SnipFold

Hanging Snowdrop

A nodding snowdrop with three long white outer tepals, three short green-marked inner tepals, a triangular green ovary and a laminated crook stem.

Materials

  • White 120-160 gsm paper for O1-O3 and I1-I3
  • Green 250 gsm card for S1-S2; green 120-160 gsm paper for C1, G1-G3 and L1-L2
  • Scissors, scoring tool, ruler, protractor and thin PVA glue
  • External weighted clamp or small craft vise gripping the bottom 15 mm of the stem (required; not a paper part or included in GLB)

Finished size: Approximately 66 x 31 x 152 mm, excluding external clamp

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Print and prepare the stem

    Print at 100 percent; check the 50 mm ruler. Cut S1 and S2 from green 250 gsm card. Spread a thin even glue film over one complete silhouette; align all edges and laminate face to face. Press flat under a book until fully dry, at least 60 minutes; do not load a damp hook.

  2. Fold the ovary collar

    Score C1 at 8, 16 and 24 mm across its 27 mm width. Fold each line 120 degrees from flat in the same direction to make three 8 x 10 mm walls with 60 degree interior corners. Glue the final 3 x 10 mm flap inside the first wall at x=0..3 mm. Keep both triangular ends open; dry 15 minutes.

  3. Mount collar on the hook

    Keep the stem upright with the crook pointing right. Bond the outside of C1 first wall (x=0..8 on its template) to the rear face of the hook terminal, a full 8 x 10 mm contact. Align collar bottom with the terminal bottom, 118 mm above stem base; collar top is at 128 mm. The triangle projects behind the stem. Hold square and let dry 20 minutes.

  4. Make the inner green marks

    Cut the three short notched petals and three green V patches. Glue each G patch completely onto the outward-facing side of the matching I petal, centered on its long axis, spanning 17 to 21 mm below the root crease. The V points toward the notched tip. Allow 5 minutes to tack.

  5. Hang the short inner petals

    Fold each inner blade outward 5 degrees from its upright 8 x 6 mm root tab. Glue the tab to the INSIDE of its corresponding collar wall, centered across the 8 mm wall. Put the crease exactly at the bottom rim, with all 6 mm of tab extending upward inside. Blades hang down; green marks face out. Dry 10 minutes.

  6. Add the long outer petals

    Fold each long blade outward 18 degrees from the vertical root tab. Bond each full 8 x 6 mm tab to the OUTSIDE of the matching collar wall, crease level with its bottom rim. On wall one, bond onto the laminated hook terminal instead; its bottom is the same datum. Space the three blades on the three faces, 120 degrees around the hanging axis. The 48 mm blades surround the 24 mm inner petals. Dry 20 minutes without pressing the blades together.

  7. Attach basal leaves and display

    Glue only the 4 x 8 mm rectangular root of each leaf to the front of the stem. Set L1 root center 12 mm above the base leaning 12 degrees left, and L2 root center 24 mm up leaning 12 degrees right; tips rise upward. Leave blades flat. Dry the whole assembly overnight, then grip the bottom 15 mm of stem in a weighted external clamp. Check for hook sag and glue release before display; physical load validation 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.