DIY Pop-Up Chair

Make a simple chair drawing pop off the page.

Pop-up paper images can be used to make interesting do-it-yourself greeting cards, homemade children’s books and amusing crafts. Start with one of the easiest pop-up designs: a chair. With a fold of the paper, a simple drawing and two basic slits, you will have a three-dimensional seat. Once you get the hang of DIY pop-up design, you can create an entire room full of 3D furniture.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Fold a sheet of card stock in half then open the card.

2. Begin drawing the chair by centering two parallel lines at a right angle across the fold for the chair sides and legs. As if drawing a ladder, add three “rungs” across the top third of the lines. Add two more rungs below the fold or crease, leaving a section of the “ladder” blank.

3. Cut slits along the blank portion of your drawing.

4. Close the card while pushing the slit portion, or chair “seat,” inward with your finger. With the seat folded inside the card, press along the crease to ensure a good seam. Open the card at a 180-degree angle and your chair will pop up into a 3D image. Adjust the chair's folds if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice making a pop-up chair on scrap paper, until you are satisfied with the results, before using the card stock.

• Once you have mastered a simple chair design, add creative details, such as curved legs and arms and an ornate back, to create other interesting pop-up furniture, such as couches, benches and armchairs. Add a basket weave seat to your chair by drawing crisscross lines over the blank area.

References

• Origami Resource Center: Pop-Up Tree