Chibi Ninja

A little ninja with a big head, a red scarf, and a headband. Five pieces.

• Hard
• 54 faces
• 67 tabs
• 2 Letter sheets

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 8037

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

• 2 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

Sheet 1

1. Body: outline. Trace the solid line along the edge of “Body” — tabs included. You’ll cut along it.
2. Body: folds. All the lines inside are dashed: these are folds, so don’t cut them.
3. Body: numbers. Copy the numbers: the tab and the edge it tucks under have the same number. On the faces, write them faintly, right at the edge — these numbers end up on the outside; erase them with an eraser after gluing. A letter marks the spot where pieces are glued to each other. Trace the picture here too.
4. Head: outline. Trace the solid line along the edge of “Head” — tabs included. You’ll cut along it.
5. Head: folds. All the lines inside are dashed: these are folds, so don’t cut them.
6. Head: numbers. Copy the numbers: the tab and the edge it tucks under have the same number. On the faces, write them faintly, right at the edge — these numbers end up on the outside; erase them with an eraser after gluing. A letter marks the spot where pieces are glued to each other. Trace the picture here too.
7. Right arm: outline. Trace the solid line along the edge of “Right arm” — tabs included. You’ll cut along it.
8. Right arm: folds. All the lines inside are dashed: these are folds, so don’t cut them.
9. Right arm: numbers. Copy the numbers: the tab and the edge it tucks under have the same number. On the faces, write them faintly, right at the edge — these numbers end up on the outside; erase them with an eraser after gluing. A letter marks the spot where pieces are glued to each other.
10. Navy blue. Color the faces of this color. Don’t color the tabs — glue sticks better to bare paper.
11. Skin tone. Now the faces of this color. Move the marker in one direction — you’ll get fewer streaks.
12. Black. Use black for the drawing. Don’t color the tabs.
13. Gray. Use this color only for the drawing. Don’t color the tabs.

Sheet 2

14. Change the sheet. Remove sheet 1 and put a clean sheet in its place, lined up edge to edge. Don’t move the phone — the template stays at the same scale.
15. Scarf: outline. Trace the solid line along the edge of “Scarf” — tabs included. You’ll cut along it.
16. Scarf: folds. All the lines inside are dashed: these are folds, so don’t cut them.
17. Scarf: numbers. Copy the numbers: the tab and the edge it tucks under have the same number. On the faces, write them faintly, right at the edge — these numbers end up on the outside; erase them with an eraser after gluing. A letter marks the spot where pieces are glued to each other.
18. Left arm: outline. Trace the solid line along the edge of “Left arm” — tabs included. You’ll cut along it.
19. Left arm: folds. All the lines inside are dashed: these are folds, so don’t cut them.
20. Left arm: numbers. Copy the numbers: the tab and the edge it tucks under have the same number. On the faces, write them faintly, right at the edge — these numbers end up on the outside; erase them with an eraser after gluing. A letter marks the spot where pieces are glued to each other.
21. Red. Color the faces of this color. Don’t color the tabs — glue sticks better to bare paper.
22. Navy blue. Now the faces of this color. Move the marker in one direction — you’ll get fewer streaks.
23. Skin tone. Now the faces of this color. Move the marker in one direction — you’ll get fewer streaks.

Cut

24. Cut out: body. Cut with scissors along the solid line, tabs included. In the narrow spots between the tabs, cut with the tips of the scissors.
25. Cut out: scarf. Cut with scissors along the solid line, tabs included. In the narrow spots between the tabs, cut with the tips of the scissors.
26. Cut out: head. Cut with scissors along the solid line, tabs included. In the narrow spots between the tabs, cut with the tips of the scissors.
27. Cut out: right arm. Cut with scissors along the solid line, tabs included. In the narrow spots between the tabs, cut with the tips of the scissors.
28. Cut out: left arm. Cut with scissors along the solid line, tabs included. In the narrow spots between the tabs, cut with the tips of the scissors.

Fold

29. Fold: body. First score the dashed lines with an empty pen along a ruler. Then fold every line away from you — design facing out — and the tabs too.
30. Fold: scarf. First score the dashed lines with an empty pen along a ruler. Then fold every line away from you — design facing out — and the tabs too.
31. Fold: head. First score the dashed lines with an empty pen along a ruler. Then fold every line away from you — design facing out — and the tabs too.
32. Fold: right arm. First score the dashed lines with an empty pen along a ruler. Then fold every line away from you — design facing out — and the tabs too.
33. Fold: left arm. First score the dashed lines with an empty pen along a ruler. Then fold every line away from you — design facing out — and the tabs too.

Glue

34. Body: tabs 1–3. Apply glue to tabs 1 through 3 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. The piece will start closing into a 3D shape on its own.
35. Body: tabs 4–6. Apply glue to tabs 4 through 6 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
36. Body: tabs 7–9. Apply glue to tabs 7 through 9 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
37. Body: tabs 10–11. Apply glue to tabs 10 and 11 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. Press the last tab from the outside with a finger or a pencil.
38. Scarf: tabs 1–3. Apply glue to tabs 1 through 3 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. The piece will start closing into a 3D shape on its own.
39. Scarf: tabs 4–6. Apply glue to tabs 4 through 6 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
40. Scarf: tabs 7–9. Apply glue to tabs 7 through 9 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
41. Scarf: tabs 10–11. Apply glue to tabs 10 and 11 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. Press the last tab from the outside with a finger or a pencil.
42. Head: tabs 1–5. Apply glue to tabs 1 through 5 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. The piece will start closing into a 3D shape on its own.
43. Head: tabs 6–10. Apply glue to tabs 6 through 10 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
44. Head: tabs 11–15. Apply glue to tabs 11 through 15 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
45. Head: tabs 16–20. Apply glue to tabs 16 through 20 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
46. Head: tabs 21–25. Apply glue to tabs 21 through 25 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds.
47. Head: tabs 26–31. Apply glue to tabs 26 through 31 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. This is the lid: its tabs are glued all at once — apply glue to all of them, tuck them inside, and press the lid all the way around with your finger.
48. Right arm: tabs 1–3. Apply glue to tabs 1 through 3 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. The piece will start closing into a 3D shape on its own.
49. Right arm: tabs 4–7. Apply glue to tabs 4 through 7 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. Press the last tab from the outside with a finger or a pencil.
50. Left arm: tabs 1–3. Apply glue to tabs 1 through 3 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. The piece will start closing into a 3D shape on its own.
51. Left arm: tabs 4–7. Apply glue to tabs 4 through 7 and glue each one under the edge with the same number. Press for 10 seconds. Press the last tab from the outside with a finger or a pencil.

Assemble

52. Scarf — into place. Apply glue to the face marked A and glue the “Scarf” piece to the same letter on the “Body” piece. The faces are different sizes: center the smaller one exactly on the larger one.
53. Head — into place. Apply glue to the face marked B and glue the “Head” piece to the same letter on the “Scarf” piece.
54. Right arm — into place. Apply glue to the face marked C and glue the “Right arm” piece to the same letter on the “Body” piece. The faces are different sizes: place the smaller one so its letter lands exactly on the letter of the larger one.
55. Left arm — into place. Apply glue to the face marked D and glue the “Left arm” piece to the same letter on the “Body” piece. The faces are different sizes: place the smaller one so its letter lands exactly on the letter of the larger one.

Done. The figure is done. Let the glue dry for 10 minutes — then you can put it on a shelf.

Make it with your phone camera

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