Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom

This is an origami kusudama cherry blossom with a more elaborate star-like center. You need to make 4 units to form a flower. If you like you can make 6 flowers to form a kusudama flower ball.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 1: Start with a 6 inch x 6 inch (15cm x 15cm) square paper, color side down. We are using cardstock paper instead of regular origami paper. Cardstock paper is thicker but there are lots more patterns and colors available.

Fold paper in half on the vertical axis. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 2: Fold paper in half on the horizontal axis.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 3: Fold both sides to meet in the center. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 4: Fold A-X over to meet A-B. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 5: For the left side, fold A-Y to meet A-C. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 6: Now fold A-X to A-Con the right side. On the left side, fold A-Y to A-B. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 7: Make the 2 diagonal mountain folds. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 8: Fold A-X to meet A-D. Crease well and unfold.

Then pry paper open and make a squash fold. Crease the edges well. Here's the squash fold.

And unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 9: Repeat Step 8 on the left side.

Fold A-Y to A-E.Crease well and unfold. Then pry paper open and make a squash fold. Crease well and unfold.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 10: Make the 2 diagonal mountain folds again.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 11: We're almost done with the unit!

Fold both sides towards the center.

And at this point, we're going to glue the 2 sides together to form one unit. Please look at the photo below. Note where you should and should not glue.

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 12: At the top, pull the inner layer down.

Recrease on both sides so that your unit looks like this....

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 13: We need 4 units to form a flower so repeat Steps 1 to 12 and make another 3 units.....

Origami Kusudama Cherry Blossom Step 14: Now we just have to glue the units together to form a flower. This is the easy part.

Repeat with the other 2 units and your origami kusudama cherry blossom is complete!

If you make 6 of these flowers and glue them together, you'll get a kusudama cherry blossom ball that looks like this! The photo below was submitted by a reader in Chicago.