Pop-Up Heart

A heart made of four nested layers rises from behind an envelope: each layer stands on its own step and is held to the layer behind it by a strip. Around it are hearts on springs and a double heart on a V-fold; on the small heart and on the cover there is room for a message. You can trace the template sheets through the camera or print them on cardstock — the files are at the bottom of this page.

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

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 2629

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 · Double heart. Two slanted frames numbered 1 by the fold: one on the bottom half, the other on the back half. The tabs of the “Double heart” piece will be glued here. Trace them over the color and write in the numbers.
9. Frames 2 · Hearts on springs. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 2 for the piece's tab; on the back half, frame 2 with a double side, for the strip. Write in the numbers.
10. Frames 3 · Big heart. 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. Frame 4 · Red heart. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 4H for the stand tab. Write in the number.
12. Frame 5 · Pink heart. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 5H for the stand tab. Write in the number.
13. Frame 6 · Heart with text. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 6H for the stand tab. Write in the number.
14. Frames 7 · Envelope. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 7 for the piece's tab; on the back half, frame 7 with a double side, for the strip. Write in the numbers.
15. Frame 8 · Heart border. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 8 for the piece's tab. Write in the number.
16. 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.
17. Cover: color. Color the cover. Colors:

Pieces

18. New sheet · Double heart. 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.
19. Double heart: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 1.
20. Double heart: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: This piece's tabs will stay visible — color them the same as the base.
21. 2 · Hearts on springs: outline. Trace the outline of piece 2 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom is a tab: along the dashed line it folds back. Trace the windows inside, too.
22. Hearts on springs: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 2.
23. Hearts on springs: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
24. 3 · Big heart: 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.
25. Big heart: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 3.
26. Big heart: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
27. 4 · Red heart: outline. Trace the outline of piece 4 with a solid line — you'll cut along it.
28. Red heart: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline.
29. Red heart: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors:
30. 5 · Pink heart: outline. Trace the outline of piece 5 with a solid line — you'll cut along it.
31. Pink heart: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline.
32. Pink heart: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors:
33. 6 · Heart with a message: outline. Trace the outline of piece 6 with a solid line — you'll cut along it.
34. Heart with a message: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline.
35. Heart with a message: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors:
36. 7 · Envelope: 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.
37. Envelope: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 7.
38. Envelope: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
39. 8 · Heart border: 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.
40. Heart border: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 8.
41. Heart border: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.

Strips

42. Frame on piece 3. On the “Big heart” piece, over the color, trace frame 4 and write in the number: strip 4 will be glued here.
43. Frame on piece 4. On the “Red heart” piece, over the color, trace frame 5 and write in the number: strip 5 will be glued here.
44. Frame on piece 5. On the “Pink heart” piece, over the color, trace frame 6 and write in the number: strip 6 will be glued here.
45. Frame on piece 7. On the “Envelope” piece, over the color, trace frame 8 and write in the number: strip 8 will be glued here.
46. Strips. Trace 11 strips: solid line — cut, dashed line — fold. They sit in the free spaces on the sheet; numbers: 2, 3, 4H, 4, 5H, 5, 6H, 6, 7, 8, 8. Copy the numbers and arrows: the arrow goes on the tab that is glued into the frame. No coloring needed.

Cut

47. Cut out the base. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Don't cut the dashed line in the middle.
48. Cut out: double heart. Cut along the outline with scissors, tabs included. In narrow spots, cut with the tips.
49. Cut out: hearts on springs. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors. Cut the windows inside with a craft knife on cardboard.
50. Cut out: big heart. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
51. Cut out: red heart. Cut along the outline with scissors. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors. On the back, write in pencil: 4.
52. Cut out: pink heart. Cut along the outline with scissors. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors. On the back, write in pencil: 5.
53. Cut out: heart with a message. Cut along the outline with scissors. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors. On the back, write in pencil: 6.
54. Cut out: envelope. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
55. Cut out: heart border. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
56. Cut out the strips. 11 strips: cut along the straight lines. Leave the numbers and arrows so the strips don't get mixed up.

Fold

57. 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.
58. Piece tabs. Fold the tabs of the pieces back, away from the drawing, along the dashed line — to a right angle. The “Double heart” is different: fold it in half with the drawing inside and only lightly crease the tabs — a little toward you, toward the drawing.
59. Strips. Fold the strip tabs to a right angle: plain dashed line — away from you, dash-dot line — toward you, toward the number. On strip 2 the tabs point in different directions — that's how it should be. Fold strip 6 once more in the middle, into a V. On stand tabs 4H, 5H and 6H there is one fold — at the short end, toward you.

Glue

60. 1 · Double heart. 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.
61. 2 · Hearts on springs: strip. Hold strip 2 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 2 on the back half, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
62. 2 · Hearts on springs: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 2 on the bottom half. Place the piece face down, top toward you. Fold the strip's free tab under the strip, 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. 3 · Big heart: 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.
64. 3 · Big heart: 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.
65. 4 · Red heart: stand tab and strip. Glue stand tab 4H to the back of the piece, in the middle: the bottom of the piece sits on the solid line of the stand tab. Hold strip 4 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 4 on the “Big heart” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
66. 4 · Red heart: into place. The stand tab goes into frame 4H 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.
67. 5 · Pink heart: stand tab and strip. Glue stand tab 5H to the back of the piece, in the middle: the bottom of the piece sits on the solid line of the stand tab. Hold strip 5 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 5 on the “Red heart” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
68. 5 · Pink heart: into place. The stand tab goes into frame 5H 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.
69. 6 · Heart with a message: accordion. Glue stand tab 6H to the back of the piece, in the middle: the bottom of the piece sits on the solid line of the stand tab. Hold strip 6 and glue it to the piece ahead of time. The tab without an arrow goes on the back: the fold is 3/16 in from the bottom of the piece, the strip is in the middle of the piece; the tab points up.
70. 6 · Heart with a message: into place. The tab with the arrow goes into frame 6 on the “Pink heart” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame. The stand tab goes into frame 6H on the bottom half. Close the card and press down.
71. 7 · Envelope: strip. Hold strip 7 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 7 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.
72. 7 · Envelope: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 7 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.
73. 8 · Heart border: strips. Hold both strips 8 with the number facing up: on each one, the tab with the arrow goes into its own frame 8 on the “Envelope” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
74. 8 · Heart border: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 8 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. The tab is short — apply glue all the way to the fold and hold it longer.

Check

75. 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.
76. Press. Hold the closed card under your palm for 10 seconds: the tabs will set in the position where they fold naturally.
77. 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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