SnipFold

Hydrangea Floret Cluster

Twenty-one separate four-sepal hydrangea florets cover the top and four sides of a tabbed dimensional paper support.

Materials

  • 120-150 gsm colored paper for F and C pieces
  • 200-220 gsm green cardstock for S1
  • Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
  • Ruler and blunt scoring tool
  • PVA glue
  • Tweezers

Finished size: Approximately 60 x 60 x 23 mm; support 54 x 54 x 20 mm

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Fold and close the support

    Print actual size and verify the 50 mm ruler. Cut S1 including all four tapered tabs. With printed face outward, mountain-fold the four 54 mm top edges 90 degrees downward: the top is 54 x 54 mm and walls are 20 mm tall. Mountain-fold each 5 mm side tab 90 degrees inward. Glue its marked 4 x 12 mm patch to the INSIDE of the neighboring wall, making a 5 mm lap. Keep the bottom open for finger pressure; hold each seam 60 seconds, then dry 15 minutes. The four bottom edges stand on the table.

  2. Form and mount the top cluster

    Cut F01-F09 as individual four-sepal pieces. Valley-fold each of the four 4 mm hub edges so the sepal rises 25 degrees above the hub, colored face up; do not fold the central 4 x 4 mm square. Apply a thin film of glue to the BACK of that square only. Mount on the nine dotted squares of S1, spaced 18 mm apart with outer centers 9 mm from the top edges. F01-F03 are the near row left-to-right, F04-F06 middle, F07-F09 far row. Keep sepal axes parallel to the top edges; press hubs from below through the open bottom and dry 10 minutes.

  3. Add front wall florets

    Form F10, F11, F12 with the same four 25-degree valley folds. Looking straight at the front outside wall, attach these in left-to-right order to its three 4 x 4 mm glue squares. Hub centers are 10 mm above the bottom, 18 mm apart; the end centers are 9 mm from the corners. Glue hub backs only, with two sepals pointing up/down and two left/right; sepals rise away from the wall. Brace inside with a finger, hold 60 seconds and dry 10 minutes before turning to the next wall.

  4. Add right wall florets

    Form F13, F14, F15 with the same four 25-degree valley folds. Looking straight at the right outside wall, attach these in left-to-right order to its three 4 x 4 mm glue squares. Hub centers are 10 mm above the bottom, 18 mm apart; the end centers are 9 mm from the corners. Glue hub backs only, with two sepals pointing up/down and two left/right; sepals rise away from the wall. Brace inside with a finger, hold 60 seconds and dry 10 minutes before turning to the next wall.

  5. Add back wall florets

    Form F16, F17, F18 with the same four 25-degree valley folds. Looking straight at the back outside wall, attach these in left-to-right order to its three 4 x 4 mm glue squares. Hub centers are 10 mm above the bottom, 18 mm apart; the end centers are 9 mm from the corners. Glue hub backs only, with two sepals pointing up/down and two left/right; sepals rise away from the wall. Brace inside with a finger, hold 60 seconds and dry 10 minutes before turning to the next wall.

  6. Add left wall florets

    Form F19, F20, F21 with the same four 25-degree valley folds. Looking straight at the left outside wall, attach these in left-to-right order to its three 4 x 4 mm glue squares. Hub centers are 10 mm above the bottom, 18 mm apart; the end centers are 9 mm from the corners. Glue hub backs only, with two sepals pointing up/down and two left/right; sepals rise away from the wall. Brace inside with a finger, hold 60 seconds and dry 10 minutes before turning to the next wall.

  7. Finish all 21 small flowers

    Cut the twenty-one 3 mm diameter dots C01-C21. Apply glue to the back of each marked 1.5 x 1.5 mm patch; center C01 on the exposed hub of F01, continuing matching numbers through C21/F21. Use tweezers and a blunt toothpick to place and press dots. Leave all sepals free. Dry 20 minutes on the open-bottom support. No stem, wire, foam ball or unlisted backing is needed.

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.