Pop-up Fairy Tale

There are three different pop-up elements on this card. Butterflies flutter on a paper spiral, a carriage pops to the foreground on a table mechanism, but the obvious star of the show is Rapunzel's cylindrical pop-up tower. The cylindrical pop-up mechanism is one that is seldom seen in pop-up books, but it is one that is dramatic, simple, and fun!

For the above card, in addition to the sturdy card-stock, you would need the following items which can be purchased at www.franticstamper.com:

          • Versafine Onyx Black

          • Memories Soft Baby Blue

          • Imaginisce Clear Stamp - Castle 

          • Imaginisce Clear Stamp - Carriage 

          • Imaginisce Clear Stamp-Flower 

          • Inkadinkado Clear Stamps - Best Friends 

For this tutorial, though, I will just show you how to make a generic cylindrical pop-up.

Materials:

     Sturdy folded card (the sturdier the better!)
     Sheet of medium weight cardstock
     Adhesive (glue, double sided tape, red-liner tape)

Pattern :

     The basic shape of the pattern follows.
     A few rules to remember:
        • The height of the mechanism should be equal to or less than the
           height of your folded card.
        • The width of the portion A of the pattern must be smaller than
           the width of your card (when folded).
        • The wider the portion A is, the broader the cylinder will be
        • The portion B must be longer than width A by about half the
           width of A
          (This can vary, depending on how much you want the
            cylinder to pop - experiment!).




Instructions:

     • Print out pattern. Cut on solid lines; mountain fold on dotted lines.

     • About an inch from the fold, on the right side of the inside of the card, and using strong glue, attach the folded flaps on the left edge of the mechanism.



     • Pass the long tab across the mechanism, and through the gap in the glued tabs.

     • With the mechanism flat on the back of the card, bend the tab back across the mechanism.

     • Add glue or double sided tape to the edge of the tab, then close the card.



     • Wait for the glue to dry completely, then open the card. VOILA! Up pops the cylinder!




Of course, it helps to stamp the card and the mechanism BEFORE final assembly. The BACK of the tab should be stamped to blend into the background of the card, while the front of the main mechanism should be stamped appropriately to the cylindrical object it will become.

Think of all the possibilities; castle towers, rocket ships, wishing wells, drinking glasses, baskets, and vases. Have fun experimenting with the pop-up cylinder!