SnipFold

Harbor Watch Lighthouse

Original four-sided tapered lighthouse with a broad foundation, projecting support deck, four open lantern windows and a faceted red pyramid roof. Decorative paper architecture only.

Materials

  • 200-240 gsm cardstock
  • PVA craft glue
  • Scissors
  • Craft knife and cutting mat (adult use)
  • Ruler and blunt scoring tool

Finished size: 90 x 90 x 155 mm; tower 50 mm square at foot, 30 mm square at deck

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Print, cut and score

    Print at 100 percent actual size; verify the 50 mm ruler. Cut B, D and all twelve panels, then remove the four 24 x 13 mm window rectangles. Score every marked tab root before folding; do not cut the fold lines. Each ID is cut once. Keep the 8 mm window side posts and 6 mm top/bottom rails intact.

  2. Join the tapered tower

    T1-T4 each have a 50 mm bottom edge, 30 mm top edge and 110.454 mm face altitude. Mountain-fold the 5 mm right seam tabs by 89.53 degrees. Glue T1 right tab behind T2 left edge, then T2 to T3, T3 to T4 and T4 to T1. Butt cut edges at each corner; the tab alone overlaps. Match all 110.905 mm sloping side edges. Hold a 50 mm square foot and 30 mm square top while drying.

  3. Anchor the tower to its foundation

    Valley-fold the four 6 mm bottom feet outward by 84.81 degrees from flat until horizontal. Mark a centered 50 x 50 mm square on B, 20 mm from each base edge. Glue the undersides of the four feet to B outside this square; align tower corners to the square. Keep the tower vertical and let the foundation bond dry flat.

  4. Fit the load-bearing deck

    Mountain-fold the four 5 mm tower top tabs inward by 84.81 degrees until horizontal. Center the 46 x 46 mm D deck on the 30 mm square tower top: 8 mm overhang on every side, at height 110 mm. Apply glue to the upper faces of the top tabs, lower D onto them and press lightly. Let this joint dry before adding the lantern.

  5. Build and mount the open lantern room

    Mountain-fold each L wall right seam tab and bottom foot by 90 degrees. Join L1 to L2 to L3 to L4 in order using the 4 mm right tabs behind the next wall left edge; close L4 to L1. Keep a 40 x 40 mm square cross-section and 25 mm height. Center the lantern on D with a 3 mm exposed deck border all round. Glue its four inward 4 mm feet down to D; press through the open top, not through the delicate windows. Let dry.

  6. Assemble the four-facet roof

    Each R triangle has a 40 mm eave, 28.284 mm face altitude and 34.641 mm sloping side edges. Mountain-fold the 4 mm right sloping seam tabs by 60 degrees. Glue R1 tab behind R2 left slope, then R2 to R3, R3 to R4 and R4 to R1. Meet the four apex points without overlapping the main facets. Check a 40 mm square open underside and 20 mm vertical roof rise. Let seams dry.

  7. Attach the supported roof

    Mountain-fold all four lantern top tabs inward by 45 degrees from their upward flat continuation. Their 4 mm widths now follow the 45 degree roof slope. Apply glue to their outer/upward faces and lower the roof over them: each 40 mm eave meets the matching lantern upper edge at height 135 mm. Hold gently until set; the apex is at 155 mm. Keep every window clear. Check base flatness, corner seams and gentle tabletop stability after drying. This is a decorative model, not a working lamp; physical verification is pending.

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.