I hope your Dad likes this card! And if you can’t give it to your Dad then give it to a friend who’s feeling low.

Go ahead and get your free printable cut-outs and instructions here …

How it’s made

This card is based on a very simple v-fold design. The pop-up is attached to the card with tabs. Angular folds form a triangular shape which folds down when you close the card and flaps up when you open the card.

It card takes just 5 minutes to make. You just need a printer, scissors and a few drops of glue.

Link to PopThatCard.com

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Instructions for making this card

All the steps for making this elegant pop-up are on this page. I’ve included illustrations and full sized cut-outs. It will only take you a few minutes to make, but please take care when cutting and fitting the pieces together…and the card will work perfectly.

First, carefully cut out the card and butterfly shapes from the printable template

Cut out each half of the butterfly

Cut slots in the two halves as shown in the steps and fit the two halves together. The wings should move freely.

Add a dab of glue to the supporting ‘feet’ and stick them to the card

Let the glue dry, close the card, and you’re done!

Information about this card

The ulysses butterfly is found on every continent except for Antarctica. It is usually found in tropical areas like Northern Queensland, and Papua New Guinea. They live below the Canopy in rain forests.

The beauty of this pop-up is the ‘floating layer’ design. If made correctly the wings appear to float unsupported in mid air! They open and close like real ulysses wings.

Did you mother like this card? Please leave a reply below

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My challenge was to design a pop-up-card for Mother’s day that was nice to look at and very easy to make. This card will take you about 4 minutes to assemble and works perfectly, and you won’t need any glue.

Step-by-step instructions

- First, get your printable flower template here
- Use scissors to cut the card shape including the rose flower that protrudes over the top
- Also cut into the left of the rose petal (under the petal – follow the line)
- Finally, fold along the dotted lines as shown in this video…

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About this card

This is a one-piece pop up card. The secret to how it works is the two-way V-fold mechanism. You should bend the folds both ways to make them pliable. The lower part of the card makes a valley shape that folds inwards when you close it. The upper part of the card (the rose) folds the other way. This is how the flower hides inside. The artwork for this pop-up is based on a real yellow rose grown by our 90-year old Aunt Helen.

Did you mother like this card? Please leave a reply below

Also suitable for Mothers: Elegant Ulysses Butterly Pop-Up-Card – a two piece card. Still one of the most popular designs on this site.

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You can learn so much from books. Here I review my three favorites. They were so helpful to me when I was just starting out, and I still look them up when I need an idea. Many of the basic techniques used on this website are explained in these books.

But before you read the reviews please remember this. If you want to make your own pop-up-cards, the best thing you can do is grab some scissors and some paper and start practising. The more designs you try the more you’ll get the hang of it. Then after you’ve learned some basics you can apply your new skills and your imagination, and design your own cards.

Where to find these books…

The three books reviewed below are available at Amazon. That’s were I bought mine, but you might also be able to ask your local book store for help, or try your community library. I’ve included the publishers to help you track them down. I just find Amazon easy, and I’ve included the Amazon links to each book in case you decide to order your own copy.

A word of advice: Don’t choose a book just because it looks flashy. Sometimes the simplest looking books are the best teachers.

1.

By Duncan Birmingham, Tarquin Publications

What the author says:  “…a working guide to the intriguing mechanisms that leap up from pop-up cards.
The book starts with just three simple ideas, and then shows how they are extended, modified and combined to produce sophisticated fold-away paper sculptures…Although the title of this manual is ‘Pop-up’, it also deals with slides, pull strips and rotating wheels commonly found in imaginative children’s books.”

My ranking: 5 stars

This is one of the best guides you will ever see on making pop-ups. Don’t be fooled by the simple hand drawn look. It’s very comprehensive.

By Paul Jackson, Owl Books, Henry Holt and Company New York

What the author says: “the ultimate guide to creating paper pop-ups
…offers a clear and practical guide to the craft for all levels of artist, from home hobbyists to professional graphic designers and architects. Illustrated with specially commissioned photography, it includes specific projects with easy-to-follow steps, general techniques for greater personal experimentation and creativity, and a gallery of designs created by some of today’s best pop-up artists for an inspirational finish”.

My ranking:  3 1/2 stars :  This is a good showcase of real pop-ups created by a range of artists. This book does show you what’s possible, and that’s good – but it doesn’t always teach you how it’s done.

Mark Hiner, Tarquin Publications, England

What the author says: “…a basic dictionary or encyclopedia of mechanisms which do work and which can be used as starting points for further inventiveness…
These mechanisms are the basic ground-rules for successful paper engineering. Each is the starting point for a whole range of exciting possibilities…By choosing the right mechanism and then adapting and developing it to suit your needs, you can express an idea, a message or a mood far more vividly than any static picture ever can”

My ranking:  4 stars The book provides ten working models to cut out and make. It’s a great way to learn basic folds and mechanisms. This book will definitely help you understand how pop-up-cards work.

So there you have it. The three most important how-to books on pop-up-cards in my collection.

Have fun guys…

Ricko

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The date of Valentine’s Day is 14 February and there’s no substitute for a BIG KISS… well OK, maybe a real kiss would be better than this pop up card, but it’s still pretty good!  It might be the perfect thing to give your loved one when you can’t send chocolates or roses or see them in person.

So, here’s how to make your BIG KISS pop up card…

1.    Print out the free Valentine’s Day Pop Up Design at this link.
2.    Carefully cut out each shape.
3.    Fold the pieces along the dotted lines (just follow the instructions on the page).
4.    You’ll see that the huge lips are held in place by a specially shaped support that’s mostly invisible from the front. Glue it on the card and let it dry.
5.     Now glue on the huge lips. Carefully close the card and see how the lips hide neatly away!

That’s all there is too it. Go ahead and make your BIG LIPS here and happy Valentine’s Day Everybody.

xxx

Important tips

Not everyone wants to be kissed on Valentine’s Day. If you don’t know the person very well then it’s not a good idea to send them a big kiss. Maybe send some flowers or a teddy bear.

Also, did you know that recently in India, a married couple was arrested for kissing in public? Obscenity charges were laid last September against the man and woman, aged in their twenties, for kissing near a train station. The charges were later dropped. The judge remarked he was surprised “an expression of love by a young married couple would attract an offence” (source MX News, Wednesday 4 February 2009).

So the lesson here is to respect other cultures and sensibilities, and have a great Valentine’s Day.

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Happy Christmas everybody. Here’s a star raising pop up card for you, your friends, and family.

Being Christmas season, the pop-up celebrates the bright star that guided the three wise men to Bethlehem.

When you open the card the star rises above the mountain and arches across the sky. It’s based on a simple but very effective ‘moving arm’ pop up mechanism. It really IS easy to make (although your friends will probably be scratching their heads wondering how it’s done!). It’s also very robust and can be opened and closed countless times.

Go to this page for printable cut-outs and instructions

A Hint: You can print the card on dark paper if you wish, and then use gold paint to make the star really stand out.

Another Hint: Use crisp paper that is a bit tougher than photocopy paper. The moving arm mechanism will work flawlessly.

This card is just released . Be the first to leave a comment below and let me know how you go! Have a nice Christmas everybody.

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Drawing by Robert Sabuda

Get ready for Halloween on 31 October. Today you can learn how to make a fantastic Frankenstein pop-up-card, a magical spinning ghost, or a slightly more complicated (but nice) origami bat.

Give these out to your door-knocking visitors as treats. Tell them it’s better than sugar, and more fun, and that they should be grateful that you’re not trying to give them half a pack of dried apricots like the woman two doors down the road! Hee hee

Design 1. Frankenstein pop-up-card by Robert Sabuda

Robert’s put a lot of care into this design (see picture above) and I recommend it. It’s a cute monster, and the finished card is lots of fun to open and close.

Here’s his pop-up design.

Tip: Don’t be put off by the number of steps involved. Once you get the hang of it you’ll find Robert’s instructions pretty easy to follow. Always rewarding.

Design 2: The Amazing Halloween ‘Spinning Ghost’

Fans of PopThatCard.com may already have seen my spinning ghost. If you haven’t made one yet then you’ll have the best excuse ever on 31 October.

Just print the spinning ghost cut-outs (available here) and follow the instructions provided.

The spinning ghost takes only five minute to put together… but you’ll spend a lot more time playing with it and watching it twirl to the ground!

Tip: This is a cool upgrade to the traditional paper helicopter. It’s more fun than a paper helicopter and has a more aerodynamic design.

Spinning Ghost by Ricko

Design 3. Origami bat

You don’t have to wait until Halloween to get your fill of creepy critters—fold a whole colony of bats and string them into a spooky mobile.

To make one, start with a single sheet of paper and see video below (by OrigamiUSA)

Guest vid – How To Make an Origami Bat – from OrigamiUSA

Tell us how you go with any of the designs discussed in this post, and leave a comment below.

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I’ve always been fascinated by cobras. The way they rear their head back to strike, flattening their neck into a hood to look bigger. Some of them have weird markings that look like tribal paintings or strange faces.

I’ve tried to capture in this pop-up card the moment when the cobra rears upwards. It’s a very simple v-fold design and has only two printable pieces. The first piece is the card and the other piece is the cobra itself. Cut out the pieces, fold along the dotted lines, then glue. It’s soooo simple and will only take you a few minutes to assemble. Then you can give it to someone who likes snakes.

Here’s is the printable design to make your card.

Is the cobra the world’s deadliest snake?

It depends what you measure. Sadly, Cobras do kill many people each year. Some species of Cobra tend to live where human populations live. They’re comfortable crawling into houses, or looking for rodents where people are sleeping, and they sometimes hide under clothing and other things left on the ground.

But if you compare toxic venom then the answer is different. According to Will Chaffey in his adventure book Swimming with Crocodiles, eighteen of the world’s most poisonous snakes inhabit Australia. The ‘fierce snake’ or inland taipan of central Queensland tops the list – a single bite is 75 times more powerful than a rattlesnake.

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A note about folding the paper. For most of the designs on this site you don’t need to ‘score’ the paper first. Scoring is when you crease the line by running along it with a blunt point. A simple way to get your card to fold well (without scoring) is to fold both ways. By that I mean folding along the dotted line, opening it again, then folding back the other way so it works like a well oiled hinge. This is one of the easiest tricks to making successful pop-up-cards. Follow the dotted line as closely as you can.

More questions…Do you need high quality paper scissors? and what kind of glue should you buy? You’ll find the answers on the hints and tips page. While on this topic, I’m currently on holidays with my family and we just bought a basic $2 pair of scissors that work as well as anything else. So, you don’t need anything expensive – just stick to the basics, take care, and have fun.

Can you write to me for help? Yes! Leave a comment on this post or contact me here.

Note: The hints and tips page doesn’t only apply to the ready-made designs and cut-outs on PopThatCard.com – They are just as useful for making other pop-ups that you find in books or that you design yourself.

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Who knows who first came up with the idea of a paper helicopter. There are many variations, and the person in this video shows one great design that works beautifully. (His name is Raul Ordóñez a Spanish blogger and photographer and an all-round generous guy).

Step 1: First watch the 2 minute video below
Step 2: Click here to print your own ready made cut-outs…

By the way – I will get back to writing about pop-up-cards soon. In the meantime, if you want to make other things with paper then click here for a few ideas.

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The great thing about the above video is how Raul manages to find a strong updraft outside his apartment window. The helicopter soars high in the air and is soon gone. Some people have said, ‘Oh it must be faked’. But there are no tricks involved. Your paper spinner can soar too – all you need is a pretty hot day or an upward breeze, or both. Just let it go!

P.S – remember – be careful with heights.

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