Paper ball construction using equilateral triangles is a geodesic sphere. Equilateral triangles can easily be derived from circles, and the variation in number of circles leads to variation in shape and volume of the geodesic spheres.
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Use thick or stiff colorful papers for circles
- Compass to draw circles of same size on paper sheets.
- Ruler to measure equilateral triangles
- Pencil for marking
- Scissors for cutting circles from paper
- White glue for pasting flaps of circles
- Elastic string and long needle to hang the ball
Follow step 1 to 9 for cutting & folding the flaps with triangle crease lines quickly.
•PAPER BALL : 8 CIRCLES
Fold the three flaps of each circle upwards and glue flap of one circle to that of another. Now join one of the remaining unglued flaps of first circle to one flap of third circle using glue.
Repeat the step with the remaining four circles. Glue the free flaps of the two hemisphere to finally compose the geodesic sphere using eight circles.
Each halve will be prepared by using five circles applying the above mentioned procedures, and eventually both halves will be glued at the free flaps.
•PAPER BALL : 20 CIRCLES
After having followed the same step as needed to make two spheres of geodesic spheres using 5 circles each, remaining ten triangles will be pasted separately to form a chain of flaps. Now glue the two halves on alternate side of the chain of free flaps, to compose a sphere of twenty circles.
•To explore many more variants of paper ball designs, flaps of triangular shapes can be glued inside out.
•By using glitters, stones, mirrors, perforations, colour blocking etc, the geodesic sphere could be embellished to a more customised exploration of shape and form.