SnipFold

Bougainvillea bract cluster

Three faceted magenta bracts frame three miniature white tubular true flowers on folded mounting feet.

Materials

  • 120 gsm colored paper for bracts
  • 100-120 gsm white paper for tubes and mouths
  • 160 gsm green paper for backing and mounting feet
  • Scissors and craft knife
  • Scoring tool, ruler, tweezers and PVA glue

Finished size: Approximately 101 x 87 x 19 mm

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Cut and calibrate

    Print at 100 percent and check the 50 mm ruler. Cut all 13 pieces, including the square holes in F1-F3. On each tube cut the three short rim slits from y=19.5 to y=18 mm only. Score all dashed folds before forming.

  2. Form three papery bracts

    Keep each 6 mm wide central spine and its 6 mm root tongue flat. Valley-fold both wings upward 25 degrees along the two 44 mm lines; included spine-to-wing angle is 155 degrees. Do not curve or stretch the panels.

  3. Attach the three-bract cluster

    Place H flat. Arrange bract axes 120 degrees apart. Glue each 6 x 6 mm root tongue on top of H with its inner end 2 mm from the hub center and wing bases 8 mm from center. The three tips lie 58 mm from center. Let these joints dry flat.

  4. Fold open true flower tubes

    Valley-fold the vertical lines by 90 degrees into 3 x 3 mm square tubes, 18 mm tall. Glue the final 1.5 mm lap behind the first panel; keep both ends open. Mountain-fold the four slit-separated 1.5 mm rim flanges outward by 90 degrees. Dry the seams before mounting.

  5. Fit the white mouths

    Glue each five-lobed mouth to its four outward rim flanges, aligning the 3 x 3 mm hole with the tube opening. Use a thin coat on the flanges only. Do not cover the opening. These small white tubes are the true flowers; the large pink pieces are bracts.

  6. Make measured mounting feet

    Valley-fold each A piece by 90 degrees at 4 mm, giving a 3 x 4 mm horizontal foot and 3 x 6 mm upright. Glue the foot on its matching bract spine with its inner end 1.5 mm from hub center and upright 5.5 mm from center. The innermost 0.5 mm rests on H. Leave the uprights pointing upward; dry fully.

  7. Mount flowers and dry

    Glue the inward-facing wall of each tube to the outside of its mounting upright over the bottom 6 mm. Tube centers are 7 mm from hub center on the three bract axes, with their bottoms at spine level. Keep the tubes vertical and mouths facing up. Support until dry; display as a loose decorative cluster, not a freestanding stem.

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.