Cube Head: Samurai Panda

Samurai Panda, 3½ in tall: black patches around the eyes, round ears, a topknot, a red headband, a black kimono, and a sword at the belt. Five pieces on one sheet.

• Easy
• 5 pieces
• 10 tabs
• 1 Letter sheet

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 1306

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

• Letter sheet — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Markers
• Pencil — and eraser
• Ruler — 8–12 in
• Scissors — small
• Glue stick — or PVA glue
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Trace

1. Head and body: outlines. On the left is a strip of three squares, on the right the body with tabs. Put dots in all the corners through the screen, then connect them with a ruler.
2. Head and body: folds. The lines between squares and at the tabs are dashed: don't cut along them. Number the body tabs 1–5.
3. Head top and sword: outlines. Three squares in a row with tabs on top and bottom; above the middle one, two round ears and a topknot; below, the sword. Dots at the corners again — then straight lines with a ruler.
4. Head top and sword: folds. Between the squares and at the tabs, use a dashed line; under the ears and topknot, a dash-dot line: those fold toward you. Tab numbers: 1, 2, 3 on the bottom, 4 and 5 on top.
5. Face: outline. Trace the solid line — the edge of the sticker. You will cut along it.
6. Face: drawing. Trace the headband across the forehead, the patches around the eyes, eyes with highlights, eyebrows, nose, and mouth.

Color

7. Red. Color the areas that match this color. Move the marker in one direction — you’ll get fewer streaks.
8. Black. Now the areas that match this color.
9. Color: face. Color the headband red; the patches, pupils, eyebrows, and nose black; and the cheeks pink. Leave the eyes around the pupils and the highlights white.

Cut

10. Cut out: head and body — 2 pcs. Cut out both pieces. Cut the body together with the tabs: at the corners by the tabs, bring the scissors in from both sides.
11. Cut out: head top and sword — 2 pcs. Cut out all the pieces together with the tabs. Between the ears and the tabs, cut from both sides.
12. Cut out: face. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Turn the sheet, not the scissors — the cut will come out neater.
13. Color the back. Flip the head top and the sword color side down. On the back, color the ears and topknot black — the whole topknot, tie included — and the sword red: they show from behind. Don’t color the squares or the tabs.

Head

14. Fold all the lines. Lay a ruler along each dashed line and fold along it away from you, color side out — the tabs too. Fold the ears and topknot toward you. Then open them up slightly.
15. Glue on the face. Apply glue to the top square of the strip and place the face on it: an even white border on all sides, about 1/16 in. The headband on the face lines up with the headband on the sides.
16. Face to the top. Bend the top into an arch: sides down, tabs 1, 2, and 3 inward. Apply glue to them and press the square with the face onto them: the tabs end up inside, under it. Press each tab with a finger from the inside — through the open back of the head.
17. Back panel, ears, and topknot. Tuck the bottom under the head and lift the back panel with the headband knot. Apply glue to tabs 4 and 5 and press the back panel against them from the outside. Stand the ears and topknot upright.

Assemble

18. Body as a tube. Roll the four walls into a tube, color side out. Apply glue to tab 1 and stick it to the inside of the front wall's edge.
19. Head onto the body. Fold tabs 2–5 at the top of the body inward and apply glue. Set the head on them in the center, with the face toward the front wall of the body.
20. Sword. Apply glue to the hilt and guard and glue the sword onto the white belt: hilt on the left, scabbard sticking out on the right.

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

Make it with your phone camera

More in Figures

Chibi NinjaHardChibi StandeeMediumCapybara with a TangerineHardChibi Cube: FoxMediumLittle RobotMediumLittle FoxHard