Today, techniques of origami are being researched and applied in various industries. From finding the quickest and safest way to deploying an airbag in cars to developing solar sails with the thinnest materials that fit compactly to send to space by NASA, origami was even used by celebrated Japanese designer Issey Miyake in 2010 to create a line of sustainable clothes. In medicine, scientists are delving into the folds of DNA and researching if a replacement or change in folds could possibly cure diseases.
Psychologically, the benefits of folding paper are many. "Because of the rise in technology, children today don't use their hands as much as they should. Origami requires you to use both hands in perfect sync, which develops great hand-eye coordination while also teaching the art of patience," says Agrawal, adding, "It also gives you a sense of cheer and achievement in an otherwise drab world."

From making a dragon with over 4,400 intricate scales over a period of five days to being asked to make a lifelike bust of a human head, this origamist has seen it all. Today, he is showing Sunday mid-day ways to make the newspaper they have created, and one you hold in your hands, into three innovative festive pieces you can use to celebrate Diwali. Whether you use this as a way to engage your child, have a competition with a friend, create a conversation starter, or take a break from work, we hope you enjoy spending your Diwali with Sunday mid-day.

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Lantern

Fold a double sheet to create 16 equal vertical segments

Collapse the pleats

Fold the lower edge perpendicular to the pleated rectangle. Unfold

Identify the zig-zag pre-crease made in the previous step and refold as shown

Overlap segments 1 and 2 over segments 15 and 16 and glue it together

What the result should look like

Saddble Box

Fold in half lengthwise

Fold all corners to the center

Fold the outside edges to the center

Fold in the 2 triangular points

Turn over and fold the edges to the center to create a pleat

Unfold the corner and fold in the edges to make folds parallel to the center crease

This is what the result should look like

This is a 3D step. Unfold the parallel edge from the point indicated (see right thumb). The result would be a cuboid corner. Repeat for all corners

Lock the model by refolding triangular flaps over the cuboid corners

Fold the corners of the outer rectangle to the center crease on the other side

The finished saddle-box can hold sweets or biscuits

PRO TIP
Take your time to be precise with folds and creases.
Use tools such as a ruler to make folds sharper.
Holding ends together with glue or tape is not cheating.
Patience is a virtue. If you're stuck, try again with a fresh sheet. Save your mistakes - it will help the next time around

Streamer

This design could be folded from any rectangle. For this demo, we are using 1/4th of a double sheet

Fold the top-left corner down to align with the right-hand edge

Turn over and fold the remaining strip of paper over the folded corner

Repeat the previous 2 steps along the entire length of the rectangle

The result should look like zigzag line

Repeat the process beginning with the top-right corner this time to create a mirrored zigzag line

Make horizontal creases across the intersection points of the two zigzag lines. Unfold

Fold the top two corners down to meet the first intersection point

Fold the resulting triangular corner down using creases made in previous steps. The resulting shape looks like a rotated square/diamond

Turn over and repeat the previous step for the remaining intersection points along the strip

Stretch open the finished streamer

Did you know?

A sheet used for origami isn't always paper. It could be a flat sheet of metal, fibre, leather or anything that can be folded

Watch the video to see Himanshu Agrawal’s step-by-step guide to making the lantern, tray and streamer

Here's another one:

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