How to Create Artistic Tessellations

After several years I have made tessellations being encouraged by my daughter. I loved doing this from my childhood.

When incisions are made on folded papers it is difficult for one to stop. But wait and unfold, the pleasing surprises jump out as one’s creations.

Let me show how you can make tessellations yourself, following these simple steps.

Step One

Take a square piece of paper. You can cut the square paper of your required size.

To start, you can take an origami sheet which has a bright colour on one side. Now you fold the paper neatly into halves. Take care to see that the edge of one side meets the other edge as shown in the picture below.

First fold of your bi-colour square origami sheet. (Note: White arrow shows external edge, blue arrow shows inner side)

Step Two

From the middle of the folded piece of paper fold it once again to get a smaller square as shown here.

Second fold makes your paper a smaller square. (Note: White arrow shows external edge, red arrow shows central corner)

Step Three

Now, you have to be a bit careful. Fold as shown in the following picture from the central corner. If you by mistake fold it from a corner from the edge, then the tessellation will be divided into two. So be careful…….

Third fold gives you a triangular shape of your paper (Note: White arrow shows external edge, blue arrow shows inner side, red arrow shows the central corner)

Step Four

From centre again, you make a fold and get a folded piece of paper in the form of a dart. See demonstration below.

Fourth fold gives your paper the shape of a dart. (Note: White arrow shows external edge, blue arrow shows inner side, red arrow shows the central corner)

Step Five

On the folded paper you can draw some lines (as part of your design) to cut. Draw simple lines as shown in the following picture. For beginners, this is the step after which you will use scissors for your creative cuts. But, when you have already learnt it, you may fold your paper as long as you would be able to cut the thick folded paper with your scissors.

Drawing a design of your choice by simply marking a few lines with a pencil.

Step Six

Now start giving incisions along the lines drawn. Take care that you do not cut the central corner out. It is better to start cutting from the broader open edge. Carefully take out the cut pieces of the paper which are not desired.

Use your scissors to cut along your drawn lines.

Final Step

When you have finished the job of cutting, you have to unfold in the reverse order of folding the paper. Gradually your designed paper creation will unfold in front of your eyes. I am sure that you will be delighted to see what nice decoration items you could prepare following simple steps of making tessellations.

Unfolding to see your treasure of pleasure.

I have had great fun making tessellations and I used them to decorate my notebook covers in my childhood.

You can create tessellations to decorate your house for your birthday party next time. Enjoy creating yourself……..

Useful Tips

But before you start off with your scissors, pen and paper, remember these useful tips too…

When you are confident of making tessellations, you may fold your piece of paper the way you want.

Also directly make incisions with your scissors without making lines with a pencil and see how your creations give you pleasure when they unfold…….

Some creative designs from which you can get ideas:

About the Author

Debasish Bhattacharya ( 20 Posts)

A freelancer consulting Social Development Specialist, Debasish works in large-scale infrastructure development projects in India and abroad as well. An Anthropologist turned Regional Planner Debasish (Shibaji) is fond of several activities from writing travelogues to cooking, from sketching, painting, photography to dress designing, embroidering to choreographing. Whenever he feels, in the early mornings or dead of nights, he sits with doing something creative that is so close to his heart.
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