Make A Pop-up Card

What can we use instead of a ruler, pencil, scissors, or glue if we don't have them?

Use a book edge or credit card as a ruler, a pen or marker to draw the two parallel horizontal lines near the center fold, child-safe scissors or carefully torn paper to make the pop-up cuts, and a glue stick or double-sided tape to attach the scrap-paper pop-up shape.

What should I do if the pop-up tab won't fold correctly or the card tears when I make the cuts?

Check that you only cut the two 5 cm lines while the card is folded, push the cut tab inward and firmly re-crease the new folds flat so the pop-up rectangle sits neatly, and shorten or reinforce the tab edge with scrap paper if the card begins to tear before gluing the pop-up shape.

How can I change the activity for younger or older kids?

For younger children (3–5) have an adult pre-fold the card and pre-cut a larger pop-up tab and use big stickers and crayons to decorate, for 6–8 let kids measure and cut the 5 cm lines with supervision, and for 9+ challenge them to add multiple pop-up tabs and detailed decorations using rulers and colored paper.

How can we make the pop-up card more special or more complex?

Add extra pop-up tabs by repeating the two parallel cuts in other places, layer several scrap-paper shapes onto each tab, use patterned paper, stickers, or small photos for decoration, write a longer personal message, or make a movable element with a paper brad before sharing the finished card on DIY.org.