Sakura and Torii

A pop-up card: a path of stones leads through a torii gate to a mountain with a red sun, with two sakura trees on the sides, a stone lantern on the left and a little bridge over a stream on the right. Seven layers stand on steps of different depths and hold onto one another, and in the corner there is a bamboo bush on a V-fold: eight pieces in all. You can trace the template sheets through the camera or print them on cardstock — the files are at the bottom of this page.

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

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 7029

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 · Bamboo. Two slanted frames numbered 1 by the fold: one on the bottom half, the other on the back half. The tabs of the “Bamboo” piece will be glued here. Trace them over the color and write in the numbers.
9. Frames 2 · Mountain with sun. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 2 for the piece's tab; on the back half, two frames 2 with a double side, for the strips. Write in the numbers.
10. Frame 3 · Left sakura. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 3 for the piece's tab. Write in the number.
11. Frames 4 · Right sakura. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 4 for the piece's tab; on the back half, frame 4 with a double side, for the strip. Write in the numbers.
12. Frames 5 · Torii gate. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, two frames 5 for the piece’s tabs. Write in the numbers.
13. Frame 6 · Lantern on a mound. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, frame 6 for the piece's tab. Write in the number.
14. Frames 7 · Bridge. Trace over the color: on the bottom half, two frames 7 for the piece’s tabs. Write in the numbers.
15. Frame 8 · Stream bank with a bush. 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 · Bamboo. 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. Bamboo: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 1.
20. Bamboo: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: This piece's tabs will stay visible — color them the same as the base.
21. 2 · Mountain with sun: 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.
22. Mountain with sun: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 2.
23. Mountain with sun: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
24. 3 · Left sakura: 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. Trace the windows inside, too.
25. Left sakura: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 3.
26. Left sakura: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
27. 4 · Right sakura: outline. Trace the outline of piece 4 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.
28. Right sakura: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 4.
29. Right sakura: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
30. 5 · Torii gate: outline. Trace the outline of piece 5 with a solid line — you'll cut along it. At the bottom are tabs: they fold back along the dashed line. Trace the little windows inside too.
31. Torii gate: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 5.
32. Torii gate: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
33. 6 · Lantern on a mound: 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.
34. Lantern on a mound: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 6.
35. Lantern on a mound: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
36. 7 · Bridge: outline. Trace the outline of piece 7 with a solid line — you’ll cut along it. At the bottom are tabs: along the dashed line they fold back.
37. Bridge: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 7.
38. Bridge: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.
39. 8 · Stream bank with a bush: 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. Stream bank with a bush: drawing. Copy the drawing inside the outline. On the tab, write the number 8.
41. Stream bank with a bush: color. Color it to match the sample. Colors: Don't color the tab — glue sticks better to bare paper.

Strips

42. Frame on piece 2. On the “Mountain with sun” piece, over the color, trace frame 3 and write in the number: strip 3 will be glued here.
43. Frame on piece 3. On the “Left sakura” piece, over the color, trace frame 5 and write in the number: strip 5 will be glued here.
44. Frame on piece 4. On the “Right sakura” piece, over the color, trace frame 7 and write in the number: strip 7 will be glued here.
45. Frame on piece 5. On the “Torii gate” piece, over the color, trace frame 6 and write in the number: strip 6 will be glued here.
46. Frame on piece 7. On the “Bridge” piece, over the color, trace frame 8 and write in the number: strip 8 will be glued here.
47. Strips. Trace 8 strips: solid line — cut, dashed line — fold. Left to right: 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 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

48. Cut out the base. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Don't cut the dashed line in the middle.
49. Cut out: bamboo. Cut along the outline with scissors, tabs included. In narrow spots, cut with the tips.
50. Cut out: mountain with sun. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
51. Cut out: left sakura. 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.
52. Cut out: right sakura. 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.
53. Cut out: torii gate. Cut along the outline with scissors, tabs included. In narrow spots, cut with the tips. Cut the windows inside with a craft knife on cardboard.
54. Cut out: lantern on a mound. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
55. Cut out: bridge. Cut along the outline with scissors, tabs included. In narrow spots, cut with the tips.
56. Cut out: stream bank with a bush. Cut along the outline with scissors, including the tab. In tight spots, cut with the tips of the scissors.
57. 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

58. 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.
59. Piece tabs. Fold the pieces' tabs back, away from the drawing, along the dashed line — to a right angle. The “Bamboo” is different: fold it in half with the drawing inside and only crease the tabs lightly — a little toward you, toward the drawing.
60. Strips. Fold the strips' tabs to a right angle: plain dashed line — away from you, dash-dot line — toward you, toward the number. Fold strip 5 once more in the middle, forming an angle.

Glue

61. 1 · Bamboo. Open the card. Apply glue to the back of the tab on the left half (as seen in the drawing) and glue it into frame 1 on 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 top of the second tab and close the card.
62. 2 · Mountain with sun: 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.
63. 2 · Mountain with sun: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 2 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.
64. 3 · Left sakura: strip. Hold strip 3 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 3 on the “Mountain with sun” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
65. 3 · Left sakura: 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.
66. 4 · Right sakura: strip. Hold strip 4 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 4 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.
67. 4 · Right sakura: into place. The piece's tab goes into frame 4 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. 5 · Torii gate: accordion. Glue strip 5 to the piece beforehand. The tab without an arrow goes on the back: the fold is 1⅞ in from the bottom of the piece, and the strip is 1¾ in from the left edge of the paper (looking at the back); the tab points up.
69. 5 · Torii gate: into place. The tab with the arrow goes into frame 5 on the “Left sakura” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame. The piece's tabs go into frames 5 on the bottom half. Close the card and press down.
70. 6 · Lantern on a mound: strip. Hold strip 6 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 6 on the “Torii gate” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
71. 6 · Lantern on a mound: 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. The tab is short — apply glue all the way to the fold and hold it longer.
72. 7 · Bridge: strip. Hold strip 7 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 7 on the “Right sakura” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
73. 7 · Bridge: into place. The piece's tabs go into frames 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.
74. 8 · Stream bank with a bush: strip. Hold strip 8 with the number facing up: the tab with the arrow goes into frame 8 on the “Bridge” piece, with the fold toward the double side of the frame.
75. 8 · Stream bank with a bush: 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

76. 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.
77. Press. Hold the closed card under your palm for 10 seconds: the tabs will set in the position where they fold naturally.
78. 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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