SnipFold

Upright Tulip Cup

A freestanding six-petal tulip cup: narrow hexagonal foot, flared closed lower walls and six inward-leaning scalloped tips.

Materials

  • 160-180 gsm colored paper
  • Scissors
  • PVA craft glue
  • Ruler
  • Blunt scoring tool
  • Tweezers for small tabs

Finished size: 46 x 40 x 55.2 mm; 20 mm hexagonal foot

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Prepare the floor

    Print at 100% and check the 50 mm ruler. Cut B1: each hexagon edge is 10 mm, opposite corners 20 mm. Put its printed face downward.

  2. Prepare and place the first petal

    Cut P1 and score its three marked hinges. Its lower wall is 33.92 mm along the center, 10 mm wide at the foot and 23 mm at the shoulder. Fold the 5 mm bottom tab inward by 109.4 degrees from flat. Glue its printed face onto the top of B1, centering the 10 mm wall edge on one floor edge. Wall rises outward at 70.6 degrees to the table. Hold until tacky; the tab lies flat inside the cup.

  3. Join the second wall

    Cut and score P2; fold its bottom tab as for P1. Place it on the next floor edge to the right when looking at the outside of P1. Fold P1 right side tab inward about 56.3 degrees from flat and glue its printed face behind the left edge of P2. The seam overlaps 4 mm perpendicular to the edge; align the foot and 23 mm shoulder endpoints. Let tack.

  4. Continue around the hexagon

    Cut and score P3-P5. Add them in order on consecutive floor edges. For each wall glue its 5 mm basal tab to B1 and the previous wall right 4 mm side tab behind its left edge. Maintain a 32 mm shoulder height; the six shoulder edges will each be 23 mm long. Let each seam tack before adding the next wall. Leave all upper blades unfolded for access.

  5. Close the lower cup

    Cut and score P6. Dry-fit it in the last gap. Glue its basal tab to B1, P5 side tab behind P6 left edge, and P6 side tab behind P1 left edge. Press the final seams from inside with tweezers. Check a 46 mm corner-to-corner shoulder span and a level 32 mm shoulder height. Allow the closed lower cup to dry fully before folding the tips.

  6. Turn the six tips inward

    At each 23 mm shoulder hinge, mountain-fold the upper blade inward by 34.4 degrees from its lower wall plane. Each blade now leans 15 degrees toward the cup center from vertical. The 24 mm tip extension rises 23.2 mm and moves inward 6.2 mm. Leave the upper petal edges unglued, making six visible notches and an open top. Stand on the hexagonal foot; finished height is about 55.2 mm.

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.