This is a twist based tessellation that I created a few weeks ago. I was just looking for an unusual pattern that could work without too much fuss. I had the idea to rotate 3 trapezoids around an open hexagon and then tuck two triangles into each one. It was easy enough to repeat. Just angle the trapezoids off of each other. But that only gave me three repeated sides, not six. I don't remember how I decided I needed to add open triangles, but those filled in some of the other areas.  No idea what became of my original crease pattern. I seem to loose track of them quite often. But I will create a new one and add it soon.  I actually find the back side more interesting. That's just my opinion.  This is an intermediate tessellation . It would be easy, but I think how the small triangles connect to the open hexagons on the reverse side make it a little bit tricky. 

 This somewhat difficult tessellation is one I really like. It's just one of those patterns that flows beautifully and makes perfect sense. There are a lot of great tessellations out there. There are a lot of ones that I've created of which I'm quite fond. But this particular tessellation is one of a rare few that I absolutely adore. I think that a lot of people will agree.  As soon as I had finished mapping out the design, I knew it would be a really good one. What's even better, is that I was able to fold it really neatly. It  happened to be one of those rare days when the paper was exceptionally crisp. It was a perfect confluence of ideal circumstances.  The pyramid shapes consist of three trapezoids and three rhombuses each. This original origami tessellation is mostly a flagstone, but features a small triangle at the center of each pyramid style molecule that is a tuck collapse. There are actually four triangle collapses per pyramid molecule, but only the cent...

 I'm not really sure how to describe this particular advanced tessellation . It's quite different from what I usually do. Yet, at the same time, it's kind of basic.  When you look at the back side of this origami tessellation it's a fairly uncomplicated pattern. However, what that creates on the front  side of the paper is pretty remarkable. It's essentially an assortment of small and various layered shapes that are created by a relatively simple configuration on the opposite side.  That's not to say that it was easy. It was kind of hard to fold.  While the back side is not complicated, it's quite dense. Making it difficult to fold.  I used white tant paper thinking that thicker paper would be the best method. However, after having folded it, I would say that thinner paper would be the way to go for the best result. Thinner paper would better facilitate all the necessary overlaps and tucks required to execute the design.  Crease pattern follows. ...

link to full size image opens in google photos.  This original origami tessellation is fully twist based, but gives the appearance of something more complicated.  It actually uses a fairly simple idea of six sets of double parallel triangle twists around a collapsed hexagon. The back view shows how the collapsed hexagons work/look. I couldn't just straight up repeat the center because the twists would go in conflicting directions. I didn't have space to add buffer shapes and still have full repeats. So, I did mirror images as a compact work around.  I recommend clicking the first photo to open the full sized image in order to see all the unique subtleties of this particular design.  Crease pattern included. Filed under: May 2026 Origami Tessellations

  This is a difficult tessellation that I recently conceived and folded. It's a hybrid design of tucks, collapses and twists.  It's quite a dense pattern that is pretty labor intensive. It's worth the effort though.  In this case, we have rhombuses tucked into each other around an open hexagon. The point of each rhombus tucks into the edge of the next. Classic stuff.  However, when I tuck more rhombuses into the outer edges of the central ones, I am able to add sets of rhombus twists around a small offset hexagon.  The only other shape is trapezoids that take up the remaining gaps between the two main molecules.  It took a while to fold. There's not anything particularly tricky about it other than the fact that there is so much going on. There are a lot of shapes to be folded. This is only a 32 pleat grid and relatively speaking, there is an abundance of shapes to work.  The back view clearly shows how the trapezoids relate to the two kinds of hexagon...

 The past few weeks I've been on sort of a lucky streak regarding unusual tessellations . I've just been hitting upon some weird designs lately. It's always fun and intriguing to try to work out the strange ones.  I'll typically start out with a small prototype. This contains the initial idea as a kind of proof of how it works with the grid.  However, the trick with these small 'testers', is that doing one molecule is exponentially easier than doing the same thing 7 times to a single relatively small hexagon of paper.  So, I'll go in pretty confident, only to be dumbfounded by how much trickier it has become since expanding it to a true tessellation.  Most of the time, it's eventually successful (more or less). Sometimes, not so much.  This is one I really like. It's  strange. And it uses some odd tricks to complete the flat fold.  I know that I drew a pretty detailed crease pattern before folding it. Don't know why I didn't immediately take ...

Quirky designs are one of my signature styles when it comes to origami tessellations . The kind of configurations that skirt the fine edge between practicality and impossibility. They're fun and intriguing and sometimes infuriating.  But when you find one and are able to complete it, it's a very satisfying feeling.  Sometimes they turn out mesmerizing looks. Other times, not so much. All in all, that beauty is entirely subjective.  But it's about the journey more than it is about the destination. That's the allure.  It's the call of the possibilities. The tease of the puzzle. The challenge of the execution.  It's why we keep searching for new combinations. More difficult ones. Because we can. Because they're there. Waiting to be found. Daring us to try.  This advanced tessellation is a perfect example of all those principals. Crease pattern below. It looks simple, but it will make you work for it.

 This is an intermediate origami tessellation that I did last week. It's a simple design that creates an interesting pattern. Not every tessellation has to be intricate or complicated in order to be visually pleasing. In fact, sometimes the less complex models yield some very intriguing results.  This one is just an idea I wanted to do that centered around a very specific starting point. Three rhombuses tucked into a small triangle. I also wanted to be able to repeat that molecule as much as possible.  I wound up using a series of open hexagons and large triangles There are also some trapezoids, but far less of them.  It's a straight up tuck tessellation . No twists. No flagstone style collapse folds. Every shapes just tucks neatly into the others.  What I find particularly appealing about this kind of origami tessellation is that it's very easy to conceptualize. It's a great starting point for creating your own designs. Everything fits together quite neatly. ...

Here's a new flagstone tessellation using trapezoids in yet another way. They truly are the most versatile of all the standard shapes in origami tessellations.  I used to think it was triangles that were most versatile, but having explored so extensively with trapezoids, I am convinced that are even more so.  Just when I think that I can't find possibly something else new to do with them, they surprise me again. The central pattern was my inspiration. A hexagon flanked by two rhombuses on each side and trapezoids at top and bottom. From there, it was just a matter of working out how to repeat it.  I'm sure it can be done using many methods, but I landed on a couple that I liked. This is one of them.  My grid isn't really large enough to show the repetitions, but the pattern is fully repeatable. For the back side, lots and lots of triangles are required.  In order to fold this tessellation , you'll need a little bit of patience and a good quality paper. C...

This is a pretty simple original origami tessellation that uses the natural twist of an open back hexagon to create multiples series of spinning miniature house shapes.  The  unique array of disparate shapes combine to form what reminds me of small dancing microscopic hemoglobin cells. The hue of the paper, no doubt, contributes to the sensory illusion.  This intermediate level origami tessellation can be folded fairly easily, provided you possess just an intermediate level of skill and a small amount of patience.  Who knows what scientific phenomena the finished patterns will make you think of. It mostly depends on what color paper you choose.  The back side of the original tessellation is a crowded configuration of overlapping large natural hexagons which serve as spacers for the repetitions.  Crease pattern follows.  Top right corner has a different tessellation which can be ignored for these purposes.  Filed under: May 2026 Origami Tessella...

 I don't really remember this intermediate tessellation from a few weeks ago. Had to unfold it to determine the structure. Looking at the finished photo doesn't really reveal any clues as to its origin.  But the truth is, that it's actually quite simple. Not that easy to fold, but the architecture is not that complex.  Basically, it's open back hexagons with rhombus twists tucked into them. I connected the repetitions by mirroring. In other words, I took the way that the rhombuses in the center connected to each other in the center and created opposite facing angles my chosen distance away. The actual molecules are not mirrored. They flow the same as the center.  Doing this creates an obstacle. The joining folds want to flow in opposite directions. This happens with rhombus twists because they naturally twist in opposite directions when connected to each other using certain methods.  To overcome this, I folded some shapes 'backwards'. This let me fold everythin...

 Here's kind of a cool flagstone tessellation that I created recently.  It looks somewhat random, but it really isn't.  The center point is six rhombuses around a small hexagon on the opposite side. Pretty typical tessellation starting point.  Then I add some long parallelograms off of their edges. The other gaps are a series of interconnected trapezoids.  I didn't have enough paper/grid to actually do the repeats, but I do believe it is possible with more surface area.   My crease pattern actually shows dual ideas.  It shows both the pattern folded in the above model as well as another idea for where to go with the same starting point.  In the case of this particular model I just repeated the sets of trapezoids. The crease pattern however, has another idea. One which I haven't yet folded. Where you can alternate the sets of trapezoids with parallelograms and large triangles.  In theory, you could fold my original origami tessellation ...