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How to Make Pop Up Cards - Slotted X with Box - Lesson 11

Pop Up Card Technique: Slotted X With Square Box Attachment

How to Make Pop Up Cards Tutorial
This is Lesson 11 in a series of step by step tutorials on How to Make Pop Ups. 




How to Make Pop Up Cards, Tutorial Level of Difficulty: Medium

The most basic X design pop up card has two identical symmetrical shapes, slotted together at right angles to each other and fastened to the base card with a square box pop up mechanism (whew!).



Translation?

Symmetrical shape: if you fold your shape in half the two halves line up exactly with each other. This fold line is called the “line of symmetry.”

Some examples of lines of symmetry from Annenberg Media 



Slotted at right angles: In the open position the slotted shapes form an X when viewed from the top or bottom.



Square box pop up mechanism: An open box made from a strip of paper. All four sides are the same length



(In more complicated designs the shapes may be non-symmetrical or completely non-identical, and the slotted X may be attached to the base card with various tab designs. But that’s another tutorial.)

Create Slotted Shapes

Cut 2 identical, symmetrical shapes.

Slot the shapes along the line of symmetry, half way down on one, and half way up on the other. You will need to cut a slot, not just a slit. The width of the slot will vary depending on the thickness of the paper you are using. Start narrow and make it wider if you need to.




Slide the shapes together. The slotted X is complete.



Square Box Attachment

The slotted X is attached to the base card with a square box.



Determine the size of the box:

Flatten the slotted X and measure its widest point from slot to edge. This is the length of each of the sides of your square box mechanism. The height is arbitrary, determined by what will fit on your shapes without showing excessively.

 Cut a strip of paper to match the color of the base card (shown in black on example for clarity) Your strip will be 4 times the width of the slotted X (for the 4 sides) plus a little bit at the end for a gluing tab.

Mark the quarters and the glue tab, fold and glue together.



Flatten both the slotted X and the box. Glue together, lining up the center line of the slotted X with the center fold line on the box, and placing the box across the widest point of the slotted X.



Opened out a bit it looks like this. Parts highlighted in picture on right.



Flatten the shape like this.



Spread glue on the remaining two sides of the box and glue to base card, lining up the center fold lines.