How to make a star pop-up card
Star Pop-Up Card: try all 10 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
Make a card with a complete five-pointed gold star that rises above the spine. Cut the star from a second piece of paper and use small V-fold tabs to lift it. An Origami Tutor design.
- You need
- A 14 × 20 cm sheet of thin card, a 12 × 9 cm rectangle of gold or yellow paper, pencil, ruler, protractor, scissors and glue stick.
- Start
- Lay the card coloured side up, with a short edge at the top. Set the gold rectangle beside it, white side up, with a 12 cm edge at the top.
Your model is ready
Let the tabs dry and open the card. The star keeps all five points above its small support. Add a greeting for a birthday, Christmas or a thank-you. A complete five-pointed gold star raised above the card on its small V-fold support.
Step-by-step diagrams
- 1
Crease the card
Fold the card in half, bottom edge to top edge, press the spine and open the card flat again.
- 2
Fold the star paper in half
Fold the smaller rectangle from left to right. Keep its 12 cm edges at the top and bottom; the folded piece is 6 cm wide and 9 cm tall.
- 3
Cut the star and tabs
Draw half a five-pointed star against the fold: keep the top tip at the top edge, then draw an inner notch, a long side point, another notch and a lower point. Return toward the fold below the star's centre, leaving a 6 mm wide stem down to the small angled tabs. Follow the cutting diagram through both layers and lift away the scrap. Leave the top tip and both lower points sharp.
- 4
Fold the front glue tab
From the bottom of the middle fold, draw a line 60 degrees from the fold toward the right. Fold only the front tab up along this line.
- 5
Fold the back glue tab
Fold the other tab behind on the same line. The tabs point in opposite directions; the cut shape stays between them.
- 6
Position the star
Set the folded piece on the upper half of the open card. Put its foot on the spine, 5 cm from the left edge. Its middle fold leans 10 degrees left of upright; keep the whole cutout inside the card.
- 7
Glue the lower tab
Glue only the lower tab to the card. Leave the outline, the other tab and every fold free.
- 8
Close the card onto the upper tab
Put glue on the upper tab. Fold the bottom half of the card up over it and press gently.
- 9
Secure the upper tab
Press the card against the upper tab and let the glue set before opening it.
- 10
Open the card
Open the card slowly to 150 degrees. The tabs lift the complete star into a shallow V above the spine.
- ✓
Finish
Let the tabs dry and open the card. The star keeps all five points above its small support. Add a greeting for a birthday, Christmas or a thank-you. A complete five-pointed gold star raised above the card on its small V-fold support.
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