It's lockdown and the Christmas markets are canceled, how are you supposed to get in the mood? Well, why not use the time you have saved to become a paper artist and fold stars? It's better than any meditation and also makes for really cool Christmas decorations.
Paper artist Paul Jackson has been publishing instruction books on how to fold the most unusual objects for years - they all look fantastic, but you usually quickly reach your limits when trying to copy them. Now Jackson's Haupt Verlag has published a set that promises to teach you how to fold stars - super stars - quickly and easily.
All right, try it yourself. The set includes a booklet and 180 pre-folded folding papers in different colors. The folding papers provide the basis for a wide variety of geometric shapes, from a simple pyramid to a cuboctahedron. It doesn't look particularly difficult, but I already had my first problems when pre-folding the Superstar modules. So even the Superstars don't guarantee quick success, which would have been too nice.
With a little concentration, I manage to pre-fold and after the first explanatory video by Paul Jackson, my self-confidence returns. I can now fold pyramids and suddenly understand how the - actually quite simple - system works. I don't need to practise the simple shapes, as Jackson recommends, I want to build a superstar now, and a big one at that. I choose a star with 30 modules, watch the first minute or two of the accompanying video and get started. It takes Jackson 10 minutes to assemble his icosahedron, I struggle for half an hour. Somehow I'm missing at least four hands, I curse and put papers together at the front that slip out at the back, maybe I should have finished watching the video after all?
But I don't give in so easily and eventually a big colorful star appears in front of me - a real superstar! I'm exhausted, but also immensely proud. It wasn't that hard after all, tomorrow I'll tackle the pyramid dodecahedron with 60 pieces and by Christmas Eve our home will look like a Milky Way.
Superstars
Paul Jackson
Haupt Verlag, 212 pages, 180 color folding papers and links to instruction videos
22,- Euro
ISBN 978-3-258-60227-1
