New Pop-Up Paper Projects

Step-by-step paper engineering for all ages

Paul Johnson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136677717
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

New Pop-Up Paper Projects is an inspirational book for everyone who wants to learn and share the magic of pop-up paper engineering. Illustrated throughout with colour diagrams and photographs, this book guides you through basic techniques and foundation skills, offers advice on classroom planning and health and safety and shows you how to ensure that learners of all ages can develop and progress their skills.

Guiding you through 90-, 180- and 360-degree engineering, this book presents step-by-step instructions and ideas for over 200 cross-curricular themes, from cityscapes to magical creatures. Aiming to challenge and inspire, Paul Johnson uses over 150 paper-engineering techniques, including:

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• storybooks

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• pop-ups without folds

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• zigzag pop-ups

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• pulleys, wheels and levers

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• asymmetrical pop-ups

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• intricate toy theatres

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• diagonal pop-ups with movables.

This book, brimming with pop-up techniques and how to teach them, is for everyone – from the self-styled 'visually illiterate' to the art graduate, from parents keeping creativity alive at home to classroom teachers planning an engaging curriculum for their class of 30 plus pupils.

Chapter 1 Making 90-degree pop-ups

1.1 ‘Hamburger’ (right).

As pop-ups have to cross the middle crease of the page spread, most projects start by folding a sheet of paper in half.Folding one short edge to the other one is a ‘hamburger’ fold. Folding in half the other way – one long edge to the other one – the ‘hot dog’. I first came across this mnemonic in US elementary schools a decade or two ago and have used it in classroom situations ever since.

1.2 ‘Hot dog’ (below).

Sharp and accurate creases make a marked difference to the appearance of the finished pop-up. If children have been playing outside prior to the pop-up session their fingers may be grubby. So keep finger folding to a minimum and use scissor handles instead to reinforce creases.

1.3 A sticking up crease is a ‘mountain’ . . .

1.4 . . . and the opposite a ‘valley.’

Folding

Folding paper correctly on an uncluttered working surface ensures that pop-ups pop up successfully and with the least amount of effort.

1.5 Here is a suggestion for starting out: Place in front of you a sheet of copier paper (landscape). Gently curve over right side corners to match left side corners. With one hand hold open edges tightly together.

1.6 ‘Walk fingers’ of your other hand up sheet centre. At furthest point make a light crease in both directions to make the middle crease.

1.7 Lay closed scissor handles on folded edge and sharpen crease. Ensure that the point of the scissor blade does not come into contact with the hand.

Cutting

The cutting diagrams that follow show the fold at the bottom of the sheet – the scissor-cutting position. Pop-ups seen horizontally are planned this way too.

1.8 Cutting position.

But many 90- and180-degree pop-ups are prepared vertically so paper is shown in that position for planning purposes in most project diagrams.

1.9 Designing position.

Eye-measuring

The two parallel cuts required to make ‘the box’ must not go further than half way up the folded sheet. Rather than measuring with a ruler encourage ‘eye measuring’ skills. With practice students can get quite good at this and it saves time.

1.10 Introducing it to a class: ‘Draw a dot where you think the middle of the folded edge is.’

1.11 ‘Now draw another dot about two finger widths to the left of it and two finger widths to the right of it.’

(The number of fingers depends on the age of the student.With younger pupils you might use a three-finger measure.)

1.12 ‘Place dots where you think half way is above the left and right dots.’

1.13 ‘Lay the ruler between the two left dots and draw a connecting line. Now do this to the right dots.’

1.14 ‘Hold the paper with the fold touching you. Cut both lines.’

1.15 ‘Lay the scissors down and start to fold forward between the two lines.’

1.16–18 Make the class aware that before the pop-up shape is folded down it must not protrude over paper’s edge. If it does it will stick outside closed page. So if pupils cut more than half way they must not fold more than half way. It...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Thematic contents
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1. Making 90-degree pop-ups
• 2. Vertical boxes
• 3. Horizontal boxes
• 4. Angled pop-ups
• 5. Angled pop-ups with additions
• 6. Geometric pop-ups
• 7. Asymmetrical pop-ups:Vertical
• 8. Asymmetrical pop-ups: Horizontal
• 9. Story books
• 10. Hanging pop-up books
• 11. Making 180-degree pop-ups
• 12. Magic rainbows
• 13. More magic rainbows
• 14. Combining pop-ups
• 15. Zigzag pop-ups
• 16. Projected pop-ups
• 17. All creatures great and small
• 18. Houses
• 19. Cubes and pyramids
• 20. Constructing with boxes
• 21. Cars, boats and planes
• 22. Pop-up pictures
• 23. Diagonal pop-ups
• 24. Diagonal pop-ups with movables
• 25. Bracketed diagonal pop-ups
• 26. Single sheet 180-degree pop-ups
• 27. Pop-ups without folds
• 28. Paper mechanics
• 29. Star books
• 30. Tunnel books
• 31. Carousel books
• 32. Visual stories
• 33. Making books
• Templates