SNOWFLAKE POP-UP CARD
Here is the snowflake pop-up card tutorial I promised earlier this week. I hope you enjoy! I think it is a nice project no matter what you are celebrating this month.
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Supplies:
1.paper for snowflakes and cover. Paper with a little weight to it will give you better results. Copier-weight paper is okay but the snowflake won't hold its shape as well, especially larger ones. Also, definitely choose cover paper that is heavier so it will hold the card shape nicely.
2. glue stick
3. scissors
4. pencil
5. ribbon (norrow is best, no bigger than 1/8")
6. bead with hole large enough for ribbon to pass through
1. Cut 5 squares of paper the same size. Precision in cutting is important - you want all the sides to match up. You can cut the squares any size you want. I suggest keeping the size under 8 inches.
2. With right side up (this is only relevant if you have a one-sided patterned or colored paper), fold square in half side to side. Open and repeat in other direction (keeping paper right side up).
3. Turn paper over. Fold one corner to the opposite corner, making a triangle. Open it back up. Turn paper over and refold on this same fold, reinforcing it.
4. This part can seem tricky, but it is easy once you do it. Holding the paper right side up, notice that there are four squares, two of them with a fold making triangles. Push these folded squares in toward each other. You will now have a small folded square. Repeat steps 2-4 until you have 5 squares folded in this fashion. If you want a simple, uncut snowflake/star shape, skip to step 8. If you want to make something a little fancier, go to the next step.
5. Cut a separate single sheet square of paper the same size as the folded pieces you have. Keeping one corner INTACT (see where I am holding the template) draw a snowflake shape (you could also draw a leaf, animal or human figure, or whatever you can imagine). This is your template. Placing the intact corner of the template at the FOLDED corner (this is important) of the squares, trace the template. Do this for all five squares.
6. Cut out the template, following the lines as carefully as possible. Remember, you want everything to line up in the end.
7. Here is what my square looked like after I cut it. You can see why it is important to have a good amount of intact paper at the base of your template, as it forms the middle of the shape. Now, fold the square back up.
8. Working carefully so as not to get glue on any surface but the top, take a glue stick and spread glue over the entire top surface. I find it easiest to begin at the folded base and spread the glue in outward strokes. You can also tuck a scrap of paper under this top surface to protect the other layers from glue. Once done spreading glue, remove the scrap paper. Now, take this square with glue applied and place it over one of the other folded squares. Repeat this process until you have glued all five squares together.
9. This is what your snowflake should look like now, all glued together. If any stray glue got on the middle layers, carefully work these surfaces apart.
10. Prepare ribbon by cutting it about 5 1/2 times the length of the square/snowflake corner to corner. Find the center of your length and fold and crease it. Slip the ends of the ribbon through the bead and tie a knot at the top.
11. With glue stick, apply a thin strip of glue from corner to corner on the two outside surfaces of your glued-together stack of squares. Take the ribbon, and place the center spot that you creased at the folded, intact corner. Now, keeping it straight, press the ribbon down onto the strip of glue.
12. Now, apply glue to the two outside surfaces of the square/snowflake, including over the ribbon. Take the two papers you have chosen for the cover (cut the same size as your folded squares) and carefully line them up over the glued surfaces. Press carefully to adhere them. If you want to get fancy, you can cut the cover papers with your template so that they are the same shape as your snowflake.
13. Here is the card with one cover glued in place.
14. Here is a card closed.
15. Here is a card closed.
Finally, this is a card that was made without any cutting. It is just the folded squares glued together. My daughter chose silver and gold metallic paper, which gave a nice result. You can see the orange printed paper cover peeking through at the top.
Good luck! Let me know if you made one, and how easy it was to follow the directions.
XO Maribeth