Make a 2D Pop Up Building
Create a 2D pop-up building using paper, scissors, and glue; design facades, fold tabs, and assemble a flat pop-up scene to explore paper engineering.
Step-by-step guide to make a 2D pop-up building
Step 1
Pick a fun building type like a house shop or skyscraper and decide how many buildings you want in your scene.
Step 2
Fold one sheet of paper in half to make the pop-up base.
Step 3
Use your pencil to mark evenly spaced positions along the folded edge where each building will pop up.
Step 4
Draw two short parallel lines at each pencil mark to show where you will cut the tabs.
Step 5
Cut along the drawn lines carefully to create each tab.
Step 6
Push each cut strip toward the inside along the center fold so the strip pops out when you open the base.
Step 7
Crease each popped-out strip flat to make a sturdy pop-up tab.
Step 8
Cut building facades from cardstock sized to match the width of each tab.
Step 9
Decorate each facade and the ground area using your coloring materials.
Step 10
Apply a thin layer of glue to the back of one decorated facade.
Step 11
Place the glued facade onto a pop-up tab aligning the bottom edges.
Step 12
Press the facade onto the tab so it sticks firmly.
Step 13
Close the base and let all glue dry flat for a few minutes.
Step 14
Open your 2D pop-up building scene and share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have cardstock or craft glue for the building facades?
Cut facades from a cereal box or thin cardboard and use a glue stick or double-sided tape in the step 'Apply a thin layer of glue to the back of one decorated facade' to attach them.
My pop-up tabs won't pop out or won't lay flat—what should I check?
Make sure your 'Draw two short parallel lines' cuts are clean and deep enough, re-cut if needed, then firmly re-crease the center fold and 'Crease each popped-out strip flat' with a ruler so the strips pop and lay flat.
How can I change the activity for younger kids or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children, pre-cut the 'tabs', simplify decorating with stickers, and guide the 'Push each cut strip toward the inside' step, while older kids can measure tab spacing with a ruler, add multiple facades per tab, or use a craft knife (with supervision) for precise cuts.
What are some fun ways to enhance or personalize the 2D pop-up building scene?
Enhance the scene by adding layered backdrops glued behind tabs, cutting windows that open on your 'building facades', decorating the 'ground area' with roads or trees, or placing a small battery tea-light behind the base for lighting effects.
Watch videos on how to make a 2D pop-up building
Elementary Pop Up, How to Make a Pop Up, for beginners
4 Videos
Elementary Pop Up, How to Make a Pop Up, for beginners
Pop-Up Tutorial 1 - Introduction - Materials and Basic Theory
Easy Pop up cards Step Fold Technique
Pop-Up Tutorial 12 - Floating Planes
Facts about paper engineering and papercraft
✂️ Kirigami means cut paper in Japanese; adding cuts to folds lets paper do shapes and movements folding alone can't.
🧩 A single well-placed tab or fold can make a paper building stand tall—paper engineering uses geometry and simple physics.
📐 Architects often build small paper models to test looks and fit—some professional models use scales like 1:100.
📚 Movable books date back centuries, and modern pop-up books really took off in the 19th century with advanced paper mechanisms.
🏙️ Pop-up books can turn flat pages into whole city skylines—tiny tabs and clever folds make big scenes spring up!
How do you make a 2D pop-up building?
What materials do I need to make a 2D pop-up building?
What ages is a 2D pop-up building suitable for?
What are some variations I can try with a 2D pop-up building?
One subscription, many ways to play and learn.
Only $6.99 after trial. No credit card required