left.

The left one: Insert the bottom right point into the bottom pocket of the center unit.

The right one: Insert the top left point into the top pocket on the center unit.

Finishing Up

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The Spruce / Chrissy Pk
  1. Now get two more Sonobe units, place them above and below the central unit.
  2. Insert the top flap from the central unit into the right pocket of the one above.
  3. Insert the bottom flap from the central unit into the left pocket of the one below.
  4. Now it's time to pick up the units, but be care full they don't all come apart. Shape the units into a box, inserting the flaps as shown.
  5. Now that you have a box, you can get the last unit and finish the origami cube.
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