Cake with Candles

A birthday card: a three-tier cake rises in steps, each tier held to the previous one by a strip, with five candles on the top tier. Around it — two bunches of balloons, a gift with a side wall, a party hat, and a fan on a V-fold: eight pieces. You can trace the template sheets through the camera or print them on cardstock — the files are at the bottom of this page.

• Hard
• 74 steps
• 3 Letter sheets
• 8 pieces

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 3946

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• 3 Letter sheets — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Markers
• Pencil — and eraser
• Ruler — 8–12 in
• Scissors — small
• Glue stick — or PVA glue
• Empty pen — to score the folds
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Base

1. Sturdy base from two sheets. The base is made from two sheets of office paper: spread a glue stick over all of one sheet, lay the second on top and smooth it with your palm from the middle to the edges. Draw the base on this sheet.
2. Base outline. Trace a 5⅞ × 8¼ in rectangle in the middle of the sheet — this is the card opened flat.
3. Fold. Trace the middle line as a dashed line: the card will fold in half along it. Don't cut it.
4. Back half: drawing. The top half will stand up like a wall. Copy its drawing: big shapes first, then the small details.
5. Bottom half: drawing. The bottom half will lie flat on the table, and the pieces will stand on it. Copy the drawing.
6. Back half: color. Color the top half to match the sample. Colors:
7. Bottom half: color. Now the bottom half. Colors:
8. Frames 1 · Fan. Two slanted frames 1 by the fold: one on the bottom half, the other on the back half. The tabs of the “Fan” piece will be glued here. Trace them over the color and write in the numbers.
9. Frames 2 · Balloons. Trace over the color: on the bottom half — two frames 2 for the piece's tabs; on the back half — two frames 2 with a double side, for the strips. Write in the numbers.
10. Frames 3 · Top tier with candles. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 3 for the piece's tab; on the back half, frame 3 with a double side, for the strip. Write in the numbers.
11. Frames 5 · Gift. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 5 for the piece's tab; on the back half, frame 5 with a double side, for the strip. Write in the numbers.
12. Frame 6 · Middle tier. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 6 for the piece's tab. Write in the number.
13. Frame 7 · Bottom tier. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 7 for the piece's tab. Write in the number.
14. Frame 8 · Party hat. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 8 for the piece's tab. Write in the number.
15. Cover: drawing. Flip the sheet over like a book page and put it back in the same place, edge to edge. Copy the cover: the drawing is upside down — on the closed card it will end up the right way up.
16. Cover: color. Color the cover. Colors:

Pieces

17. New sheet · Fan. Remove sheet 1 and put in its place a clean sheet, edge to edge; don't move the phone. Trace the outline of piece 1 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. Dash-dot lines mark the center fold and the tabs at the bottom.
18. Fan: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 1.
19. Fan: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: This piece's tabs will stay visible — color them the same as the base.
20. 2 · Balloons: outline. Piece 2 is made of two separate parts: trace the outline of each with a solid line — you’ll cut along it. The tabs are at the bottom: they fold along the dashed line. Trace the windows inside too.
21. Balloons: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outlines. On the tab of each part, write the number 2.
22. Balloons: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
23. 3 · Top tier with candles: outline. Trace the outline of piece 3 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom is a tab: along the dashed line it folds back.
24. Top tier with candles: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 3.
25. Top tier with candles: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
26. 4 · Gift side: outline. Trace the outline of piece 4 with a solid line — you’ll cut along it. On the side is a tab: its edge is outlined with a dashed line.
27. Gift side: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 4.
28. Gift side: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
29. 5 · Gift: outline. Trace the outline of piece 5 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom is a tab: along the dashed line it folds back.
30. Gift: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 5.
31. Gift: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
32. 6 · Middle tier: outline. Trace the outline of piece 6 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom is a tab: along the dashed line it folds back.
33. Middle tier: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 6.
34. Middle tier: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
35. 7 · Bottom tier: outline. Trace the outline of piece 7 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom is a tab: along the dashed line it folds back.
36. Bottom tier: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 7.
37. Bottom tier: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
38. 8 · Party hat: outline. Trace the outline of piece 8 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom is a tab: along the dashed line it folds back.
39. Party hat: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 8.
40. Party hat: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.

Strips

41. Frame on piece 3. On the “Top tier with candles” piece, over the color, trace frame 6 and write in the number: strip 6 will be glued here.
42. Frame on piece 6. On the “Middle tier” piece, over the color, trace frame 7 and write in the number: strip 7 will be glued here.
43. Frame on piece 7. On the “Bottom tier” piece, over the color, trace frame 8 and write in the number: strip 8 will be glued here.
44. Strips. Trace 8 strips: solid line — cut, dashed line — fold. Left to right: 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8. Copy the numbers and arrows: the arrow goes on the tab that is glued into the frame. No need to color them.

Cut

45. Cut out the base. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Don't cut the dashed line in the middle.
46. Cut out: fan. Cut along the outline with scissors, tabs included. In narrow spots, cut with the tips.
47. Cut out: balloons. The piece is made of two separate parts: cut out each one along the outline, tabs included. Cut the narrow spots with the tips of the scissors. Cut the windows inside with a craft knife on cardboard.
48. Cut out: top tier with candles. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
49. Cut out: gift side. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
50. Cut out: gift. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
51. Cut out: middle tier. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
52. Cut out: bottom tier. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
53. Cut out: party hat. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
54. Cut out the strips. 8 strips: cut along the straight lines. Leave the numbers and arrows so the strips don't get mixed up.

Fold

55. Fold the base in half. Score the dashed line with an empty pen along a ruler and fold the base with the drawing inside. Then open it up to a right angle.
56. Piece tabs. Fold the pieces' tabs back, away from the drawing, along the dashed line — to a right angle. The “Fan” is different: fold it in half with the drawing inside and only crease the tabs lightly — a little toward you, toward the drawing.
57. Strips. Fold the strips' tabs to a right angle: plain dashed line — away from you, dash-dot line — toward you, toward the number.

Glue

58. 1 · Fan. Open the card. Apply glue to the back of the tab on the right half (see the picture) and glue it into frame 1 of the bottom half: the sharp corner of the piece goes exactly into the fold of the card. Fold the piece in half, apply glue to the second tab on top and close the card.
59. 2 · Balloons: strips. Hold both strips 2 with the number facing up: on each one, the tab with the arrow goes into its own frame 2 on the back half, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
60. 2 · Balloons: into place. The tabs of both parts go into frames 2 on the bottom half. Place both parts face down, top toward you. Straighten the free tabs of the strips, apply glue to the underside and slowly close the card: the strips will lie down on the back of the piece by themselves. Press down.
61. 3 · Top tier with candles: strip. Hold strip 3 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 3 on the back half, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
62. 3 · Top tier with candles: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 3 on the bottom half. Place the piece face down, top toward you. Straighten the strip's free tab, apply glue to the underside and slowly close the card: the strip will lie down on the back of the piece by itself. Press down.
63. 4 · Gift side. Place the “Gift” piece next to the card face down, top away from you. Glue the tab of the “Gift side” piece to its back near the right edge: the tab’s fold is flush with the edge, and the bottom of the side piece is 1/16 in above the bottom of the gift. The “Gift side” piece also lies face down: in the card it will fold back, with the drawing facing out.
64. 5 · Gift: strip. Hold strip 5 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 5 on the back half, with the fold toward the double side of the frame. The frame is behind pieces that are already standing: guide the tab in on the tip of a pencil.
65. 5 · Gift: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 5 on the bottom half. Place the piece face down, top toward you. Straighten the strip's free tab, apply glue to the underside and slowly close the card: the strip will lie down on the back of the piece by itself. Press down.
66. 6 · Middle tier: strip. Hold strip 6 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 6 on the “Top tier with candles” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
67. 6 · Middle tier: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 6 on the bottom half. Place the piece face down, top toward you. Straighten the strip's free tab, apply glue to the underside and slowly close the card: the strip will lie down on the back of the piece by itself. Press down.
68. 7 · Bottom tier: strips. Hold both strips 7 with the number facing up: on each one, the tab with the arrow goes into its own frame 7 on the “Middle tier” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
69. 7 · Bottom tier: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 7 on the bottom half. Place the piece face down, top toward you. Straighten the free tabs of the strips, apply glue to the underside and slowly close the card: the strips will lie down on the back of the piece by themselves. Press down.
70. 8 · Party hat: strip. Hold strip 8 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 8 on the “Bottom tier” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
71. 8 · Party hat: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 8 on the bottom half. Place the piece face down, top toward you. Straighten the strip's free tab, apply glue to the underside and slowly close the card: the strip will lie down on the back of the piece by itself. Press down.

Check

72. Close. Slowly fold the card shut: the pieces lie flat, one on top of another. If something catches — don't force it: find the strip that is pulling and glue it again.
73. Press. Hold the closed card under your palm for 10 seconds: the tabs will set in the position where they fold naturally.
74. Open. Open it to a right angle: the pieces stand up one by one, from the back half toward you.

Done. The card is done. Closed, it can go into an envelope: the pieces lie flat between the halves.

Make it with your phone camera

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