SnipFold

Faceted Bearded Iris

An original six-tepal iris: three tall inward-tipped standards alternate with three broad, descending falls and golden beard appliques, carried on a tabbed hexagonal paper pedestal.

Materials

  • 160-180 gsm purple paper for S1-S3 and F1-F3
  • 220-250 gsm green card for B1 and H1; purple card for C1
  • 100-120 gsm yellow paper for Y1-Y3
  • Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
  • Ruler, blunt scoring tool and protractor
  • PVA craft glue and tweezers

Finished size: Approximately 95 x 105 x 109 mm (width x depth x height)

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Print, cut and score

    Print at 100% Actual size. Check the 50 mm ruler. Cut each of the 12 IDs once on the specified stock; transfer marks if using colored stock. Score every fold, not the dotted glue boundaries. Keep each 7 mm deep root tab, tapering from 8 mm at its hinge to 4 mm at its inner end, on all six tepals.

  2. Close the hexagonal support

    H1 has six 14 x 50 mm walls. Mountain-fold the five wall joints and the seam joint by 60 degrees (120-degree interior corners). Glue the final 5 x 50 mm seam beneath the first wall, aligning both 50 mm edges. Hold square to the table and let set for at least 10 minutes.

  3. Secure foot and cap

    Fold the six lower 6 mm tabs outward by 90 degrees (valley), and glue their undersides onto centered B1. Keep the support vertical; opposite walls are 24.25 mm apart. Fold the six upper 6 mm tabs inward by 90 degrees (mountain). Glue C1 on top, its six 14 mm edges aligned to the walls. Let dry for 15 minutes before adding petals.

  4. Hinge the three standards

    On S1-S3, keep the 7 mm root tab horizontal. Valley-fold at the tab edge by 70 degrees. At 14, 34 and 50 mm from that edge, valley-fold an additional 15, 25 and 15 degrees respectively. The four facet elevations are 70, 85, 110 and 125 degrees: the broad blade stands up, then the tip leans inward. Do not curl or stretch the blade.

  5. Mount standards on alternating sides

    Choose one cap edge as side 1 and count counterclockwise from above. Glue S1, S2 and S3 to sides 1, 3 and 5. Center each 8 mm root hinge on its 14 mm edge; its 7 mm tab points inward and lies flat on the cap. Blades rise outward then lean inward. Hold the 70-degree first facets until the glue grips; allow 10 minutes.

  6. Form the drooping falls

    On F1-F3 keep each root tab horizontal. Valley-fold the root by 15 degrees. At 16, 30, 44 and 58 mm from the root hinge, mountain-fold by 35, 30, 20 and 15 degrees respectively. The five elevations are +15, -20, -50, -70 and -85 degrees. This produces a narrow outward neck and a broad downward blade without compound bending.

  7. Attach golden beards

    Glue Y1 to F1, Y2 to F2 and Y3 to F3 on their upward/outward printed faces. Center each 4 x 10 mm yellow strip across the width of the second facet, beginning 2 mm beyond the 16 mm crease and ending 2 mm before the 30 mm crease. Keep it entirely flat on that facet; it must not bridge a hinge.

  8. Alternate falls and finish

    Glue F1, F2 and F3 onto cap sides 2, 4 and 6, centering the root hinges on the edges with their 7 mm tabs directed inward. Falls sit between the standards, with yellow strips facing up and tips drooping. Root tabs must lie side by side, not be piled in the center. Let dry for 30 minutes on a level surface; the lowest petal tips should clear the base by about 18 mm. Physical balance and crease retention still require a real build.

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.