The web site of children's author Jonathan Emmett

Pop-Up Birthday Card

Print it out and make it yourself!

Click on the image to see how this card pops-up!

Instructions

For best results, print the pop-up onto thin card - about playing card thickness (between 150-220gsm, if you want to get technical). If you are using thicker card, you may need to set your printer to the "envelope" setting.

1: First you need to print out the three pieces of the pop-up.
Click one of the options below and follow the on-screen directions.

Black and White Version
Colour it in yourself!

(Recommended if you don't have a colour printer)

Full Colour Version
As shown above

	2: Next you need to 'score' the creases so that the pop-up can be folded easily in the right places. You need to use something hard and pointed for scoring. I use a piece of copper wire in a clutch pencil, but you can use a nail file, an old ballpoint pen (in which the ink has run out) or even a knitting needle. It's best not to use anything too sharp, such as a knife, or the crease will tear easily. Use the edge of a ruler to score carefully along the dashed lines on all three pieces. You need to press hard enough to make a dent in the paper, but don't cut into it.
	3: Cut along the solid lines to get the three pieces of the pop-up. Cut-out the middle piece (with the two animals) especially carefully.
	4: Fold the front and the back pieces, along the scored creases, as shown.
	5: Fold in all the creases on the middle piece. The animals should fold back into the middle as shown, but don't worry about the direction of the other folds at the moment.
	6: Flatten the middle piece out again and turn it over so that the blank side is facing upwards. Spread a little glue on the trapezium-shaped area at the bottom (highlighted in blue on the photograph) and fold this flap over so that it sticks to the back of the piece. I use a strong solvent-based paper glue, which dries almost instantly. If you are using a weaker glue, you will need to wait a while for it to dry.
	7: Fold back the four tabs at the edges and centre of the piece and spread glue on the areas highlighted in blue on the photograph.
	8: Position the middle piece over the back piece so that the four glue tabs are located exactly over the four dotted outlines on the back piece and smooth down.
	9: Before the glue gets too dry, shut the pop-up gently, checking that the two animals tilt backwards into the centre as shown. When shut, press firmly on the outside to fix the glue tabs in place.
	10: Look down the back of the pop-up. If you have done everything correctly, it should appear as shown.
	11: Lay the pop-up flat and spread glue over the area highlighted in blue. Be careful not to get glue on the area shown in red!
	12: Position the front piece so that it is in the middle of the card. Check that the centre folds on the front and back pieces are lined up, then gently smooth down the front piece. Shut the pop-up carefully before the glue gets too dry and press firmly on the outside to fix the front piece in place. And then, you're finished!