Bleeding Heart Pendant Flower
Two pink faceted lobes form a pendant heart above a white inner petal, supported by a doubled cut-card arch stem.
Materials
- 180-220 gsm pink cardstock
- 160-180 gsm ivory cardstock
- 250-300 gsm green cardstock for both stem layers
- PVA glue
- Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
- Ruler and blunt scoring tool
Finished size: 84 x 12 x 127 mm (width x depth x height)
Steps
CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area
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Print and cut six pieces
Print at 100% actual size and measure the 50 mm ruler. Cut P1, P2, B1, W1, S1 and S2 once each. Use the heavier green card for the two stem laminates. Score the 50 mm lobe folds and the 8 mm white-tip fold before assembly.
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Laminate the arch stem
Spread a thin layer of PVA over one complete face of S1. Align S2 edge for edge in the same orientation, especially the 8 mm wide straight lower stem and the 8 x 15 mm pendant end. Press flat under a clean protective sheet until dry, at least 20 minutes; do not bend the arch edgewise.
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Make the central load path
Keep B1 vertical, its lower end at flower height zero. Glue the bottom 12 mm of the downward stem end to the REAR of the upper 12 mm of B1, across the full 8 mm width. Thus the stem end sits 40 mm above the bottom of B1. Press this 8 x 12 mm contact and let dry for 15 minutes.
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Attach the white inner petal
Glue the 8 x 10 mm rectangular root of W1 to the FRONT of the bottom 10 mm of B1, with its score aligned to the bottom of B1. Leave the pointed 26 mm blade hanging below the strip. Fold the blade 20 degrees toward the viewer from the flat root, giving a 160 degree included angle. Keep glue off the hinge.
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Facet both pink lobes
On P1 and P2, fold the outer lobed panel toward the viewer by 30 degrees along each 50 mm score (150 degree included angle). Keep the inner panels flat. Mirror the two pieces, with their 48 mm straight inner edges meeting and both pointed lower ends at the white hinge. Do not curl or stretch the lobes.
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Join the pendant heart
Glue the marked 4 x 32 mm central band on the back of each pink petal to the matching half of B1, from 12 to 44 mm above its bottom. Butt the inner petal edges without overlap. Their upper inner corners form the heart notch at height 48 mm; the white tip projects below the bottom point. The white root remains behind the pink panels. Hold the center flat for 15 minutes; leave the faceted outer panels unglued.
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Dry and display the spray
Let all glue joints cure fully before lifting, preferably overnight. Hold the doubled lower stem beneath the arch rather than lifting a pink lobe. Target heart width is about 62 mm and lobe depth 11 mm; the entire spray is about 127 mm tall. This decorative paper spray has no freestanding base. Physical assembly and stiffness testing remain deferred.
Notes
The 3D model shows each piece in its finished, idealized shape; the exploded view only spreads the pieces apart. It is not a paper-physics simulation: curved shapes are forming guides, not exact physical folding or proof of developability, and intermediate fold shapes are not supplied.
- Original simplified faceted botanical interpretation: two lobed outer petals and one white inner pendant.
- All faces remain rigid and preserve flat dimensions. The stem arch is cut to shape, not bent edgewise; no wire, stretching or hidden support is required.
- B1 is the real central joining strip. The petals share its front face; the white root is sandwiched at its lower end and the laminated stem overlaps its upper rear face.
- The tiny layer offsets illustrate glue stacks, not a paper-thickness simulation. Leave the outer petal panels free; this is an open-backed flower, not a sealed inflated heart.
- Display by holding the lower straight stem or laying the spray down; it is not freestanding. Stem stiffness and glue durability require physical testing.
- Physical printing, cutting and assembly are pending. Generation does not establish physical feasibility acceptance.