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Polaroid Camera Pop Up Card Tutorial

How to make a Polaroid camera pop up card



Download and cut out pieces

Cutting file templates:
Download templates (PDF) and cut files (DXF, Studio, SVG).

includes Valentine's Day graphics set.

How to use my SVG files in Cricut Design Space



Page 1

Machine cut or hand cut.

How to transfer pattern and hand cut the pieces

Using page 1 as a guide, draw the pattern pieces onto a large (12" square) piece of black or dark grey card stock. I included the 1/4" grid squares to make the pieces easier to measure. (Construction steps shown with white template rather than black paper for better visibility.)

Light yellow portions indicate places that will be glued. The markings "3g" and "4g" label exactly where pieces 3 and 4 will be glued onto other pieces.

Cut on black lines, removing the solid black cut-outs on pieces 1 and 2.
Score red and green lines. Mountain fold green lines, valley fold red lines.


Page 2

Print page 2 on regular (printer or copier weight) white paper.

Cut out camera front.

Construct a "polaroid" picture from card stock or photo paper.


Assemble Camera

Strengthen picture slot

Trim picture slot reinforcement (piece 2) slightly on all four sides. Glue the piece to the back of the camera body, matching edges and slots.


Curl eye piece (piece 3) and glue ends to make an open box. Construct support box, too (piece 4).


Construct and attach eye piece

Glue support to one side of the eye piece in the position shown. The bottom edges are aligned and the support is centered vertically on the eye piece.


Glue eye piece box and support box to the camera body.




Glue eye piece oval to back of eye piece box. Here, too, the bottom edges are aligned and the oval is centered vertically on the eye piece.



Adhere camera body to card

Position camera body as shown, with camera back at the center fold of the card.

Spread glue on the camera back, on the parts shown in yellow.


Close the card, weight it and allow to dry briefly.

Flip card over and open it.

With all the creases folded properly, the camera body will collapse flat and the camera bottom will be at the center fold of the base card.


Spread glue on the camera bottom and close the card. Put a book on it and let it dry.

When you open the card it will look like this.



Adhere the camera front to the camera body

Valley fold the camera front on the center, horizontal, faint grey line. Mountain fold the other two horizontal grey lines (about 1/4" from the top and bottom of the camera front.)

Glue the camera front to the camera body, into the valley fold above the picture slot.


Wrap the top and bottom edges of the camera front around the creases of the camera body and adhere.


Slide the picture into the picture slot. Hold it in place and open and close the card, checking to make sure the picture doesn't fall out of the slot. If it does, push it into the slot a little further back. Once you are satisfied with the placement, adhere the picture to the card with a little spot or glue or a glue
dot, just on the bottom right-hand corner.




Extreme Cards and Papercrafting: pop up cards, movable and mechanical cards, digital crafts and unusual papercrafts.