SnipFold

Broad Faceted Woodland Owl

A broad octagonal panel-and-gusset owl with two raised facial disks, ridged folded wings, pointed ear tufts and a wide level base.

Materials

  • 180-220 gsm card
  • 140-160 gsm colored paper
  • PVA glue
  • Scissors or craft knife
  • Ruler and blunt scoring tool

Finished size: 110 x 76 x 117 mm approximately

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Cut and score

    Print at actual size and confirm the 50 mm ruler. Cut each of the 24 pieces once. Use 180-220 gsm card for shell, wings, tufts and base; 140-160 gsm for face disks, eyes, beak and feet. Score marked creases before folding. Front means the face side; rearward depth is 44 mm.

    Show 2 more pieces

  2. Build the broad faceted shell

    Keep FRONT flat. G1 follows its 56 mm bottom edge; G2 the lower right bevel, G3 the 43 mm right vertical, G4 the upper right bevel, G5 the 56 mm crown, then G6-G8 down the left. Fold each 4 mm long-edge tab inward 90 degrees and glue beneath FRONT. The gussets project 44 mm rearward. Join each short-edge tab beneath the next gusset without overlapping the main rectangles. Leave BACK open for finger access. Match the polygon corners rather than rounding the edges.

  3. Fold the two facial disks

    Mountain-fold all eight edges of each 40 mm corner-diameter DISK to turn its 5 mm walls rearward by 90 degrees. Fold the outer 3 mm tabs another 90 degrees inward so they lie parallel to the face. The wall corners meet without overlap and require no corner glue. Glue IRIS then PUPIL concentrically on each cream disk: diameters 18 and 9 mm. Allow five minutes to set.

  4. Mount the raised face

    Glue only the eight rear tabs of each disk to FRONT. Centers are 42 mm apart, each 21 mm from the centerline and 71 mm above the bottom edge. Keep an octagon corner pointing upward. The disk faces stand 5 mm forward of the shell; their inner corners leave a 2 mm central gap. Press the tabs from inside the open shell and let dry.

  5. Fit pointed beak and ear tufts

    Fold BEAK along its center crease into a projecting ridge, 8 mm forward at the upper ridge endpoint. Its lower point touches FRONT 48 mm above the bottom, with the two outer upper corners 7 mm either side of center and 60 mm above the bottom. Fold the 3 mm glue flaps flush to FRONT. Glue them outside the triangular footprint. Fold each TUFT center crease gently to bring its tip 5 mm forward of its base; the base spans 18 mm. Glue the 4 mm tabs to FRONT with bases 91 mm above the bottom and centers 22 mm either side of center. Tips rise about 21.5 mm above the crown. Dry with support from inside.

  6. Attach ridged folded wings

    On each vertical side gusset G3/G7, locate the 24 mm wing root from 39 to 63 mm above the shell bottom and 14 mm behind the front edge. Glue the 5 mm attachment tab toward the front. Fold the inner wing panel 32 degrees outward from the side wall; fold the long ridge back 32 degrees so the outer feather panel runs parallel to that wall. Both pointed wing tips face downward and rearward. Glue only the attachment tab and hold until set.

  7. Close the back

    Fold the eight remaining 4 mm long-edge tabs flush to the rear plane. Glue BACK onto them with its 56 mm bottom and crown edges aligned to FRONT. Press opposing edges gently, keeping the shell depth at 44 mm; allow ten minutes to set.

  8. Fit feet and level base

    Lay the 110 x 76 mm BASE flat with its longer front margin toward the face. Glue both feet flat, centers 30 mm apart. Their straight heel edges are 15 mm forward of the base centerline; longest toes reach 38 mm forward. Glue the entire underside of G1 onto the central 56 x 44 mm marked base area, covering the heels. Center the shell left/right and front/back on that rectangle. Keep the base flat under light pressure for 30 minutes. The broad base is the structural support; toes are decorative. Physical assembly and balance remain deferred.

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.