Tessellation Examples

The point of this album is explaining what origami tessellations are by showing some examples.

Propellers (CFW 54)

Propellers (CFW 54)

Propellers Tessellation was one of my first successful designs. Interestingly, I came up with it later than with Square Interlace Tessellation even though Pr...

Well III

Well III

Third design in my Well series. The layout looks the same as Well I at first glance, but the central square is placed at a deeper level than all the rectangl...

Square Spaceness

Square Spaceness

I folded this classic design by Alessandra Lamio during a workshop with her at the 2018 Outdoor Origami Meeting. Now it hangs on my wall, framed. The molecul...

Triangles Flagstone

Triangles Flagstone

This design is a modification of Triangles so that the tessellation becomes flagstone. At first glance, this change is more visible on the back side than on ...

Unicursal Hexagram Tessellation

Unicursal Hexagram Tessellation

The molecule of this tessellation is made from a modified hex twist and represents a unicursal hexagram which is an interesting geometric shape that has also...

Tessellation (CFW 335)

Tessellation (CFW 335)

This tessellation (translucent design), designed by Shuzo Fujimoto, is not listed in any of his books or magazines (as far as I know). I discovered it among ...

Kites

Kites

I designed this model during a stop while trekking in the Sudetes mountain range in the summer of 2022, as you can see in the picture of the prototype. A few...

Clustered Bricks

Clustered Bricks

This design is a variant of Shifted Bricks. Every other brick in each row is of different length. Since the rows are shifted relative to each other, if you l...

Body and Soul

Body and Soul

This tessellation consists of alternating layers of two types of elements that differ significantly in their appearance and complexity. The folding sequence ...

Back-Twisted Square Twists (CFW 293)

Back-Twisted Square Twists (CFW 293)

This is a tessellation many origamists discover independently, though Fujimoto was probably among the first to do so. This tessellation is not featured as a ...

Electric Tessellation

Electric Tessellation

This tessellation is just slightly modified back-twisted square twists, but it looks quite nice anyway, especially in backlight.

Sol (clean fold)

Sol (clean fold)

When preparing my workshops for the German Origami Convention (coming up in slightly more than a week), I improved upon my original precrease for the Sol mod...

Well II

Well II

This is another approach to the subject I already presented in Well I, with the central square being larger and the arrangement of bricks around it having ax...

Tessellation Triste

Tessellation Triste

This tessellation is based on a hex grid but the symmetry of molecules is triangular. This is also the reason the whole model is not a fully symmetric hexago...

Well I

Well I

In this tessellation, rectangles are arranged in layers around a central square. I called it Well since it reminds me of a perspective view looking down a we...

Origami in Shades of Gray

Origami in Shades of Gray

This is a collections of my origami tessellations that I framed and hung near the desk I use for folding. The models, all kept in neutral colors, are as foll...

Scissors Fractal

Scissors Fractal

This is a recursive version of Shuzo Fujimoto’s Scissors (CFW 87). I wanted to call it Biohazard Fractal since it resembles the biohazard symbol, but later d...

Seal of a Secret Society Tessellation

Seal of a Secret Society Tessellation

I was inspired to design the molecule of this tessellation after spending a lot of time analyzing various designs of Shuzo Fujimoto’s stars. Since pleats in ...

Woven Triangles Tessellation VIII

Woven Triangles Tessellation VIII

In this model, the four triangles located around the center of the molecule are located below other layers of paper, only partially peeking outside. Triangle...

Worlds Apart

Worlds Apart

This model has been long in the making and is based on ideas of my Brain in a Vat from 2016 which in turn uses a technique I learned from Joanna Sobczyk the ...

Walk of Fame

Walk of Fame

This tessellation is closely related to the 1:1 Pythagorean Tiling, but the twists are slightly different. Still, the design remains iso-area. The squares an...

Parallelograms (rotated, dense)

Parallelograms (rotated, dense)

This is an alternate way of laying out molecules of Parallelograms tessellation. Because of how the pleats exiting the molecule are arranged, it is possible ...

Parallelograms (clean fold)

Parallelograms (clean fold)

When I originally folded Parallelograms in 2020, I designed a clean pre-crease pattern, pre-creased the sheet, and then… was unable to collapse it cleanly. I...

Hexagons and Rhombi

Hexagons and Rhombi

This tessellation differs from most other designs by having lower rotational symmetry: only 180° rather than the 60° typical for tessellations based on a hex...

Easter Egg

Easter Egg

Decorating Easter Eggs is a popular Easter tradition in Poland, Ukraine, and other Slavic countries. This one is folded from a single sheet of paper rather t...

Tumbling Square Rosette

Tumbling Square Rosette

Another flat variant of Rosette. This one’s outline is much less round than that of others, hence the name. Especially when framed in an asymmetric manner, t...

Close-Quarters Folding (Lizard Hide Paper)

Close-Quarters Folding (Lizard Hide Paper)

Another fold of my Close-Quarters Folding tessellation, this time from 20×20 grid which gives the central part with small squares and the margin of larger sq...

Maltese Rosette

Maltese Rosette

This variant of Rosette is called Maltese Rosette because the outline of its “petals” resembles a Maltese cross. In contrast to the plain Rosette, which is 3...

The Golden Gate of Kyiv

The Golden Gate of Kyiv

The Golden Gate of Kyiv (Золоті ворота) was the main gate of the city in the early middle ages. Today the city is under attack again. Origami tessellation f...

Whirlwind Tessellation

Whirlwind Tessellation

It took me a while between folding a box decorated with a single molecule and folding a complete tessellation. What you see here is my third attempt as I was...

Stacked Whirlwind Molecule

Stacked Whirlwind Molecule

This is a single molecule which can be tessellated. It is made from a molecule of Whirlwind Tessellation placed inside a larger one. More than the two levels...

Yellow Brick Road

Yellow Brick Road

In line with the distinction made in my post on naming origami models, this design is called Brick Road while the particular work seen here is called Yellow ...

Rosette

Rosette

This origami Rosette is a tessellation molecule (14×14 grid for the molecule, 16×16 for the whole work shown here), but I haven’t folded a model of more than...

MMXXII

MMXXII

Happy 2022! This is my first fold of the year, and as usual I wanted it to be something related to the new year. Since 2022 has a rare symmetry when rendered...

Hydrangea Tessellation

Hydrangea Tessellation

Believe it or not, over all these years of folding tessellations, I never folded a clean tiling of Fujimoto’s Hydrangea. I recently decided to make up for th...

Shifted Bricks

Shifted Bricks

Despite similar looks, this tessellation is not Momotani’s Wall — it is a different pattern designed by myself. Its relation to Momotani’s Wall is roughly su...

Hydrangea (Tant)

Hydrangea (Tant)

Another fold of Shuzo Fujimoto’s Hydrangea. I’ve kept two outermost leaf layers free of unnecessary creases. For deeper layers, it becomes much harder.

Double Spearhead Tessellation Variants

Double Spearhead Tessellation Variants

This is a model folded back in 2018 which I somehow forgot to post earlier. Each molecule of my Double Spearhead Tessellation can be modified by sinking any ...

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum

This design is my modification of Shuzo Fujimoto’s Hydrangea. Despite the change being very minor, it allows the model to be shaped in a more three-dimension...

Woven Triangles Tessellation VI

Woven Triangles Tessellation VI

Another pattern in the Woven Triangles Family. This particular work uses standard, flat shaping but a different, three-dimensional shaping is also possible. ...

Pythagorean Tiling with 1:1 ratio

Pythagorean Tiling with 1:1 ratio

A variant of Pythagorean Tiling with 1:1 size ratio between the sides of the two types of squares. This effectively makes the pattern uniform (all squares ar...

Composition of Squares II

Composition of Squares II

This model is based on Square Pixel Tessellation, and is closely related to my earlier Composition of Squares I.

Butchers’ Guild Coat of Arms

Butchers’ Guild Coat of Arms

This model started out something completely different that what it ended up being. Originally, I planned to make a model of Lublin Castle, and started with t...

Shamrock Tessellation 1.1

Shamrock Tessellation 1.1

This is an improved version of my Shamrock Tessellation. It uses Flagstone Paneling technique in order to hide pleats, so that each shamrock is separated fro...

Clover Folding (blue)

Clover Folding (blue)

Along with the other Clover Folding model, this is the oldest picture of a tessellation folded by me (taken in June 2015).

Hydrangea (Prägo Kristall paper)

Hydrangea (Prägo Kristall paper)

This is just a simple Hydrangea, designed by Shuzo Fujimoto, but I think it looks really nice in back light. Folded from Grünperga Kristall Prägo, a kind of ...

Crowding Butterflies

Crowding Butterflies

This model is just a tessellation of Crossed Box Pleats: the back side which you see here is the Crowding Butterflies model by Shuzo Fujimoto. You can notice...

Clematis Tessellation

Clematis Tessellation

My idea behind this tessellation was designing something easy to learn for beginners but at the same to make it reasonably well looking. The models I have us...

Shamrock Tessellation (simplified)

Shamrock Tessellation (simplified)

This is a simplified version of my Shamrock Tessellation. I have also designed some boxes that use the same molecule: Slightly Simplified Shamrock Box and Si...

2021

2021

This model took me longer than I expected, but better late than never, so: happy New Year 2021! This model uses a new tessellation molecule of mine which I h...

Christ Pantokrator

Christ Pantokrator

Christ Pantokrator, inspired by Byzantine icons. One sheet of Edokosome paper, just folding. Merry Christmas!

Woven Triangles Tessellation IV

Woven Triangles Tessellation IV

Woven Triangles Tessellation IV — this is the only variant in the series so far which uses a 10×10 grid per molecule rather than just 8×8.

Woven Triangles Tessellation III (Asymmetric)

Woven Triangles Tessellation III (Asymmetric)

Third work in the Woven Triangles series. Just like number I, number III has a pleat arrangement which allows for two distinct molecule layouts: the asymmetr...

Woven Triangles Tessellation II

Woven Triangles Tessellation II

Just like all other models in the series, this origami tessellation is derived from Rectangle and Square Flagstone by applying squash folds in the right plac...

Woven Triangles Tessellation I (Asymmetric)

Woven Triangles Tessellation I (Asymmetric)

This model uses the same molecule as the symmetric version but all molecules have the same chirality. This causes each row and each column to be shifted by t...

Woven Triangles Tessellation I (Symmetric)

Woven Triangles Tessellation I (Symmetric)

This is the first model in my Woven Triangles series which you’ve already seen some examples of on boxes. This tessellation is derived from Rectangle and Squ...

Rectangle and Square Flagstone

Rectangle and Square Flagstone

This origami tessellation is built from the same kind of molecule as Pythagorean Tiling but molecules are arranged differently: in any pair of adjacent neigh...

White Collars

White Collars

Origami tessellation, single sheet of Satogami paper. Just folding: no cutting or glue.

Pythagorean Tiling

Pythagorean Tiling

The pattern this origami tessellation represents is known as Pythagorean Tiling or Two Squares Tessellation. I came up with this design independently, but it...

Groom and Bride

Groom and Bride

Origami tessellation designed as a wedding gift. One sheet of white Elephant Hide paper, no cutting or glue.

Triangles (16×16 grid)

Triangles (16×16 grid)

This origami tessellation is derived from my earlier Parallelograms Tessellation. By piecing together two symmetric “halves” of a parallelogram, we end up wi...

Stars among Hexagons

Stars among Hexagons

This origami tessellation is based on a geometric pattern I spotted on a door in the Barcelona Cathedral during my trip back from CfC 2 convention. A design ...

Onion Tessellation

Onion Tessellation

The base for this tessellation is identical to one of the intermediate steps of folding Lucky Star Tessellation and seems to be something Tomek Siwak also ca...

Two-in-One Flower Tessellation

Two-in-One Flower Tessellation

A recent fold of my Two-in-One Flower Tessellation. Even though there is only one kind of molecule in this model, depending on which point you treat as the f...

Growth 1.1

Growth 1.1

I recently stumbled upon an older model of mine, Growth Tessellation, in one of my boxes, and I decided to rework it a little. I added just a few touches whi...

Composition of Squares I

Composition of Squares I

This model is based on a simple technique which I used also in Growth and Square Pixel Tessellation models. Other interesting arrangements, with more or less...

Excalibur

Excalibur

Excalibur, the sword in the stone, from Arthurian legends. Origami folded from one sheet (Elephant Hide paper courtesy of Paula Versnick). Also compare my Tw...

Greek Cross Flagstone Tessellation

Greek Cross Flagstone Tessellation

This origami tessellation was inspired by a pavement pattern I noticed some time ago in my home city of Lublin, Poland, at the old cemetery and in the open-a...

Radioactive Tessellation II

Radioactive Tessellation II

This model is derived from my Radioactive Tessellation by adding a triangular frame around the radioactivity symbol. This change also makes it possible to sh...

Radioactive Tessellation I

Radioactive Tessellation I

A recent design of mine, this tessellation is relatively simple to fold, but the end result looks quite interesting. On the back side, I used some modified t...

Woven Parallelograms Tessellation

Woven Parallelograms Tessellation

I derived this design from my older Double Spearhead Tessellation. The name comes from the pattern on the front side.

Star of David Tessellation II

Star of David Tessellation II

This tessellation is derived from Lucky Star Tessellation, but due to the different arrangement of paper layers, this one can’t be fractalized. The outline o...

Heart Tessellation II

Heart Tessellation II

This model uses an improved version of my Broken Heart Molecule. I call this version simply Heart Tessellation II / Molecule (II because of a Heart Tessellat...

Box with Maltese Cross II

Box with Maltese Cross II

Another approach to the subject of Maltese Cross. The molecule can be tessellated or used on a box as in this picture. This design uses my Flagstone Paneling...

Frank’s Bow Tie (as I would fold it)

Frank’s Bow Tie (as I would fold it)

Another fold of Frank’s Bow Tie, this time in my usual style (thick paper, as few grid lines visible as is practical). The link contains more information abo...

Lucky Star Fractal Tessellation

Lucky Star Fractal Tessellation

This is a tessellation of the Lucky Star Fractal. The standalone star was designed independently by several people, starting with Shuzo Fujimoto. I don’t kno...

Braided Pinwheel Tessellation

Braided Pinwheel Tessellation

This tessellation comes in two molecule variants. Despite being a kind of twist, molecules can be made to turn left or right independent of each other, i.e. ...

John Lackland Tessellation

John Lackland Tessellation

I derived this model from Her Majesty’s Tessellation by removing most of the free spaces (“land”) between molecules. Each molecule is still 6×6 grid units. F...

Lucky Star Tessellation

Lucky Star Tessellation

This is a tessellation of the molecule which I first used in Lucky Star Box and which I later extended into Lucky Star Fractal. As I learned after the fact, ...

Dodecagons

Dodecagons

In this tessellation, I used the same technique of doubling the number of a polygon’s sides as in Sad Octagons, this time making dodecagons from hexagons.

Lucky Star Fractal

Lucky Star Fractal

This is a recursive version of the Lucky Star molecule. Just like the non-recursive version, it can be tessellated or used for decorating a box. The back of ...

Twist Again Tessellation

Twist Again Tessellation

This origami tessellation combines elements from some of my other models. While reading Robert Lang’s tessellation book, I realized that many molecules can b...

Sunflower Tessellation (Refold)

Sunflower Tessellation (Refold)

It took me 1½ years before I decided to fold my Sunflower Tessellation once again, this time from rare yellow Elephant Hide paper. I think this is a better ...

Rhombus Fractal

Rhombus Fractal

Rhombus Fractal, an origami tessellation designed by Endre Somos (and independently also by Joel Cooper and by Wei Fu), folded by me. You may also find inter...

Stacked Propellers Tessellation

Stacked Propellers Tessellation

A refold of my older design, Stacked Propellers Tessellation, this time as a complete tessellation rather than a single molecule. 64×64 grid.

Flow

Flow

A tessellation derived from my other model, Woven Rhombi. 4×4 grid units per molecule, or 8×8 if you want to consider a complete hexagonal tile a molecule.

Wedge Flower Tessellation

Wedge Flower Tessellation

A new tessellation design of mine, 8×8 square grid per molecule. Awagami Kozo Natural Select paper courtesy of Melina Hermsen. Since this was my first fold u...

Star Interlace Tessellation

Star Interlace Tessellation

This is a design derived from my Square Interlace Tessellation. A more precise name would be Pursed Square Interlace Tessellation but I found it too technica...

Her Majesty’s Tessellation (64×64)

Her Majesty’s Tessellation (64×64)

This is Her Majesty’s Tessellation (own design) folded from a 64×64 diagonally rotated grid. The spacing between molecules is less dense than in the 32×32 gr...

Epiphany Tessellation

Epiphany Tessellation

An origami tessellation for the Feast of Epiphany. Single sheet of Gampi paper, no cutting or glue. Wet folding was used for the coma of the Stars of Bethleh...

Nativity

Nativity

Nativity — origami tessellation folded from a single square of Tant paper. Merry Christmas!

Monument Valley Corrugation

Monument Valley Corrugation

This is my Monument Valley Corrugation, squeezed inside Predictable Box which I designed for this very purpose. The back side of the corrugation is less inte...

Felix Culpa Tessellation

Felix Culpa Tessellation

Believe it or not, this tessellation is closely related to my Double Spearhead Tessellation.

Woven Spearheads Tessellation

Woven Spearheads Tessellation

This tessellation is just a slight modification of Double Spearhead Tessellation but it looks much more like Woven Rhombi Tessellation.

Union Jack Tessellation

Union Jack Tessellation

This origami tessellation represents Union Jack, the flag of the UK. Since the pattern is quite intricate, even a single molecule can make an interesting mo...

Flower Tessellation

Flower Tessellation

Flower Tessellation, designed by Meenakshi Mukerji. The molecule is derived from the Crossed Box Pleat (CBP). I folded and photographed this model for Meenak...

Corrugation: Shark Teeth

Corrugation: Shark Teeth

My new iso-area origami corrugation which I called Shark Teeth due to the sharp triangular molecules of which it is composed. Like many other corrugations, t...

Stars and Squares (diagonal grid)

Stars and Squares (diagonal grid)

Folding Stars and Squares Tessellation from a diagonal grid (rotated 45°) leads to an interesting effect. At the edges, small triangles form, creating a jagg...

Stars and Squares (gift-wrapping paper)

Stars and Squares (gift-wrapping paper)

A back-lit picture of Stars and Squares Tessellation, invented independently by me and Shuzo Fujimoto. You can find a similar backlit picture of this model i...

Big and Small Squares

Big and Small Squares

While designing Scroll of time: 2017, I needed a widget which would allow me to have some square twists on one side of the paper and then to smoothly transit...

Bed of Nails 3D Tessellation

Bed of Nails 3D Tessellation

Bed of Nails 3D, an origami tessellation folded from a single sheet of Elephant Hide paper; no cutting or glue. It is possible to adjust the length of the sp...

Brick and Mortar

Brick and Mortar

I designed this tessellation as a variant of Momotani’s Wall with some extra spacing between the bricks added (hence the name Brick and Mortar Tessellation).

Walled Garden Tessellation

Walled Garden Tessellation

Walled Garden Tessellation, designed and folded by me. Molecule based around a 12×12 grid.

Woven Rhombi

Woven Rhombi

This piece uses an 18×18 grid but since each molecule is 4×4, a 16×16 grid works as well, though you get a straight edge instead of the overhanging rhombi. I...

Sprout Tessellation (refold)

Sprout Tessellation (refold)

I refolded my Sprout Tessellation for the German Origami Convention in Erkner. Asymmetry and folding the grid at an angle relative to paper edges are inspire...

Molecules Great and Small

Molecules Great and Small

This origami tessellation is an experiment in mixing molecules of different sizes in a single model. The molecules come from my Spread-Sunk Square Twist Tess...

Double Spearhead Tessellation

Double Spearhead Tessellation

This is an origami design derived from my Square Pixel Tessellation. It was featured in Robert Lang’s tessellation book.

Propellers Tessellation

Propellers Tessellation

This tessellation is closely related to my Square Interlace Tessellation. Grid is 8×8 per molecule. Here you can see the variant with long propeller blades b...

Happy New Year 2016!

Happy New Year 2016!

Welcome to 2016! This seven-segment display, executed in origami, shows the current year, and is folded from a single sheet of Elephant Hide paper. With a li...

Saturn Tessellation

Saturn Tessellation

This tessellation is based on a 128×92 grid. Image is created from a four-sink-base tessellation by folding up some of the squares’ corners. While I’ve seen ...