SnipFold

Hibiscus with projecting staminal column

Five broad rose-pink petals surround a dark throat and a tall folded paper staminal tube with eight yellow anthers and five red stigma tips.

Materials

  • 120-160 gsm pink paper for petals
  • 100-120 gsm yellow paper for tube and collar
  • 100-120 gsm red paper for stigma tips
  • 160-200 gsm green and dark red paper for disks
  • Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
  • Ruler and blunt scoring tool
  • PVA glue and tweezers

Finished size: Approximately 140 x 130 x 76 mm; flower head only

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Calibrate and prepare the throat

    Print at 100% actual size; confirm the ruler is 50 mm. Cut one of each numbered part, including all five petals and all five stigma tips. Transfer to the listed colored papers if needed. Glue the 32 mm dark disk H centrally on the 34 mm green disk B, leaving a 1 mm green rim. Dry flat.

  2. Fold and space five broad petals

    Score the 10 mm line 8 mm above each petal base. With the display side up, valley-fold the blade upward 18 degrees from its flat 10 x 8 mm root tab. Keep the rest planar. Glue only the underside of each root tab onto H: inner short edge 5 mm from center, fold line 13 mm from center. Space petal centerlines 72 degrees apart counterclockwise viewed from above. P1 points away from you; add P2-P5 in order. Adjacent blade edges may overlap loosely; do not glue them. Keep the central 6 x 6 mm area clear. Let roots set.

  3. Score and close the column

    Cut C and the three 8 mm slits from its bottom edge at x=6,12,18 mm, stopping at the transverse fold. Score longitudinal lines at x=6,12,18,24 mm from y=8 to 76 mm. Mountain-fold each 90 degrees around a 6 x 6 mm square bore. The final 4 mm strip overlaps behind the first panel; glue the full 68 mm seam and hold square until set. Valley-fold each 6 x 8 mm bottom foot outward 90 degrees. The feet are separate at the slits; do not join their side edges.

  4. Mount the projecting tube

    Stand C upright at the disk center with its four feet flat and spread outward, giving a 22 mm overall foot span. Glue the underside of all four feet to H and any root tabs beneath them. Press with tweezers, keeping the tube vertical and the petals free. The tube rises 68 mm above the throat, approximately 49 mm above the petal tips. Allow the base and seam to dry before adding the tip details.

  5. Fit the yellow anther collar

    Cut around all eight teeth of A; the gaps are perimeter notches, not extra slits. Score four corners at 6.4 mm intervals along the 5 mm band and mountain-fold 90 degrees to form a 6.4 mm square sleeve. Fold each 2 x 7 mm tooth outward 45 degrees at its dashed-dot root. Dry-fit around C with the bottom of the band 49 mm above the throat. Glue its 4 mm end lap behind the first panel; use a thin glue film at the marked lower band to fix the sleeve to C. Teeth point upward and outward, reaching about 59 mm above the throat. Let set.

  6. Add the five red stigma tips

    Each S piece has a 1.5 x 6 mm glue stem and a broad red head. Score at 6 mm and bend the upper portion outward 40 degrees from the straight stem. Glue each stem vertically to the outside of C over its topmost 6 mm (height 62-68 mm); fold lines meet the top rim. Put S1 and S2 side by side on the face toward P1, centers 1.5 mm either side of that face center. Center S3, S4 and S5 on the remaining three faces counterclockwise viewed from above. Tips splay away from the axis and end around 76 mm high. Hold stems with tweezers until tacky; allow full drying per glue instructions.

  7. Inspect the silhouette and joints

    Check from above for exactly five broad petals and five red stigma heads, and from the side for an upright protruding column. Check all four feet, the full tube lap, and the collar lap are bonded. Do not lift by the column or red tips; support the backing disk. Physical acceptance is pending: record ruler accuracy, ability to fold the small tips, collar fit, petal overlap and column stability after an actual print-and-build trial.

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.