SnipFold

Faceted Coil Snail

Long low foot, raised head and four tentacles beneath a twelve-facet shell with genuinely raised spiral ribbons.

Materials

  • 200-220 gsm cardstock
  • Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
  • Ruler and blunt scoring tool
  • PVA glue
  • Tweezers

Finished size: 137 x 38 x 70 mm

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Cut and score the foot

    Print at 100%; confirm the 50 mm ruler. Cut each numbered instance once. F is the 130 mm long foot; its pointed tail is the narrow end. Score every dashed line. Keep the printed panel numbers available during assembly.

  2. Close the low foot

    Build F01-F08 around FA in perimeter order, starting at the tail. Fold the 3 mm end tabs 90 degrees inward and glue beneath FA. Each right-hand 3 mm seam flap glues inside the next rim. The wall is 8 mm high. Glue FB over the upper tabs last; keep both end panels flat and dry.

  3. Make the raised head

    Assemble H01-H06 around HA using inward 3 mm tabs and 3 mm rim seam laps, then cap with HB. Glue the whole HA underside onto FB: the straight rear edge is 101 mm forward of the tail tip, centered across the foot. Head height above the foot is 16 mm. Dry flat.

  4. Build the shell mounting plinth

    Make the 16 x 20 x 4 mm M plinth with 2 mm inward end tabs and 3 mm side seams. Glue MA to the foot top centered across its width; its center is 52 mm forward of the tail tip. Cap with MB and allow to dry. This supplied paper plinth carries the shell.

  5. Form the twelve-facet shell

    SA and SB are the shell cheeks, 24 mm apart. Starting at their short horizontal bottom edge, attach S01-S12 in perimeter order. Fold 4 mm cheek tabs inward 90 degrees; glue them behind SA. Turn 30 degrees at each rim seam, gluing each 3 mm flap beneath the next panel. Close S12 to S01, then attach SB over the remaining tabs. Let the shell dry before mounting.

  6. Mount the shell

    Glue the center of the horizontal bottom facet S01 to MB. Match the shell center to the plinth center, 52 mm from the tail; the 24 mm shell width overhangs the 20 mm plinth by 2 mm each side. The bottom facet is 15.53 mm long, fitting on the 16 mm plinth. Hold upright until set.

  7. Raise the L shell coil

    Cut CL carefully as one 3 mm wide spiral; do not cut across its turns. Fold BL1-BL5 into Z spacers with opposite 90-degree folds at 2 and 4 mm. Their two 2 x 2 mm pads stay parallel, 2 mm apart. Glue upper pads behind the spiral at 5%, 27%, 50%, 74%, and 95% of the path from the outer tip. Let dry, then glue lower pads to the shell cheek. Align the spiral center with the cheek center and its outer tip downward. The coil is raised 2 mm above the cheek; use tweezers and a very thin glue film.

  8. Raise the R shell coil

    Cut CR carefully as one 3 mm wide spiral; do not cut across its turns. Fold BR1-BR5 into Z spacers with opposite 90-degree folds at 2 and 4 mm. Their two 2 x 2 mm pads stay parallel, 2 mm apart. Glue upper pads behind the spiral at 5%, 27%, 50%, 74%, and 95% of the path from the outer tip. Let dry, then glue lower pads to the shell cheek. Align the spiral center with the cheek center and its outer tip downward. The coil is raised 2 mm above the cheek; use tweezers and a very thin glue film.

  9. Attach the tall tentacles and eyes

    Fold TL and TR 90 degrees at 4 mm to make 6 x 4 mm basal feet and upright 25 mm stalks. Glue feet on HB with their rear edges 116 mm from the tail and centers 7 mm either side of the body centerline. Stalks stand 120 mm from the tail. Glue each eye disk to the forward face of its stalk, centered 23 mm above HB. Hold upright while drying.

  10. Fit the short feelers

    Glue each Q 3 x 4 mm pad on the front of HB, pad rear edge 125 mm from the tail and centers 3 mm either side of center. Bend the 10 mm free length up 37 degrees from horizontal, so the tip projects 8 mm forward and rises 6 mm. Let all joints dry before moving the snail.

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.