General Terms
- 180° card
- A card that opens flat (See Thanksgiving Turkey)
- 90° card
- A card that opens only to 90°s. (See Mars Rover)
- 0° card
- A card where the design is created by layers of paper that can be opened one at a time. Not really a pop-up per se. (See 2021 Christmas card)
Mechanisms
These tables briefly describe the basic pop-up mechanisms used for about every pop-up you’ll see in cards and books. The columns in the tables refer to the following books. Click on the link for my reviews.
BH1- Pop Up!: A Manual of Paper Mechanisms
BH2- Pop-Up Design and Paper Mechanics: How to Make Folding Paper Sculpture
CD- The Elements of Pop-Up and The Complexities of Pop-Up
Foundation Shapes
| Name | BH1 | BH2 | CD | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right-angle V Fold | 1,2 | FS1 | Basic mechanism that stands vertically and usually opens away from the viewer. | |
| Acute-angle V Fold | 8-17 | FS2 | Fig 20,22,29 | Most common and versatile of mechanisms that form a V shape opening away or towards the viewer. |
| Pointed V Fold | 7 | FS3 | Similar to FS2, but very pointed. | |
| Obtuse-angle V Fold | 4 | FS4 | A V fold with an obtuse angle. | |
| Asymmetric V Fold | 30,31 | FS5 | Fig 21,23 | A V with different angles. These make pop-ups a bit more interesting. |
| Parallel Fold | 53-58 | FS6 | Fig 3 | A mechanism with a fold parallel to the main fold to form a triangular shape when opened 180 degrees. |
| Parallelogram | 34-36,38-39 | FS7 | Fig 1,2 | Mechanism has folds parallel to the main fold and when opened 90 degrees forms a rectangle. |
| Asymmetric-Parallel Fold | FS8 | Fig 4 | Similar to FS6 and FS7, only the sides are not the same length. | |
| Zigzag Fold | 45-48 | FS9 | Similar to FS1 with additional folds. | |
| M Fold | 28 | FS10 | A V fold with more V folds, this gives you many planes and folds to build upon. | |
| Floating Plane | 69 | FS11 | Fig 17,18 | A plane that is parallel to the base when opened 180 degrees. |
| Box | 67,70-72 | FS12 | Fig 6,7 | An enclosed box with sides parallel to the main fold. |
| Box | 68 | FS12.1 | Fig 9 | Cylindrical version |
| House | 49 | Pop-up house. Also in BH2 Project Templates section. | ||
| Open-topped Box | 51 | FS13.1 | Fig 5 | Similar to FS12, with no lid. |
| Open-topped Box | FS13.4 | Fig 5 | Circular version | |
| Pyramids | 50 | FS14 | Fig 27 | Pyramid on V or parallel, as well as cones, and variations. |
| Pyramids | 52 | FS14.1 | Fig 11 | Parallel pyramid version. |
| Pyramids | FS14.2 | Fig 12 | Elongated pyramid version. | |
| Pyramids | FS14.4 | Fig 10 | Cone version. | |
| Curved Shapes | FS15 | Derived from a V or parallel fold, the mechanism pops up with curved sides. | ||
| Twisting Mechanism | 77 | FS16 | Fig 30 | An interesting mechanism that twists as the page is opened. It also gives you many options for building more mechanisms on it. |
| Automatic Pull-strip | 116,117 | FS17 | Fig 16,17 | As the page is opened a strip pulls up a half cylinder or parallel shape. |
| Moving Arms | 73,74 | FS18 | Always a favorite since the movement can be dramatic as an arm moves when the page is opened. | |
| Moving Arms | 75 | FS 18.4 | Arm behind a mask | |
| Moving Arms | 76 | Turning a disc, like a car wheel | ||
| Angle Fold Platform | Fig 28 | Two angle folds that create a platform. |
Building Techniques
| Name | BH1 | BH2 | CD | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting Parts Away | 6,18-20 | BT1 | Cutting parts of a mechanism can drastically change its shape | |
| Sticking Pieces On | 21-27,41-43 | BT2 | Fig 13,31,32 | Adding new pieces on folds created by a mechanism is very common |
| Extra Creases | 78,79 | BT3 | This adds more folds to a mechanism | |
| Angle-folded strips | BT4 | These are added pieces like BT2, but with extra creases | ||
| Counter folds | 5,32,33,37 | BT5 | Fig 1,2 | Folds cut into or added to a fold. OA is all counter folds |
| Slots | 59,61,64-66 | BT6 | Fig 15,32 | With many variations, a slot cut into a mechanism allows another piece to slide in or out |
| Slots | 60,62,63 | BT6.2 | Fig 15 | Jutting through mountain fold |
| Bending Planes | BT7 | Spirals, 7.1, and flattened gullies, 7.2 | ||
| Bending Planes | 114 | BT7.1 | Fig 19 | Spirals, 7.1, and flattened gullies, 7.2 |
| Straps | 40 | BT8 | Straps add new folds on the base of a 180° card | |
| 45-degree folds | 80-82 | BT9 | Fig 24,25,26 | These can lift a vertical piece on a folder, or attach to another mechanism, or create a box |
| 45-degree folds | 83 | BT9.3 | Fig 26 | Box version |
| Angle Fold Open Box | BT9 | Fig 24,25 | Box that uses a V as basis | |
| Angle Fold Cube | BT9.3 | Fig 26 | Box with a top that uses a V as basis |
Pull-Tab Mechanisms
| Name | BH1 | BH2 | CD | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-strips | 84-91 | PT1 | Fig 44 | A pull strip that moves a mechanism. CD has a curved track, too. |
| Pivots | 103-13 | PT2 | Fig 33,34 | User-turnable wheels and pivoting pieces from a pull strip |
| Pivots | 105 | PT2.1 | Fig 41 | A pull strip that moves a mechanism |
| Wheels with a Cam | Fig 35 | User-turnable wheel that turns a cam to create in interesting movement | ||
| Double Wheels | Fig 36 | User-turnable wheel that has two layers | ||
| Pivots | Fig 42 | A pull strip spins a disc | ||
| Pivots | Fig 43 | A pull strip that moves a disc the opposite direction via a string | ||
| Flaps | 95-102 | PT3.1 | Fig 38 | A tab that flips up a tab toward the pull |
| Flaps | 94 | PT3.2 | Fig 37 | A tab that flips up a tab away from the pull |
| Pull-tab | Fig 39,40 | A tab changes an image | ||
| Articulated Images | 111,112 | A pull that moves articulated pieces | ||
| Swoop movement | 113 | A pull that create a curved motion |
Other Mechanisms
| Name | BH1 | BH2 | CD | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Set | 118 | Used in carousel books, multiple folds to create layers of a scene | ||
| Shutter Scene | 119 | Pulling two tabs outwards creates a 3D scene | ||
| Sawing Noise | 120 | Fig 14 | Saw-like pieces make a sound when opening | |
| Woven Dissolve | 92,93 | Older mechanism that changes from one image to another with a pull strap. | ||
| Off Center Stuffed Box | Fig 49 | A box on one side of a fold that opens with a strap | ||
| Angle Fold Straps | Fig 65 | Pyramid-like V-fold |