Hello Anumeha!

Thank you for your message! I’m sorry I received it late due to the holiday season! Imperfections are an inevitability due to (1) the quality of the paper, (2) slight differences in the folding process, and (3) how tightly the component pieces are joined. Don’t worry if your ring base is a little unequal. As you continue to build your origami sculpture, the imperfections will be masked. That being said, here are a few ways to make as uniform a structure as possible:

1. Quality of the paper: We try to use miscellaneous recycled papers from different sources in an attempt to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Oftentimes, the heaviness or weight of paper can be variable. This is not a problem as long as they are evenly mixed – just make a big box of component pieces, toss them together, and you will not be able to tell the difference in the end! If you choose to use a single type of paper, however, then stick to it. Don’t make a few layers out of light paper and then switch to heavy paper.
2. Differences in the folding process: Because many, many component pieces end up in your final sculpture, no single component piece, layer, or ring base will be perfect. Trust the process, continue folding, joining pieces, and making layers and the slight differences will even out. As you have more practice, each of these steps become easier and your technique will improve without your realizing.
3. Joining of the component pieces: THIS is the most important part of making your 3D origami equal and uniform! I will give you unfortunately vague advice – when you join your component pieces, don’t join them too tightly; don’t join them too loosely! You want to join them tightly enough so that you have a stable structure that does not require glue. However, joining them too tightly spreads apart the eventual layers, causes an unequal structure, and makes the end-result less aesthetically pleasing. This is truly something that must be learned with practice. Some types of paper are more slippery and require joining more tightly. Also, different people have different techniques (my mom and I join our pieces at different levels of tightness, though both end-products are acceptable in the end). Just practice and this will come with time!

I hope that this helps, Anumeha. Let me know if I can provide further clarification. I anticipate that these may be issues that you will encounter with the rest of your 3D origami sculpture beyond the ring base, which often is the most un-uniform part – but don’t worry! You’ll have a great product in the end. Good luck to you in your 3D origami. Once you have a completed creation, I would love to see it! Happy new year!

Until next time,
Kathy May

Part 3 will be coming soon! Stay tuned! We will probably make a swan, as that is a basic but beautiful origami sculpture. Let me or Silas know if you have questions or requests!